Genesis 30 · Verse 16

Genesis 30:16

And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
Genesis 30:16, King James Version

Genesis 30:16 in other translations

BSBWhen Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
WEBJacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.
ASVAnd Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for I have surely hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
YLTAnd Jacob cometh in from the field at evening; and Leah goeth to meet him, and saith, ‘Unto me dost thou come in, for hiring I have hired thee with my son's love-apples;' and he lieth with her during that night.
DARBYAnd when Jacob came from the fields in the evening, Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me, for indeed I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
BBEIn the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night.
WebsterAnd Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

What does Genesis 30:16 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 I have hired thee - We may remark among the Jewish women an intense desire of having children; and it seems to have been produced, not from any peculiar affection for children, but through the hope of having a share in the blessing of Abraham, by bringing forth Him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 30:14-24

The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, and from whom the Messiah was to descend.

Read the full comment on Genesis 30:14-24 →

Genesis 30:16 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.

וַיָּבֹ֨אvai.ya.Vo'and he cameH935
יַעֲקֹ֣בya.'a.KoJacobH3290
מִן\־min-fromH4480
הַשָּׂדֶה֮ha.sa.Dehthe fieldH7704
בָּעֶרֶב֒ba.'e.Revin the eveningH6153
וַתֵּצֵ֨אva.te.Tze'and she went outH3318
לֵאָ֜הle.'AhLeahH3812
לִקְרָאת֗וֹlik.ra.Toto meet himH7122
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.To.merand she saidH559
אֵלַ֣י'e.Laiinto meH413
תָּב֔וֹאta.Vo'you will comeH935
כִּ֚יkiforH3588
שָׂכֹ֣רsa.Khorcertainly <to hire>H7936
שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָse.khar.Ti.khaI have hired youH7936
בְּדוּדָאֵ֖יbe.du.da.'Eifor [the] mandrakes ofH1736
בְּנִ֑יbe.Nison myH1121
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥בvai.yish.Kavand he layH7901
עִמָּ֖הּ'i.Mahwith herH5973
בַּלַּ֥יְלָהba.Lay.lahin the nightH3915
הֽוּא\׃Hu'thatH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Context

  • Genesis 30:15

    And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s mandrakes.

  • Genesis 30:16

    And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

  • Genesis 30:17

    And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

Read all of Genesis 30

Genesis 30:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y cuando Jacob volvía del campo á la tarde, salió Lea á él, y le dijo: A mí has de entrar, porque á la verdad te he alquilado por las mandrágoras de mi hijo. Y durmió con ella aquella noche.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Jacob vint des champs sur le soir, et Léa sortit à sa rencontre, et dit: C’est vers moi que tu viendras, car je t’ai loué pour les mandragores de mon fils. Et il coucha avec elle cette nuit-là.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und als Jakob am Abend vom Felde kam, da ging Lea hinaus, ihm entgegen, und sprach: Zu mir sollst du eingehen, denn ich habe dich gewißlich gedungen um die Dudaim meines Sohnes. Und er lag bei ihr in selbiger Nacht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Redeuntique ad vesperam Jacob de agro, egressa est in occursum ejus Lia, et Ad me, inquit, intrabis: quia mercede conduxi te pro mandragoris filii mei. Dormivitque cum ea nocte illa.