Genesis 29:31-30:24
Expanded Bible
Jacob’s Family Grows
31 When the Lord saw ·that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah [L Leah was unloved/hated], he ·made it possible for Leah to have children [L opened up her womb], but ·not Rachel [L Rachel was barren]. 32 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [C sounds like “seen my troubles” in Hebrew], because she said, “The Lord has seen my ·troubles [distress]. Surely now my husband will love me.”
33 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon [C sounds like “has heard” in Hebrew] and said, “The Lord has heard that I am ·not loved [or hated], so he has given me this son.”
34 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi [C sounds like “be close to” in Hebrew] and said, “Now, surely my husband will ·be close [bind/attach himself] to me, because I have given him three sons.”
35 Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named him Judah [C sounds like “praise” in Hebrew], because she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Then Leah stopped having children.
30 When Rachel saw that she was not having children for Jacob, she ·envied [was jealous of] her sister Leah. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” 2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “·Can I do what only God can do [L Am I in the place of God]? He ·is the one who has kept you from having children [L has withheld the fruit of your womb].”
3 Then Rachel said, “Here is my slave girl Bilhah. ·Have sexual relations with [L Go to] her so she can ·give birth to a child for me [L bear a child on my knees]. Then I can ·have my own family [L be built up] through her.”
4 So Rachel gave Bilhah, her slave girl, to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine], and he ·had sexual relations with [L went to] her. 5 Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “God has ·judged me innocent [vindicated me]. He has listened to my prayer and has given me a son,” so she named him Dan [C sounds like “he has judged” in Hebrew].
7 Bilhah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have ·struggled [or wrestled] hard with my sister, and I have won.” So she named that son Naphtali [C sounds like “my struggle/wrestling” in Hebrew].
9 Leah saw that she had stopped having children, so she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob as a ·wife [or concubine]. 10 When Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, ·got pregnant [conceived] and had a son, 11 Leah said, “·I am lucky [Good fortune],” so she named him Gad [C sounds like “lucky” in Hebrew]. 12 Zilpah, the slave girl of Leah, gave birth to another son, 13 and Leah said, “I am very ·happy [or blessed]! Now women will call me ·happy [or blessed],” so she named him Asher [C sounds like “happy/blessed” in Hebrew].
14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the field and found some mandrake plants [C an aphrodisiac, also thought to increase fertility] and brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15 Leah answered, “·You have already [L Is it a minor matter that you have] taken away my husband, and now you are trying to take away my son’s mandrakes.”
But Rachel answered, “If you will give me your son’s mandrakes, you may ·sleep [L lie] with Jacob tonight.”
16 When Jacob came in from the field ·that night [in the evening], Leah went out to meet him. She said, “You will ·have sexual relations with [L come to] me tonight because I have ·paid for [bought; hired] you with my son’s mandrakes.” So Jacob ·slept [L lay] with her that night.
17 Then God ·answered Leah’s prayer [L heard Leah], and she ·became pregnant [L conceived] again. She gave birth to a fifth son 18 and said, “God has given me what I ·paid for [bought; hired], because I gave my slave girl to my husband.” So Leah named her son Issachar [C sounds like “paid for” in Hebrew].
19 Leah ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a sixth son. 20 ·She [L Leah] said, “God has given me a fine ·gift [dowry]. Now surely Jacob will ·honor [exalt] me, because I have given him six sons,” so she named him Zebulun [C sounds like “honor” in Hebrew]. 21 Later Leah gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah [ch. 34].
22 Then God remembered Rachel and ·answered her prayer [L heard her], ·making it possible for her to have children [L and opened her womb]. 23 When she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to a son, she said, “God has taken away my ·shame [reproach],” 24 and she named him Joseph [C sounds like “he adds” in Hebrew]. Rachel said, “I wish the Lord would ·give [L add to] me another son.”
Genesis 29:31-30:24
Amplified Bible
31 Now when the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He [a]made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son and named him Reuben (See, a son!), for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my humiliation and suffering; now my husband will love me [since I have given him a son].” 33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son and said, “Because the Lord heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon (God hears). 34 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me [as a companion], for I have given him three sons.” Therefore he was named [b]Levi. 35 Again she conceived and gave birth to a [fourth] son, and she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” So she named him [c]Judah; then [for a time] she stopped bearing [children].
The Sons of Jacob
30 When Rachel saw that she conceived no children for Jacob, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.” 2 Then Jacob became furious with Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has denied you children?” 3 She said, “Here, take my maid Bilhah and go in to her; and [when the baby comes] she shall [d]deliver it [while sitting] on my knees, so that by her I may also have children [to count as my own].” 4 So she gave him Bilhah her maid as a [[e]secondary] wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has judged and vindicated me, and has heard my plea and has given me a son [through my maid].” So she named him Dan (He judged). 7 Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, conceived again and gave birth to a second son for Jacob. 8 So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings [in prayer to God] I have struggled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali (my wrestlings).
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing [children], she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as a [[f]secondary] wife. 10 Zilpah, Leah’s maid, gave birth to a son for Jacob. 11 Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad (good fortune). 12 Zilpah, Leah’s maid, gave birth to a second son for Jacob. 13 Then Leah said, “I am happy! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher (happy).
14 Now at the time of wheat harvest Reuben [the eldest child] went and found some [g]mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But Leah answered, “Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Jacob shall sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep with me [tonight], for I have in fact hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. 17 God listened and answered [the prayer of] Leah, and she conceived and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. 18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my reward because I have given my maid to my husband.” So she named him [h]Issachar. 19 Leah conceived again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. 20 Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good [marriage] gift [for my husband]; now he will live with me [regarding me with honor as his wife], because I have given birth to six sons.” So she named him [i]Zebulun. 21 Afterward she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
22 Then God remembered [the prayers of] Rachel, and God thought of her and opened her womb [so that she would conceive]. 23 So she conceived and gave birth to a son; and she said, “God has taken away my disgrace and humiliation.” 24 She named him Joseph (may He add) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
Notas al pie
- Genesis 29:31 Lit opened her womb.
- Genesis 29:34 The exact meaning is uncertain, perhaps companion or attached or joined.
- Genesis 29:35 Possibly an abbreviation of “Praise YHWH.”
- Genesis 30:3 This ritual symbolized that the wife was providing the child for her husband through a surrogate mother.
- Genesis 30:4 I.e. concubine (see note 22:24).
- Genesis 30:9 I.e. concubine (see note 22:24).
- Genesis 30:14 A narcotic plant thought by ancient peoples to be an aphrodisiac or cure for infertility.
- Genesis 30:18 Related to Hebrew for “reward.”
- Genesis 30:20 Possibly related to Hebrew for “home” or “elevated place.”
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