Genesis 30:14

One day, Leah’s oldest son Reuben went to the place where the wheat plants grow. At that time, some work-men were cutting down those wheat plants, to get the food from them. And Reuben found some special plants, called mandrakes, in that place. So Reuben took those mandrakes, and he gave them to his mother Leah. But Leah’s sister Rachel, she saw those mandrakes, and she wanted to have them. Rachel thought, “If I eat a mandrake, maybe I will have a baby.” You see, mandrakes were like bush medicine. People thought that if a woman eats a mandrake, it will help her have a baby. So Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of those mandrakes that your son found.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son’s mandrakes.

In Context

13Then Leah said, “I’m so happy. I reckon other women will say, ‘Leah is happy now.’” And Leah named that baby Asher. That name means happy.

15Then Leah got angry with Rachel. She said, “Listen, I married Jacob first, but he loved you and married you. It’s like you took my husband away from me. That’s really bad. And now, you want to take my son’s mandrakes too. No, you can’t have them.” But Rachel still wanted those mandrakes. So she said to Leah, “All right, if you give me your son’s mandrakes, you can sleep with Jacob tonight.” And Leah agreed.

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Matthew Henry on Genesis 30:2-14

Increase of Jacob's Family. ( b. c. 1745.) 1 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. 2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. 4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. 5 And… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Genesis 30:14