In this chapter we have an account of the increase, I. Of Jacob’s family. Eight children more we find registered in this chapter; Dan and Naphtali by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, Gen. 30:1–8. Gad and Asher by Zilpah, Leah’s maid, Gen. 30:9–13. Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, by Leah, Gen. 30:14–21.

We have here the bad consequences of that strange marriage which Jacob made with the two sisters. Here is, I. An unhappy disagreement between him and Rachel , occasioned, not so much by her own barrenness as by her sister’s fruitfulness.

Here is, I. Leah fruitful again, after she had, for some time, left off bearing. Jacob, it should seem, associated more with Rachel than with Leah. The law of Moses supposes it a common case that, if a man had two wives, one would be beloved and the other hated, Deut. 21:15.

We have here, I. Jacob’s thoughts of home. He faithfully served his time out with Laban, even his second apprenticeship, though he was an old man, had a large family to provide for, and it was high time for him to set up for himself.

Here is Jacob’s honest policy to make his bargain more advantageous to himself than it was likely to be. If he had not taken some course to help himself, it would have been a bad bargain indeed, which he knew Laban would never consider, or rather would be well pleased to see him a loser by, so…