Gen. 30 Rachel being barren, envies her sister, impatiently desires children of Jacob, Gen. 30:1. He is angry, and reproves her, Gen. 30:2. She gives him her handmaid Bilhah, who bears him Dan and Naphtali, Gen. 30:3–8. Leah ceasing to bear, gives Zilpah her maid to Jacob, Gen. 30:9.

A speech full of impatience, and bordering upon blasphemy, and striking at God himself through Jacob’s sides; for which therefore she afterwards smarted, dying by that very means whereby she hoped to prevent her death, and prolong her life, Gen. 35:18.

Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel for the injury done to himself, and especially for the sin against God, in which case anger is not only lawful, but necessary. Am I in God’s stead? It is God’s prerogative to give children. See Gen. 16:2, 1 Sam. 2:5–6, Ps. 113:9, Ps. 127:3.

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 Gen. 50:23, Isa. 66:12.

God hath judged me, pleaded my cause, or given sentence for me, as this phrase is oft taken.

With great wrestlings, Heb. With wrestlings of God; either with great and hard wrestlings or strivings, or by wrestling with God in fervent prayer, and by God’s grace and strength. Cir.

A troop cometh, or, good luck cometh; my design hath well succeeded; a happy star hath shone upon me; and such a star in the opinion of astrologers is that of Jupiter, which by the Arabians is called Gad.

The daughters of men, i.e. women, as Prov. 31:29, Song 6:9.

cir. 1748 Mandrakes: the word is only found here and Song 7:13, whence it appears that it is a plant or fruit of pleasant smell, such as the mandrake is said to be by Dioscorides and Levinus Lemnius, and by St. Austin upon his own experience.

Jacob either did equally divide the times between his two wives; or rather, had more estranged himself from Leah, and cohabited principally with Rachel, which occasioned the foregoing expostulation.

He ratified their agreement, that he might preserve peace and love amongst them.

God hearkened unto Leah, notwithstanding her many infirmities. Hence it appears that she was moved herein not by any inordinate lust, but by a desire of children. cir. 1747

Thus she mistakes the answer of her prayers for a recompence of her error.

Barrenness was then accounted a great reproach, especially in that race, because it was a kind of curse, whereby such persons were excluded both from the first and general blessing of fructification given to all mankind, Gen.

Canaan, which he calleth his country, in regard both of his former and long habitation in it, and of the right which he had to it by God’s promise: see Gen. 28:13.

How carefully it was managed, and how greatly improved by my care and industry.

For it was little comparatively to what now it is. Since my coming; Heb. at my foot, i.e. upon my coming; since my feet entered into thy house: or, by my foot, i.e. by my ministry and labour, as this phrase is used, Deut. 11:10.

Speckled and spotted cattle, which may seem to be thus distinguished; speckled with little spots, and spotted with greater spots or stains, both of diverse colours from the rest of the body. Or, the speckled may be the same with the ring-straked, by comparing this with Gen. 30:35.

When the cattle shall, contrary to their natural and usual course, bring forth young ones of a contrary colour to their own, it will hereby be evident that this is the work of God, who hereby pleads my righteous cause against a cruel and unjust master.

Laban trusted to the course of nature, whereby cattle usually bring forth their young of their own colour; and Jacob relied upon the providence of an Almighty God, and his gracious Father.

The he-goats that were ring-straked, which had lines or strakes like bands about them of diverse colours from the rest of their body. Every one that had some white: this word some is oft understood in other texts of Scripture, and here it is so necessarily; as appears both from the thing itself, as…

Three days’ journey; understand it of the journeying or travelling of sheep, not of men. He did this lest either Jacob should mingle and exchange the sheep, or the sheep, by the contemplation of the diverse coloured ones, should bring forth others like to them.

Jacob took rods: this he did by Divine appointment, as will appear in the sequel, which is sufficient for Jacob’s justification. Took rods of green popular, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; either because these trees were next at hand, or because he saw these in the Divine vision afterwards…

When by their refreshment and meeting together, they were most likely to generate and conceive.

The flocks conceived; Heb. were heated, i.e. inflamed or excited, and disposed to conceive, and this in a more than ordinary manner by the Divine disposal.

Jacob did separate the lambs, such as were ring-straked and brown from the white, as it here follows. He caused the ring-straked and all the brown to go foremost, and the white to follow them, that by the continued beholding of them in the time of their conjunction, they might have their colour…

It is known that the cattle in those parts did conceive and bring forth twice in a year, at spring and in autumn; and it is supposed that the stronger here mentioned, are such as joined in the spring, and the feeble they that joined in autumn.