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The Sons of Jacob

30 When Rachel saw that she conceived no children for Jacob, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.” Then Jacob became furious with Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has denied you children?” She said, “Here, take my maid Bilhah and go in to her; and [when the baby comes] she shall [a]deliver it [while sitting] on my knees, so that by her I may also have children [to count as my own].” So she gave him Bilhah her maid as a [[b]secondary] wife, and Jacob went in to her. Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. Then Rachel said, “God has judged and vindicated me, and has heard my plea and has given me a son [through my maid].” So she named him Dan (He judged). Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, conceived again and gave birth to a second son for Jacob. So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings [in prayer to God] I have struggled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali (my wrestlings).

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 30:3 This ritual symbolized that the wife was providing the child for her husband through a surrogate mother.
  2. Genesis 30:4 I.e. concubine (see note 22:24).

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