1Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living. 2But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit? 3Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her. 4So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son. 6Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan. 7And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son. 8And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali. 9When it was clear to Leah that she would have no more children for a time, she gave Zilpah, her servant, to Jacob as a wife. 10And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son. 11And Leah said, It has gone well for me: and she gave him the name Gad. 12And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a second son. 13And Leah said, Happy am I! and all women will give witness to my joy: and she gave him the name Asher. 14Now at the time of the grain-cutting, Reuben saw some love-fruits in the field, and took them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to her, Let me have some of your son's love-fruits. 15But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits. 16In the evening, when Jacob came in from the field, Leah went out to him and said, Tonight you are to come to me, for I have given my son's love-fruits as a price for you. And he went in to her that night. 17And God gave ear to her and she became with child, and gave Jacob a fifth son. 18Then Leah said, God has made payment to me for giving my servant-girl to my husband: so she gave her son the name Issachar. 19And again Leah became with child, and she gave Jacob a sixth son. 20And she said, God has given me a good bride-price; now at last will I have my husband living with me, for I have given him six sons: and she gave him the name Zebulun. 21After that she had a daughter, to whom she gave the name Dinah. 22Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. 23And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame. 24And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son. 25Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country. 26Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you. 27And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you. 28Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it. 29Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care. 30For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family? 31And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me: 32Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment. 33And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief. 34And Laban said, Let it be as you say. 35So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons; 36And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock. 37Then Jacob took young branches of trees, cutting off the skin so that the white wood was seen in bands. 38And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water. 39And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour. 40These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock. 41And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks. 42But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's. 43So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.
Matthew Henry's Commentary
A further account of Jacob's family. (1-13) Rachel beareth Joseph. (14-24) Jacob's new agreement with Laban to serve him for cattle. (25-43) 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 difference, and that in other things she had the advantage. Let us carefully watch against all the risings and workings of this passion in our minds. Let not our eye be evil towards any of our fellow-servants, because our Master's is good. Jacob loved Rachel, and therefore reproved her for what she said amiss. Faithful reproofs show true affection. God may be to us instead of any creature; but it is sin and folly to place any creature in God's stead, and to place that confidence in any creature, which should be placed in God only. At the persuasion of Rachel, Jacob took Bilhah her handmaid to wife, that, according to the usage of those times, her children might be owned as her mistress's children. Had not Rachel's heart been influenced by evil passions, she would have thought her sister's children nearer to her, and more entitled to her care than Bilhah's. But children whom she had a right to rule, were more desirable to her than children she had more reason to love. As an early instance of her power over these children, she takes pleasure in giving them names that carry in them marks of rivalry with her sister. See what roots of bitterness envy and strife are, and what mischief they make among relations. At the persuasion of Leah, Jacob took Zilpah her handmaid to wife also. See the power of jealousy and rivalship, and admire the wisdom of the Divine appointment, which joins together one man and one woman only; for God hath called us to peace and purity. 14-24 The desire, good in itself, but often too great and irregular, of being the mother of the promised Seed, with the honour of having many children, and the reproach of being barren, were causes of this unbecoming contest between the sisters. The truth appears to be, that they were influenced by the promises of God to Abraham; whose posterity were promised the richest blessings, and from whom the Messiah was to descend. 25-43 The fourteen years being gone, Jacob was willing to depart without any provision, except God's promise. But he had in many ways a just claim on Laban's substance, and it was the will of God that he should be provided for from it. He referred his cause to God, rather than agree for stated wages with Laban, whose selfishness was very great. And it would appear that he acted honestly, when none but those of the colours fixed upon should be found among his cattle. Laban selfishly thought that his cattle would produce few different in colour from their own. Jacob's course after this agreement has been considered an instance of his policy and management. But it was done by intimation from God, and as a token of his power. The Lord will one way or another plead the cause of the oppressed, and honour those who simply trust his providence. Neither could Laban complain of Jacob, for he had nothing more than was freely agreed that he should have; nor was he injured, but greatly benefitted by Jacob's services. May all our mercies be received with thanksgiving and prayer, that coming from his bounty, they may lead to his praise.