Genesis

Genesis 30:1–3

¹When 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.

²Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

³Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me,^a so that through her I too can build a family.”

Footnotes

a 30:3 Literally bear children on my knees

Read all of Genesis 30

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 30:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When Rachel	רָחֵ֗ל	rā·ḥêl	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7354 Rachel
saw	וַתֵּ֣רֶא	wat·tê·re	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7200 see
that	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
she was not	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
bearing	יָֽלְדָה֙	yā·lə·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
any children	רָחֵ֖ל	rā·ḥêl	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7354 Rachel
for Jacob	לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב	lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
she envied	וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א	wat·tə·qan·nê	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7065 be jealous, zealous
her sister	בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ	ba·’ă·ḥō·ṯāh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H269 sister
Give	הָֽבָה־	hā·ḇāh-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3051 give
me	לִּ֣י	lî	Preposition; first person common singular
children	בָנִ֔ים	ḇā·nîm	Noun - masculine plural	H1121 son
or	וְאִם־	wə·’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I	אָנֹֽכִי׃	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
will die	מֵתָ֥ה	mê·ṯāh	Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular	H4191 die
she said	וַתֹּ֤אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶֽל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Jacob	יַעֲקֹב֙	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob

Genesis 30:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֖ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
became angry	וַיִּֽחַר־	way·yi·ḥar-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2734 burn, be kindled
with Rachel	בְּרָחֵ֑ל	bə·rā·ḥêl	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7354 Rachel
and said	וַיֹּ֗אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Am I	אָנֹ֔כִי	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
in the place	הֲתַ֤חַת	hă·ṯa·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
of God	אֱלֹהִים֙	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
who	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
has withheld	מָנַ֥ע	mā·na‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H4513 withhold, hold back
children	פְּרִי־	pə·rî-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6529 fruit
from you	מִמֵּ֖ךְ	mim·mêḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not

Genesis 30:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then she said	וַתֹּ֕אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
Here	הִנֵּ֛ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
is my maidservant	אֲמָתִ֥י	’ă·mā·ṯî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H519 maid, handmaid
Bilhah	בִלְהָ֖ה	ḇil·hāh	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H1090 Bilhah
Sleep with	בֹּ֣א	bō	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
her	אֵלֶ֑יהָ	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to
that she may bear children	וְתֵלֵד֙	wə·ṯê·lêḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
so that through her	מִמֶּֽנָּה׃	mim·men·nāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
I	אָנֹכִ֖י	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
too	גַם־	ḡam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
can build a family	וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה	wə·’ib·bā·neh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular	H1129 build

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 30:1 Job 5:2 · Genesis 29:31 · Genesis 37:11 · 2 Corinthians 7:10 · 1 Corinthians 3:3 · Proverbs 14:30 · James 3:14 · James 4:5 · Psalm 106:16 · 1 Samuel 1:4–8 · John 4:3 · Numbers 11:29

Genesis 30:2 Genesis 16:2 · Psalm 127:3 · 2 Kings 5:7 · Genesis 50:19 · Genesis 31:36 · 1 Samuel 1:5 · Ephesians 4:26 · Genesis 25:21 · Psalm 113:9 · Matthew 5:22 · Mark 3:5 · 1 Samuel 2:5–6

Genesis 30:3 Genesis 50:23 · Job 3:12 · Genesis 16:2–3 · Genesis 30:9 · Ruth 4:11

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.