Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

George Haydock's Catholic Commentary

Genesis 30:4

Marriage. The Manichees condemned Jacob for having more than four wives at once. But St. Augustine replied, it was not then unusual or forbidden. He took the two last only at the pressing instigation of Rachel and Lia, and that only for the sake of children. Lia herself was forced upon him. (contra Faust. xxii. 48.)

Continues after advertising

See also Genesis 30:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Jacob’s Family and Wealth 6. דן _dān_, Dan, “judge, lord.” 8. נפתלי _naptālı̂y_, Naphtali, “wrestling.” 11. גד _gād_, Gad, “overcoming, victory.” בגד _bāgād_, “in victory or” =גד...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 30 JACOB WITH LABAN _ 1. The sons of Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:1)_ 2. The sons of Zilpah: Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9) 3. The children of Leah: Issachar, Zebulon and Dinah (Genes...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 29:31 TO GENESIS 30:24. THE BIRTH OF JACOB'S CHILDREN. This section is from JE, with slight touches from P. Roughly Genesis 29:31; Gene

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Genesis 29:31 to Genesis 30:24. Birth of Jacob's Children 31 35 (J); Genesis 30:1-24 (J, E and P) In this section is narrated the account of the birth of eleven sons and one daughter. Six of the son...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. _Jacob's Family_ (Genesis 29:31 to Genesis 30:24). _Basic Facts:_ (1) Jacob became the father of twelve sons and one daughter. The inferior value set on a daughter is displayed in the bare announce...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND SHE GAVE HIM BILHAH HER HANDMAID TO WIFE: AND JACOB WENT IN UNTO HER._ She gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife. Rachel, following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB'S CHILDREN. HIS STRATAGEM TO INCREASE HIS PROPERTY 1. Rachel envied her sister] To be childless was regarded as a great reproach: cp. Luke 1:25. Fruitfulness meant an addition of strength and p...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    ‘She shall produce a child on my knees.’ This was an ancient custom. When Bilhah’s child was born, Bilhah and Rachel were together. And the child was born on Rachel’s knees. Then Rachel took the child...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 30 JACOB HAS 6 MORE SONS V1 Rachel saw that she produced no children for Jacob. And she was angry with her sister because her sister was successf...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac — The _Tôldôth_ in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his des...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ תִּתֶּן ־לֹ֛ו אֶת ־בִּלְהָ֥ה שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּ...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SONS BORN TO JACOB Genesis 30:1 The details of this paragraph are given with great minuteness, because they concern the twelve sons of Jacob, the forefathers of Israel. After all, history is made in...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In reading these stories we must never forget that we are looking at things as they were in that far-gone time and must make all necessary allowances for the imperfect light in which these people live...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Rachel and Jacob were naturally frustrated by her inability to bear children. Like Sarah before her, Rachel chose to have a child through her handmaid, Bilhah. The son born of the handmaid was named D...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 29 THROUGH 35. I have no doubt that in the two wives, as I have said, we have the Gentiles and Israel: Rachel first loved on the earth, but not possessed; but...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND SHE GAVE HIM BILHAH HER HANDMAID,.... To be enjoyed as a wife, though she was no other than a concubine; yet such were sometimes called wives, and were secondary ones, and were under the proper la...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. Ver. 4. _And Jacob went in unto her._] Merely to please his wife, he yielded to that which he could not but disallow as evil....

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Rachel in griefe for her barrennesse, giueth Bilhah her mayd vnto Iacob. 5 She beareth Dan and Naphtali. 9 Leah giueth Zilpah her mayd, who beareth Gad and Asher. 14 Reuben findeth Mandrakes, wit...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And she gave him Bilhah, her handmaid, to wife; and Jacob went in unto her. His own condition of mind with regard to his favorite wife's barrenness and his advancing age, since he was now almost ninet...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Sons of Bilhah and Zilpah...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION _Jacob’s wives and children. Jacob and Rachel, Laban’s youngest daughter. First and second treaty with Laban. His involuntary consummation of marriage with Leah. The double marriage. L...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN RACHEL AND LEAH The fruitfulness of Leah moved Rachel to jealousy, then her demand to Jacob for children moves him to anger (vs.1-2). We may see a serious lesson in Rachel's word...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-13 Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    These Chapter s present to us the history of Jacob at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God's purpose of infinite...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 30:4 gave H5414 (H8799) Bilhah H1090 maid H8198 wife H802 Jacob H3290 in H935 (H8799) to wife -...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘And she said, “See my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees and I also may obtain children by her.” And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid as a wife and Jacob went in to her.' “GO IN...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jacob's posterity in Padan-aram. Another bargain between Jacob and Laban. CHARACTERS: Rachael, Jacob, Laban, Leah, Joseph. CONCLUSION: The toiling and scheming of men is the result of igno...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 30:2. _Am I in God's stead._ Rachel's impatience provoked Jacob's anger, because she asked of man whist was the prerogative of God to give. The rabbins remark here, that God keeps in his own h...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Rachel envied her sister._ RACHEL’S IMPATIENCE I. IT WAS UNGODLY. 1. She was the victim of unholy passions. Envy and jealousy. 2. She took a despairing view of life. 3. She failed rightly to rec...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 30:3 Because of her barrenness, Rachel offers Jacob her servant BILHAH as a substitute wife (v. Genesis 30:3). This was a common practice in an

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 30:1. Give me children, or else I die.] Heb. “If none, I am a dead woman.” As to the raising up of seed, I shall be as good as dead. An old Jewish proverb says, “The childles...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 30:1 AND WHEN RACHEL SAW (apparently after, though probably before, the birth of Leah's fourth son) THAT SHE BARE JACOB NO CHILDREN (literally, _that she bare not to Jacob_),_ _RAC...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now when Rachel saw that she could not bare Jacob children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I'm going to die. And Jacob was angry with her: and he said, Am I...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    to wife. Genesis 16:3 Genesis 21:10 Genesis 22:24 Genesis 25:1 Genesis 25:6

Continues after advertising