1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."
Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
His brothers envied him; but his father kept this saying in mind.
Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"?
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
For godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world works death.
For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Cursed be the day in which I was born: don't let the day in which my mother bore me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought news to my father, saying, A man-child is born to you; making him very glad. Let that man be as the cities which Yahweh overthrew, and didn't repent: and let him hear a cry in the morning, and shouting at noontime; because he didn't kill me from the womb; and so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb always great. Why came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?
They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor. It happened that, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for now you will have another son." It happened, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni,{"Ben-oni" means "son of my trouble."} but his father named him Benjamin.{"Benjamin" means "son of my right hand."} Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).
The life of the body is a heart at peace, But envy rots the bones.
Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
For resentment kills the foolish man, And jealousy kills the simple.
"Why didn't I die from the womb? Why didn't I give up the spirit when my mother bore me?
After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed the day of his birth. Job answered: "Let the day perish in which I was born, The night which said, 'There is a man-child conceived.'
When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb. Her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Yahweh, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why weep you? and why don't you eat? and why is your heart grieved? am I not better to you than ten sons?
Moses said to him, Are you jealous for my sake? would that all Yahweh's people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 30
Commentary on Genesis 30 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 30
In this chapter we have an account of the increase,
Gen 30:1-13
We have here the bad consequences of that strange marriage which Jacob made with the two sisters. Here is,
Gen 30:14-24
Here is,
Gen 30:25-36
We have here,
Gen 30:37-43
Here is Jacob's honest policy to make his bargain more advantageous to himself than it was likely to be. If he had not taken some course to help himself, it would have been a bad bargain indeed, which he knew Laban would never consider, or rather would be well pleased to see him a loser by, so little did Laban consult any one's interest but his own. Now Jacob's contrivances were,