Genesis 30:20
in Genesis 30“God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
KJV
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
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This verse in Genesis 30
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Verse 19 and 20.) And Leah conceived again and gave birth to her sixth son for Jacob. And Leah said, 'God has endowed me with a good endowment. Now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.' And she called his name Zebulun. Wherever we have settled, he will dwell with me.' And the Seventy translated it as 'he will love me.' In Hebrew, it is written as Jezbuleni. And the meaning is that I have borne Jacob six sons, so now I am secure, for my husband will dwell with me.
This site's exposition
bore a sixth son to Jacob
on Genesis 30:19-21
Zebulun carries the sense of dwelling, and Leah hopes her husband will honour her now that she has borne six sons. A single line then reports a daughter, Dinah, with no speech from anyone. Chapter 34 turns on what is done to her at Shechem.
This site's exposition
God has given me a good gift
Leah has borne Jacob six sons and calls the sixth a good gift from God. Matthew Henry read the gift as a dowry never paid. Jerome records that the Septuagint had her hope that Jacob would love her, where the Hebrew says he will dwell with her.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Jacob had not endowed her when he married her, nor had he wherewithal in possession; but she reckons a family of children not a bill of charges, but a good dowry, Ps. cxiii. She promises herself more of her husband's company now that she had borne him six sons, and that, in love to his children at least, he would often visit her lodgings.
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Now will my husband dwell with me - יזבלני yizbeleni; and she called his name Zebulun, זבל a dwelling or cohabitation, as she now expected that Jacob would dwell with her, as he had before dwelt with Rachel.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry--The birth of a son is hailed with demonstrations of joy, and the possession of several sons confers upon the mother an honor and respectability proportioned to their number.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֣אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֵאָ֗ה | leah | Leah | H3812 → | 34 times |
| זְבָדַ֨נִי | zevadani | he has endowed me | H2064 → | |
| אֱלֹהִ֥ים׀ | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֹתִי֮ | ʾoti | <obj.> me | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זֵ֣בֶד | zeved | an endowment | H2065 → | |
| טוֹב֒ | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| הַפַּ֙עַם֙ | hapaam | this time | H6471 → | 118 times |
| יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי | yizbeleni | he will honor me | H2082 → | |
| אִישִׁ֔י | ʾishi | husband my | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יָלַ֥דְתִּי | yaladti | I have borne | H3205 → | 496 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| שִׁשָּׁ֣ה | shishah | six | H8337 → | 216 times |
| בָנִ֑ים | vanim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַתִּקְרָ֥א | vatikra' | and she called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| זְבֻלֽוּן׃ | zevulun | Zebulun | H2074 → | 45 times |
וַתֹּ֣אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
לֵאָ֗הLeah
leahH3812 →34 times
זְבָדַ֨נִיhe has endowed me
zevadaniH2064 →
אֱלֹהִ֥ים׀God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֹתִי֮<obj.> me
ʾotiH853 →10935 times
זֵ֣בֶדan endowment
zevedH2065 →
טוֹב֒good
tovH2896 →538 times
הַפַּ֙עַם֙this time
hapaamH6471 →118 times
יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִיhe will honor me
yizbeleniH2082 →
אִישִׁ֔יhusband my
ʾishiH376 →1663 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יָלַ֥דְתִּיI have borne
yaladtiH3205 →496 times
ל֖וֹto <the> him
lo
שִׁשָּׁ֣הsix
shishahH8337 →216 times
בָנִ֑יםsons
vanimH1121 →4930 times
וַתִּקְרָ֥אand she called
vatikra'H7121 →733 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
זְבֻלֽוּן׃Zebulun
zevulunH2074 →45 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
Genesis 49:13Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 33:18–19
Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 33:18–19
Through
Judges 4:10where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.
it leads to
- Judges 5:18
Zebulun was a people who risked their lives; Naphtali, too, on the heights of the battlefield.
- Judges 5:15
The princes of Issachar were with Deborah, and Issachar was with Barak, rushing into the valley at his heels. In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
- Judges 4:14
Then Deborah said to Barak, “Arise, for this is the day that the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand. Has not the LORD gone before you?” So Barak came down from Mount Tabor…
- Judges 5:18
Through
Matthew 4:13Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
it leads to
- John 4:46
So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.
- Mark 1:21
Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
- Matthew 11:23
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would…
- John 4:46
Through
Genesis 35:23The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
it leads to
- Genesis 30:18–20
Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.
- Genesis 30:18–20
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
