Genesis 30:1
New International Version
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

New Living Translation
When Rachel saw that she wasn’t having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

English Standard Version
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!”

Berean Standard Bible
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die!”

New American Standard Bible
Now when Rachel saw that she had not borne Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I am going to die.”

NASB 1995
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.”

NASB 1977
Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, so she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die.”

Amplified Bible
When Rachel saw that she conceived no children for Jacob, she envied her sister, and said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”

Christian Standard Bible
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die! ” she said to Jacob.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she envied her sister. “Give me sons, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

American Standard Version
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Rakhyl saw that she was not child bearing to Yaquuv, and she envied her sister and she said to Yaquuv, “Give me children, otherwise I am dead!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Rachel having perceived that she bore Jacob no children, was jealous of her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children; and if not, I shall die.

Contemporary English Version
Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, "I'll die if you don't give me some children!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Rachel, seeing herself without children, envied her sister, and said to her husband: Give me children, otherwise I shall die.

English Revised Version
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Rachel saw that she could not have children for Jacob, and she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!"

Good News Translation
But Rachel had not borne Jacob any children, and so she became jealous of her sister and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or I will die."

International Standard Version
Rachel noticed that she was not bearing children for Jacob, so because she envied her sister Leah, she told Jacob, "If you don't give me sons, I'm going to die!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob: 'Give me children, or else I die.'

Literal Standard Version
And Rachel sees that she has not borne to Jacob, and Rachel is envious of her sister, and says to Jacob, “Give me sons, and if there is none—I die.”

Majority Standard Bible
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.

New American Bible
When Rachel saw that she had not borne children to Jacob, she became envious of her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children or I shall die!”

NET Bible
When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I'll die!"

New Revised Standard Version
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!”

New Heart English Bible
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

World English Bible
When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Rachel seeth that she hath not borne to Jacob, and Rachel is envious of her sister, and saith unto Jacob, 'Give me sons, and if there is none -- I die.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Dan and Naphtali
1When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. 2Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”…

Cross References
Genesis 29:31
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

1 Samuel 1:5
But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

1 Samuel 1:6
Because the LORD had closed Hannah's womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.

Proverbs 30:16
Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, 'Enough!'


Treasury of Scripture

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

when Rachel.

Genesis 29:31
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Rachel envied.

Genesis 37:11
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

1 Samuel 1:4-8
And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: …

Psalm 106:16
They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

or else I die.

Genesis 35:16-19
And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour…

Genesis 37:11
And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Numbers 11:15,29
And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness…

Jump to Previous
Bare Bearing Bore Borne Children Die Envied Envy Full I'll Jacob Jealous Rachel Sister
Jump to Next
Bare Bearing Bore Borne Children Die Envied Envy Full I'll Jacob Jealous Rachel Sister
Genesis 30
1. Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, gives Bilhah her maid unto Jacob.
5. Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali.
9. Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher.
14. Reuben finds mandrakes,
15. with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel.
17. Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.
22. Rachel bears Joseph.
25. Jacob desires to depart.
27. Laban detains him on a new agreement.
37. Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich.














XXX.

(1) Give me children, or else I die.--There is an Oriental proverb that a childless person is as good as dead; and this was probably Rachel's meaning, and not that she should die of vexation. Great as was the affliction to a Hebrew woman of being barren (1Samuel 1:10), yet there is a painful petulance and peevishness about Rachel's words, in strong contrast with Hannah's patient suffering. But she was very young, and a spoiled wife; though with qualities which riveted Jacob's love to her all life through.

Verse 1. - And when Rachel saw (apparently after, though probably before, the birth of Leah's fourth son) that she bare Jacob no children (literally, that she bare not to Jacob), Rachel envied her sister (was jealous of her, the root referring to the redness with which the face of an angry woman is suffused); and said unto Jacob, Give me children (sons), or else I die - literally, and if not, I am a dead woman; i.e. for shame at her sterility. Rachel had three strong reasons for desiring children - that she might emulate her sister, become more dear to her husband, and above all share the hope of being a progenitrix of the promised Seed. If not warranted to infer that Rachel s barrenness was due to lack of prayer on her part and Jacob s (Keil), we are at least justified in asserting that her conduct in breaking forth into angry reproaches against her husband was unlike that of Jacob's mother, Rebekah, who, in similar circumstances, sought relief in prayer and oracles (Kalisch). The brief period that had elapsed since Rachel's marriage, in comparison with the twenty years of Rebekah's barrenness, signally discovered Rachel's sinful impatience.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When Rachel
רָחֵ֗ל (rā·ḥêl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

saw
וַתֵּ֣רֶא (wat·tê·re)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

she was not
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

bearing
יָֽלְדָה֙ (yā·lə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

any children
רָחֵ֖ל (rā·ḥêl)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

for Jacob,
לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב (lə·ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

she envied
וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א (wat·tə·qan·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious

her sister.
בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ (ba·’ă·ḥō·ṯāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister

“Give
הָֽבָה־ (hā·ḇāh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3051: To give, to put, imperatively, come

me
לִּ֣י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

children,
בָנִ֔ים (ḇā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

or
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I
אָנֹֽכִי׃ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

will die!”
מֵתָ֥ה (mê·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

she said
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר (wat·tō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶֽל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Jacob.
יַעֲקֹב֙ (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc


Links
Genesis 30:1 NIV
Genesis 30:1 NLT
Genesis 30:1 ESV
Genesis 30:1 NASB
Genesis 30:1 KJV

Genesis 30:1 BibleApps.com
Genesis 30:1 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 30:1 Chinese Bible
Genesis 30:1 French Bible
Genesis 30:1 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 30:1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 29:35
Top of Page
Top of Page