Genesis 30:1
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
Genesis 30:1 in other translations
| BSB | When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. |
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| WEB | 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.” |
| ASV | And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. |
| YLT | And Rachel seeth that she hath not borne to Jacob, and Rachel is envious of her sister, and saith unto Jacob, ‘Give me sons, and if there is none--I die.' |
| DARBY | And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. |
| BBE | Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living. |
| Webster | And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. |
What does Genesis 30:1 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Ge 30:1-24. Domestic Jealousies.
1. Rachel envied her sister--The maternal relation confers a high degree of honor in the East, and the want of that status is felt as a stigma and deplored as a grievous calamity. Give me children, or else I die--either be reckoned as good as dead, or pine away from vexation. The intense anxiety of Hebrew women for children arose from the hope of giving birth to the promised seed. Rachel's conduct was sinful and contrasts unfavorably with that of Rebekah (compare Ge 25:22) and of Hannah (1Sa 1:11).Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Introduction
Rachel envies her sister, and chides Jacob, Gen 30:1. He reproves her and vindicates himself, Gen 30:2. She gives him her maid Bilhah, Gen 30:3, Gen 30:4. She conceives, and bears Dan. vv.5, 6; and afterwards Naphtali, Gen 30:7, Gen 30:8. Leah gives Zilpah her maid to Jacob, Gen 30:9. She conceives and bears Gad, Gen 30:10, Gen 30:11, and also Asher, Gen 30:12, Gen 30:13. Reuben finds mandrakes, of which Rachel requests a part, Gen 30:14. The bargain made between her and Leah, Gen 30:15. Jacob in consequence lodges with Leah instead of Rachel, Gen 30:16. She conceives, and bears Issachar, Gen 30:17, Gen 30:18, and Zebulun, Gen 30:19, Gen 30:20, and Dinah, Gen 30:21. Rachel conceives, and bears Joseph, Gen 30:22-24. Jacob requests permission from Laban to go to his own country, Gen 30:25, Gen 30:26. Laban entreats him to tarry, and offers to give him what wages he shall choose to name, Gen 30:27, Gen 30:28. Jacob details the importance of his services to Laban, Gen 30:29, Gen 30:30, and offers to continue those services for the speckled and spotted among the goats, and the brown among the sheep, Gen 30:31-33. Laban consents, Gen 30:34, and divides all the ring-streaked and spotted among the he-goats, the speckled and spotted among the she-goats, and the brown among the sheep, and puts them under the care of his sons, and sets three days' journey between himself and Jacob, Gen 30:35, Gen 30:36. Jacob's stratagem of the pilled rods, to cause the cattle to bring forth the ring-streaked, speckled, and spotted, Gen 30:37-39. In consequence of which he increased his flock greatly, getting all that was strong and healthy in the flock of Laban, Gen 30:40-43. Verse 1 Give me children, or else I die - This is a most reprehensible speech, and argues not only envy and jealousy, but also a total want of dependence on God. She had the greatest share of her husband's affection, and yet was not satisfied unless she could engross all the privileges which her sister enjoyed! How true are those sayings, Envy is as rottenness of the bones! and, Jealousy is as cruel as the grave!Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 30:1-13
Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain
Genesis 30:1 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Genesis 30:1
- Job 5:2
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
- Genesis 29:31
And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
- Genesis 37:11
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
- Proverbs 14:30
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
- 1 Corinthians 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
- 2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
- James 3:14
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
- James 4:5
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
- Job 3:1-3
After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
- Numbers 11:29
And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!
- Job 3:20-22
Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?
- Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5 Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali.
9 Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher.
14 Reuben finds mandrakes, with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel.
17 Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.
22 Rachel bears Joseph.
25 Jacob desires to depart.
27 Laban detains him on a new agreement.
37 Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich.
when Rachel.
29:31
Rachel envied.Envy and jealousy are most tormenting passions to the breast which harbours them, vexatious to all around, and introductory to much impatience and ungodliness. "Who is able to stand before envy?"
37:11; 1Sa 1:4-8; Ps 106:16; Pr 14:30; Ec 4:4; 1Co 3:3; Ga 5:21
Tit 3:3; Jas 3:14; 4:5
or else I die.
35:16-19; 37:11; Nu 11:15,29; 1Ki 19:4; Job 3:1-3,11,20-22; 5:2
Job 13:19; Jer 20:14-18; Joh 4:3,8; 2Co 7:10
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Genesis 30:1
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
- Genesis 30:2
And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
Genesis 30:1 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y VIENDO Rachêl que no daba hijos á Jacob, tuvo envidia de su hermana, y decía á Jacob: Dame hijos, ó si no, me muero. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et Rachel vit qu’elle ne donnait pas d’enfants à Jacob, et Rachel fut jalouse de sa sœur, et dit à Jacob: Donne-moi des fils, sinon je meurs. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Und als Rahel sah, daß sie dem Jakob nicht gebar, da beneidete Rahel ihre Schwester und sprach zu Jakob: Gib mir Kinder! Und wenn nicht, so sterbe ich. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Cernens autem Rachel quod infecunda esset, invidit sorori suæ, et ait marito suo: Da mihi liberos, alioquin moriar. |