Genesis 30:1
in Genesis 30When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
KJV
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
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This verse in Genesis 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHere Moses begins to relate that Jacob was distracted with domestic strifes. But although the Lord was punishing him, because he had been guilty of no light sin in marrying two wives, and especially sisters; yet the chastisement was paternal; and God himself, seeing that he is wont mercifully to pardon his own people, restrained in some degree his hand.
This site's exposition
Give me children, or I will die
on Genesis 30:1-2
Rachel sees that she has no children and envies her sister. Her demand goes to her husband, Give me children, or I will die. Jacob answers that God has withheld them, and asks whether he stands in God's place. Joseph asks the same question of his brothers at 50:19.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Leah bore Reu-ben, Simeon, Levi and Judah and then ceased giving birth, whereas Rachel was barren. Because she heard Jacob say that Abraham had prayed over the barren Sarah and was heard and that Isaac had also prayed for Rebekah and was answered, she thought …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more offensive to God, nor more injurious to our neighbour and ourselves. She considered not that it was God that made the difference, and that though, in this single instance her sister was preferred before her, yet in other things she had the advantage.
), occasioned, not so much by her own barrenness as by her sister's fruitfulness. Rebekah, the only wife of Isaac, was long childless, and yet we find no uneasiness between her and Isaac; but here, because Leah bears children, Rachel cannot live peaceably with Jacob.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Give me children, or else I die--either be reckoned as good as dead, or pine away from vexation. The intense anxiety of Hebrew women for children arose from the hope of giving birth to the promised seed. Rachel's conduct was sinful and contrasts unfavorably with that of Rebekah (compare Ge 25:22) and of Hannah (1Sa 1:11).
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Give me children, or else I die - This is a most reprehensible speech, and argues not only envy and jealousy, but also a total want of dependence on God. She had the greatest share of her husband’s affection, and yet was not satisfied unless she could engross all the privileges which her sister enjoyed! How true are those sayings, Envy is as rottenness of the bones! and, Jealousy is as cruel as the grave!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- 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 בא bā' gād, “victory cometh.” גוּד gûd, “press down.” גדוּד gedûd, “troop.” 13. אשׁר 'ǎashēr, Asher, “prosperity, happiness.” 18. ישׂשכר yı̂śāskār, Jissakar, “reward.” The second Hebrew letter (ש s) seems to have been merely a full mode of writing the word, instead of the abbreviated form ישׂכר yı̂śākār.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The commentators. Rashi and Ibn Ezra. said that this means that Rachel asked Jacob to pray on her behalf. Or else I die — Rashi comments: “For one who is childless may be considered as dead.” This is a Midrash of our Rabbis. 99 Bereshith Rabbah:19. But I wonder.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֣רֶא | vatere' | and she saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| רָחֵ֗ל | rachel | Rachel | H7354 → | 47 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָֽלְדָה֙ | yaldah | she had borne children | H3205 → | 496 times |
| לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב | leyaako | to Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א | vatekane' | and she was jealous | H7065 → | 34 times |
| רָחֵ֖ל | rachel | Rachel | H7354 → | 47 times |
| בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ | baachotah | of sister her | H269 → | 114 times |
| וַתֹּ֤אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶֽל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יַעֲקֹב֙ | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| הָֽבָה־ | havah- | give ! | H3051 → | 34 times |
| לִּ֣י | li | to <the> me | ||
| בָנִ֔ים | vanim | children | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אַ֖יִן | ʾayin | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| מֵתָ֥ה | metah | [am] about to die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אָנֹֽכִי׃ | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
וַתֵּ֣רֶאand she saw
vatere'H7200 →1300 times
רָחֵ֗לRachel
rachelH7354 →47 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יָֽלְדָה֙she had borne children
yaldahH3205 →496 times
לְיַעֲקֹ֔בto Jacob
leyaakoH3290 →350 times
וַתְּקַנֵּ֥אand she was jealous
vatekane'H7065 →34 times
רָחֵ֖לRachel
rachelH7354 →47 times
בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּof sister her
baachotahH269 →114 times
וַתֹּ֤אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
אֶֽל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יַעֲקֹב֙Jacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
הָֽבָה־give !
havah-H3051 →34 times
לִּ֣יto <the> me
li
בָנִ֔יםchildren
vanimH1121 →4930 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
אַ֖יִןnot
ʾayinH369 →789 times
מֵתָ֥ה[am] about to die
metahH4191 →839 times
אָנֹֽכִי׃I
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 7:10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
it leads to
- Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
- Acts 11:18
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
- 2 Timothy 2:25–26
He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
- 2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
- Luke 18:13
But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
- Acts 3:19
Through
1 Corinthians 3:3for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?
it leads to
- James 3:16
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.
- Galatians 5:15
But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
- Titus 3:3
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- James 3:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 28.1.1; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.