Genesis 30:2
 Genesis 30:2 
New International Version (©2011)
Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

New Living Translation (©2007)
Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. "Am I God?" he asked. "He's the one who has kept you from having children!"

English Standard Version (©2001)
Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
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?

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld children from you?"

International Standard Version (©2012)
That made Jacob angry with Rachel, so he asked her, "Can I take God's place, who has not allowed you to conceive?"

NET Bible (©2006)
Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Jacob became angry with Rachel and asked, "Can I take the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?

American King James Version
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?

American Standard Version
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?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jacob being angry with her, answered: Am I as God, who hath deprived thee of the fruit of thy womb?

Darby Bible Translation
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

English Revised Version
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?

Webster's Bible Translation
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?

World English Bible
Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

Young's Literal Translation
And Jacob's anger burneth against Rachel, and he saith, 'Am I in stead of God who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

30:1-13 Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another, than which no sin is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbours and ourselves. She considered not that God made the difference, and that in other things she had the advantage. Let us carefully watch against all the risings and workings of this passion in our minds. Let not our eye be evil towards any of our fellow-servants, because our Master's is good. Jacob loved Rachel, and therefore reproved her for what she said amiss. Faithful reproofs show true affection. God may be to us instead of any creature; but it is sin and folly to place any creature in God's stead, and to place that confidence in any creature, which should be placed in God only. At the persuasion of Rachel, Jacob took Bilhah her handmaid to wife, that, according to the usage of those times, her children might be owned as her mistress's children. Had not Rachel's heart been influenced by evil passions, she would have thought her sister's children nearer to her, and more entitled to her care than Bilhah's. But children whom she had a right to rule, were more desirable to her than children she had more reason to love. As an early instance of her power over these children, she takes pleasure in giving them names that carry in them marks of rivalry with her sister. See what roots of bitterness envy and strife are, and what mischief they make among relations. At the persuasion of Leah, Jacob took Zilpah her handmaid to wife also. See the power of jealousy and rivalship, and admire the wisdom of the Divine appointment, which joins together one man and one woman only; for God hath called us to peace and purity.


Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel (not without just cause, since she not only evinced a want of faith and resignation, but wrongfully imputed blame to him): and he said, Am I in God's stead, - i.e. am I omnipotent like him? This you yourself will surely not presume to believe. The interrogative particle conveys the force of a spirited denial (vide Ewald, 'Hebrew Syntax,' § 324) - who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Rachel herself understood that God alone could remove sterility (ver. 6); but to this fact jealousy of Leah appears for the moment to have blinded her.


Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel,.... Whom yet he dearly loved, hearing her talk in such an extravagant manner, as her words seemed to be, and were not: only expressive of great uneasiness and impatience, but implied what was not in the power of man to do:

and he said, am I in God's stead: do you take me to be God, or one that has a dispensing power from him to do what otherwise no creature can do; and which also he never gives to any? for, as the Targum of Jerusalem on Genesis 30:22 says, this is one of the four keys which God delivers not to an angel or a seraph; even the key of barrenness. Children are the gift of God, and his only, and therefore he is to be sought unto for them: hence Onkelos land Jonathan paraphrase it;"wherefore dost thou seek them of me? shouldest thou not seek them of the Lord?"

who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? children, Psalm 127:3; not Jacob, but the Lord.


Genesis 30:2 Parallel Commentaries

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Dan and Naphtali
1And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb? 3And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in to her; and she shall bear on my knees, that I may also have children by her. …

Genesis 20:18 for the LORD had kept all the women in Abimelek's household from conceiving because of Abraham's wife Sarah.
Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.
2 Kings 5:7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"