Observations Upon the Old Testament, Genesis · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX.
Verse 1. RAchel envied her sister] Rachels fault, ch. 37. 11. Num. 11. 29. Psal. 106. 16. Prov. 27. 4.
give me children] Laying the fault on her husband, who yet had children by Leah, she speaks this in a womanish passion, never considering to whom she spake, or by what meanes he should be able to satisfie her desire.
or else I die] For grief, Prov. 14. 30. It will be my death, and I shall have no desire to live, Job 5. 2. Barrennesse counted a reproach, v. 23.
V. 2. Am I in Gods stead] ch. 50. 19. God only can give children. ch. 16. 2. 20. 18. Psal. 113 9. 127. 3. Therefore Isaac, and Hannah; and others go to God by prayer for children, Gen. 25. 21. 1 Sam. 1. 10.
V. 3. Bilhah] By the example of Sarah, ch. 16. 2.
heare upon my knees] Brought forth and nursed on my knees, ch. 50. 23.
that I may] So she calls them hers, and she gives them names, v. 6, 8. claiming a kinde of motherhood in her Hand-maids issue; the Hand-maids children by nature were the Dames by adoption, or in right of her husband by the Law given afterwards, in Exod. 21. 4. And so Rachel made account that some part of her barrennesse was put away, and some of her husbands good will swayed from her sister (whose envious rival she was,) to her side.
V. 4. Handmaid to wife] Called a Concubine, ch. 35. 22. so a secondary wife is called, such was Hagar, ch. 16. 3. Keturah, 1 Chron. 1. 32. and Zilpah, v. 9. ye… she and Zilpah are called his two women-servants, ch. 32. 22. The sonnes of Bilhah and Zilpah became Heads of tribes, and did in herit in Canaan, as well as the sonnes of Leah and Rachel.
V. 5. And bare Jacob a sonne] An improbable cunjecture it is, that this should be the same yeare, wherein Leah did bear Levi.
V. 6. God hath judged me] On my side against Leah, who upbraided me with barrennesse, as Peninnah did Hannah, 1 Sam. 1, 6. so judging is used, 1 Sam. 24. 15. 2 Sam, 18. 19 Gen 49. 16.
V. 8. Have I wrastled] By prayer, and by all meanes.
V. 9 Left bearing] An improbable conjecture it is, that it was not above half a yeare that she stayed ere she conceived again. And yet to these straits they are driven that hold the opinion, that Jacob did not marry till the beginning of the last seven yeares service.
V. 13. Call me blessed] Luke 1. 48. Cant. 6. 9
V. 14. Reuben] Must now need… be more then five yeares old, rather eight or nine, having seven brethren at this time borne after him; three of his own mother, and foure by the two Hand-maids whiles his mother left off bearing. And yet if he were now but five or six yeares old, as the late Annotat. affirme on this verse, there would remain but one or two yeares for her three last children, Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah▪ which helps still to make against the foresaid opinion formerly rejected.
mandrakes] Pleasant to the eye, and of a sweet smell, Cant. 7. 13. Lovely flowers, whether those we call mandrakes, i…is uncertain. But it seemes they were of some esteeme amongst them, such ado is here kept about them.
V. 15. Hast taken my husband] His affection from me, and so his conjug…l duty belonging to me, that he doth estrange himself from my bed through thee. Haply these contentions were not meerly carnal; but aimed and reached further.
shall lie with thee] Rachel makes ill use of her husbands great affection to her, takes upon her the disposal of his person, and hires him out …or a trifle to her sister.
V. 16. Leah went out to meet him] To make sure, he should not go in to Rachel. It seems they had several tents.
V. 17. And God hearkened unto Leah] v. 22. Therefore she prayed to him, for a child. Gods Providence reacheth to the numbring of our haires, Mat. 10. 30.
and she conceived] Not the same yeare that Zilpah her Hand-maid had her first sonne; much lesse the fifth yeare of the last seven yeares service.
V. 21. Diuah] Ch. 34.
V. 23. My reproach] Of Barrennesse, 1 Sam. 1. 6. Esay 4. 1. Luke 1. 25.
V. 24. The Lord shall adde] Prayer-wise. See the accomplishment, ch. 35. 7.
V. 25. When Rachel had borne] Jacob then was ninety yeares old.
send me away] He being now out of Labans debt, chap. 31. 41.
mine own place] Ch. 28. 13. The respect he had to the Promise made him earnest to return thither.
V. 26. Give me my wiv…s] cb 21. 21. He would not have stollen them away against his will, and have married them after. He had served for them, and yet here craves his good leave to depart. Though afterwards upon good occasion he steales away, ch. 31. 20.
V. 27. Favour in ahine eyes] Ch. 18. 3.
for thy sake] Ch 39. 3.
V. 30. Since my coming] And at my labour.
and now when] I being now ninety yeares old, 1 Tim. 5. 8. He alters his former real intention to return presently, upon good considerations. And God did not command his return, till ch. 31. 3, 13.
V. 31. Not give me any thing] No fit wages; nothing out of thy precedent or present estate, but out of that which shall accrew to thee afterwards.
V. 32. I will passe through] Jacob will depend upon Gods bounty, rather then upon Labans churlish covetousnesse.
and of such shall be my hire] Of the speckled only, when no speckled ones were left in the flock. But only white ones.
V. 34. I would it might be] For this was likely to be a good bargain for Laban, for naturally cattel bring forth young ones like themselves; yet seeing the issue of this, Laban changes this course ch. 31. 7.
V. 37. Rods] This he did at the ramming-time; and it seems by Gods command, ch. 31. 9, 10. 11, 12. in recompence of his sore labours, ch. 31. 38, 40. As the Israelites dealt with the Egyptians, at Gods command. And otherwise Laban would have sent him away empty, ch. 31. 42. Ezech. 39. 10.
V. 38. Conceive] The colour of the rods, haply made also the shadowes of the rams that leaped upon them, to appear particoloured in the water. And the strength of fancy or imagination is much at such a time of conception, and specially with Gods blessing upon it, as here.
V. 40. The Lambs] That were particoloured.
and set the faces] That so they might conceive the like, as they did before, by seeing the pilled rods in the troughs.
his own flocks by themselves] Not amongst Labans cattel, lest his own seeing Labans cattel of one colour, shouln engender the like to Labans, and so be Labans, not his. A third device.
V. 43. Increased exceedingly] Thus even in temporal things God abundantly blessed him, ch. 31. 9.