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Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary

Genesis 30:3

She shall bear upon my knees; an ellipsis or short speech; She shall bear a child which may be laid upon my knees, or in my lap, which I may adopt and bring up as if it were my own. See Genesis 50:23 Isaiah 66:12. That I may also have children by her; for as servants, so their work and fruit, were not their own, but their masters.

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See also Genesis 30:3 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 30:3. _SHE SHALL BEAR UPON MY KNEES_] The handmaid was the sole property of the mistress, as has already been remarked in the case of Hagar; and therefore not only all her labour, but e...

  • 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

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BILHAH. This was strictly in accordance with the Code of Khammurabi, 145. See App-15. Compare Genesis 29:29. HAVE CHILDREN. Hebrew be builded up. See note above, and Compare Genesis 16:1....

  • 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...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _bear upon my knees_ By this phrase Rachel means that she will recognize and adopt as her own the children by her handmaid, Bilhah. For the phrase, cf. Genesis 50:23; Job 3:12. The child being receive...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BEHOLD MY MAID, &C.— Struck with the force of her husband's reproof, she bethought herself of the usual way, at that time, for women in her case to become mothers: to which end she gave Bilhah her han...

  • 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 JACOB'S ANGER WAS KINDLED AGAINST RACHEL: AND HE SAID, AM I IN GOD'S STEAD, WHO HATH WITHHELD FROM THEE THE FRUIT OF THE WOMB?_ No JFB commentary on these verses....

  • 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...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    By this symbolic act Bilhah's children would be legally regarded as Rachel's: cp. Luke 16:1 note....

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    BEHOLD MY MAID BILHÀH. — Rachel had little excuse for this action; for there was no religious hope involved, as when Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham (Genesis 16:2), but solely vexation at her own barrenne...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ תֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה אֲמָתִ֥י בִלְהָ֖ה בֹּ֣א א

  • 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...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my (b) knees, that I may also have children by her. (b) I will receive her children on my lap, as though they were my own....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Servant, like a maid of honour. Josephus says she was not a slave, no more than Zelpha. --- My knees, whom I may nurse with pleasure. It was an ancient custom to place the new-born infants upon the k...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Psalms 127:3; 1 Samuel 1:6 Sad perversion of the original appointment of God! Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5. " Be built up by her." Hebrews...

  • 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 Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._Behold my maid Bilhah_. Here the vanity of the female disposition appears. For Rachel is not induced to flee unto the Lord, but strives to gain a triumph by illicit arts. Therefore she hurries Jaco...

  • 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 SAID,.... in order to pacify Jacob, and explain her meaning to him; which was, not that she thought it was in his power to make her the mother of children, but that he would think of some way...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. Ver. 3. _Behold my maid Bilhah._] Given her by her father on purpose, it m...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Behold my maid Bilhah_ She will rather have children by reputation than none at all; children that she can call her own, though they be not so. But had she not considered her sister as her rival, and...

  • 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

    The Sons of Bilhah and Zilpah...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. This was not the manner of faith, but the expedient of the flesh: the child...

  • 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...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    HAVE CHILDREN BY HER: _ Heb._ be built by her...

  • 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...

  • 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 30:3 said H559 (H8799) maid H519 Bilhah H1090 in H935 (H8798) bear H3205 (H8799) knees...

  • 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

    Behold. Genesis 30:9 Genesis 16:2 Genesis 16:3 she shall. Genesis 50:23 Job 3:12

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Behold my maid, Bilhah — At the persuasion of Rachel he took Bilhah her handmaid to wife, that, according to the usage of those times, his children by her might be adopted and owned as her mistresses...

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