Genesis

Genesis 30:37–42

³⁷Jacob, however, took fresh branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees, and peeled the bark, exposing the white inner wood of the branches. ³⁸Then he set the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of the flocks coming in to drink. So when the flocks were in heat and came to drink, ³⁹they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. ⁴⁰Jacob set apart the young, but made the rest face the streaked dark-colored sheep in Laban’s flocks. Then he set his own stock apart and did not put them with Laban’s animals.

⁴¹Whenever the stronger females of the flock were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs, in full view of the animals, so that they would breed in front of the branches. ⁴²But if the animals were weak, he did not set out the branches. So the weaker animals went to Laban and the stronger ones to Jacob.

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 30:37

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֗ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
however	יַעֲקֹ֗ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
took	וַיִּֽקַּֽח־	way·yiq·qaḥ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
fresh	לַ֖ח	laḥ	Adjective - masculine singular	H3892 moist, fresh, new
branches	מַקַּ֥ל	maq·qal	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4731 rod, staff
of poplar	לִבְנֶ֛ה	liḇ·neh	Noun - masculine singular	H3839 poplar
almond	וְל֣וּז	wə·lūz	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H3869 almond-tree, almond-wood
and plane trees	וְעֶרְמ֑וֹן	wə·ʿɛr·mōn	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H6196 plane-tree
and peeled	וַיְפַצֵּ֤ל	way·p̄aṣ·ṣêl	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6478 peel
exposing	מַחְשֹׂף֙	maḥ·śōp̄	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4286 a laying bare, stripping
the white	לְבָנ֔וֹת	lə·ḇā·nō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H3836 white
inner wood	פְּצָל֣וֹת	pə·ṣā·lō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H6479 peeled spot or stripe
of	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the branches	הַמַּקְלֽוֹת׃	ham·maq·lō·wṯ	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4731 rod, staff

Genesis 30:38

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then he set	וַיַּצֵּ֗ג	way·yaṣ·ṣêḡ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3322 set, place
the peeled	פִּצֵּ֔ל	piṣ·ṣêl	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6478 peel
branches	הַמַּקְלוֹת֙	ham·maq·lō·wṯ	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4731 rod, staff
in the watering	הַמָּ֑יִם	ham·mā·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
troughs	בְּשִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת	bə·ši·qă·ṯō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine plural construct	H8268 watering-trough
in front of	לְנֹ֣כַח	lə·nō·ḵaḥ	Preposition-l	H5227 front
the flocks	הַצֹּ֤אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
coming in	תָּבֹ֨אןָ	tā·ḇō·nā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to drink	לִשְׁתּוֹת֙	liš·tō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8354 drink
So when the flocks	הַצֹּ֔אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
were in heat	וַיֵּחַ֖מְנָה	way·yê·ḥam·nāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H3179 be hot
and came	בְּבֹאָ֥ן	bə·ḇō·’ān	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to drink	לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃	liš·tō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H8354 drink

Genesis 30:39

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
they	הַצֹּ֖אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
mated	וַיֶּחֱמ֥וּ	way·ye·ḥĕ·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3179 be hot
in front of	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the branches	הַמַּקְל֑וֹת	ham·maq·lō·wṯ	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4731 rod, staff
And they bore	וַתֵּלַ֣דְןָ	wat·tê·laḏ·nā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
young	הַצֹּ֔אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
streaked	עֲקֻדִּ֥ים	‘ă·qud·dîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H6124 striped, streaked
or speckled	נְקֻדִּ֖ים	nə·qud·dîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H5348 speckled
or spotted	וּטְלֻאִֽים׃	ū·ṭə·lu·’îm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural	H2921 patch, spot

Genesis 30:40

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Jacob	יַעֲקֹב֒	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
set apart	הִפְרִ֣יד	hip̄·rîḏ	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6504 divide
the young	וְהַכְּשָׂבִים֮	wə·hak·kə·śā·ḇîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3775 lamb
but made	וַ֠יִּתֵּן	way·yit·tên	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
the	הַצֹּ֧אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
face	פְּנֵ֨י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the streaked	עָקֹ֛ד	‘ā·qōḏ	Adjective - masculine singular	H6124 striped, streaked
dark-colored	ח֖וּם	ḥūm	Adjective - masculine singular	H2345 darkened, dark brown or black
sheep in Laban’s	לָבָ֑ן	lā·ḇān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3837 Laban
flocks	בְּצֹ֣אן	bə·ṣōn	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
Then he set	וַיָּֽשֶׁת־	way·yā·šeṯ-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7896 put, set
his own	ל֤וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
stock	עֲדָרִים֙	‘ă·ḏā·rîm	Noun - masculine plural	H5739 flock, herd
apart	לְבַדּ֔וֹ	lə·ḇad·dōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H905 separation
and did not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
put them	שָׁתָ֖ם	šā·ṯām	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H7896 put, set
with	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Laban’s	לָבָֽן׃	lā·ḇān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3837 Laban
animals	צֹ֥אן	ṣōn	Noun - common singular construct	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks

Genesis 30:41

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Whenever	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the stronger females	הַמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת֒	ham·quš·šā·rō·wṯ	Article; Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine plural	H7194 bind, league together, conspire
of the flock	הַצֹּ֣אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
were in heat	יַחֵם֮	ya·ḥêm	Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct	H3179 be hot
Jacob	יַעֲקֹ֧ב	ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob
would place	וְשָׂ֨ם	wə·śām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
the branches	הַמַּקְל֛וֹת	ham·maq·lō·wṯ	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4731 rod, staff
in the troughs	בָּרֳהָטִ֑ים	bā·ro·hā·ṭîm	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural	H7298 trough
in full view	לְעֵינֵ֥י	lə·‘ê·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the animals	הַצֹּ֖אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
so that they would breed	לְיַחְמֵ֖נָּה	lə·yaḥ·mên·nāh	Preposition-l; Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H3179 be hot
in front of the branches	בַּמַּקְלֽוֹת׃	bam·maq·lō·wṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4731 rod, staff

Genesis 30:42

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But if the animals	הַצֹּ֖אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
were weak	וּבְהַעֲטִ֥יף	ū·ḇə·ha·‘ă·ṭîp̄	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5848 turn aside
he did not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
set out the branches	יָשִׂ֑ים	yā·śîm	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
So the weaker animals	הָעֲטֻפִים֙	hā·‘ă·ṭu·p̄îm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H5848 turn aside
went to	וְהָיָ֤ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Laban	לְלָבָ֔ן	lə·lā·ḇān	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3837 Laban
and the stronger ones	וְהַקְּשֻׁרִ֖ים	wə·haq·qə·šu·rîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural	H7194 bind, league together, conspire
to Jacob	לְיַעֲקֹֽב׃	lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3290 Jacob

Cross-references

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

Genesis 30:37 Ezekiel 31:8 · Genesis 31:9–13

Genesis 30:39 Genesis 31:38 · Genesis 31:42 · Genesis 31:40 · Genesis 31:9–12 · Exodus 12:35–36

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.