Genesis 30:39

When they mated they looked at those sticks. Then the sheep gave birth to black young, the goats gave birth to spotted and striped young.

Nyangumarta (portions)

In The King James Version

And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

In Context

38He put those whittled sticks near the water. As soon as those animals came to the water they saw those sticks. When they came close to the water they used to mate.

40After that he separated those young ones. He kept them for himself, he did not put them with Laban's animals. He put the oldish [= mature, matable] animals facing towards Laban's animals. [Laban's animals: The plain ones in Jacob's care, not the non-plain ones that Laban's sons had taken far away. 'Facing' here is taken to be a euphemism for 'mating them with'.]

Read all of Genesis 30

Cross References

Genesis 31:9God is the one who has been taking animals from your father, he has been giving them to me.

Genesis 31:38I stayed with you 20 whole years. I was taking care of your animals. In that time your sheep and goats stayed safe. They had many offspring. I did not eat your rams.

Genesis 31:42You did not want to give me anything. God was taking care of me. He knows about me, I worked well for you, he knows about you, you made it hard for me. Therefore he rebuked you at night in a dream.” In that way Jacob spoke to him.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 30:38-43

Jacob's Ingenious Policy. ( b. c. 1745.) 37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob did separate… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 30:39