Genesis 30:17

God was good to Leah. He knew that Leah wanted to have more kids. So after Jacob slept with Leah, God made a baby start growing inside her. Later on, Leah had that baby, and it was a boy. He was another son for Jacob, and he was son number 5 for Leah.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

In Context

16Later on, while the sun was going down, Jacob finished working outside, and he came back home. Leah went out to meet Jacob, and she said, “You have to sleep with me tonight. You see, my son found some mandrakes, but I gave those mandrakes to Rachel, so that I can sleep with you. It’s like I paid for you with those mandrakes.” So that night, Jacob slept with Leah, like a man sleeps with his wife.

18Then Leah said, “I reckon God is happy with me, because I let Jacob sleep with my working woman Zilpah. And now, God let me have another baby. It’s like God is paying me for that good thing I did.” And Leah named that baby Issachar. That name means pay.

Read all of Genesis 30

Cross References

Genesis 30:22But Leah’s sister Rachel still wanted to have her own kids. And God was good to Rachel, and he gave her what she wanted. Before this time, Rachel didn’t have any kids, but then God let a baby start growing inside her. Rachel had a baby boy. Then Rachel said, “I used to feel shame, because I didn’t have any kids. But now, God gave me a son, so I don’t feel shame any more.”

1 Samuel 1:20Some time later, she really did have a little boy, and she named him Samuel. That name means God heard. She said, “I asked God for him, and he heard me, so I’ll name him Samuel.”

Luke 1:13But the angel told him, “Don’t be frightened, Zekariah. God has heard what you have been asking him, and he will give you what you want. Your wife, Elizabeth, will have a baby boy, and you will name him John.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 30:15-25

14 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. 15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 30:17