Genesis 35:16
New International Version
Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty.

New Living Translation
Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense.

English Standard Version
Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.

Berean Standard Bible
Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

King James Bible
And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

New King James Version
Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor.

New American Standard Bible
Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor.

NASB 1995
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor.

NASB 1977
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe labor.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and Rachel gave birth, and she suffered severely in her labor.

Amplified Bible
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel began to give birth and had difficulty and suffered severely.

Christian Standard Bible
They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

American Standard Version
And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some distance to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he picked up from BaythEil and traveled again about a journey of a Pharsakh of the land, to enter Ephrath, and Rakhyl gave birth, and she went into hard labor when she was giving birth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jacob removed from Baethel, and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Gader, and it came to pass when he drew nigh to Chabratha, to enter into Ephratha, Rachel travailed; and in her travail she was in hard labour.

Contemporary English Version
Jacob and his family had left Bethel and were still a long way from Ephrath, when the time came for Rachel's baby to be born.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And going forth from thence, he came in the springtime to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

English Revised Version
And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they moved on from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and was having severe labor pains.

Good News Translation
Jacob and his family left Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, the time came for Rachel to have her baby, and she was having difficult labor.

International Standard Version
Later, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was still some way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

Literal Standard Version
And they journey from Bethel, and there is yet a distance of land before entering Ephratha, and Rachel bears, and is sharply pained in her bearing;

Majority Standard Bible
Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

New American Bible
Then they departed from Bethel; but while they still had some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and suffered great distress.

NET Bible
They traveled on from Bethel, and when Ephrath was still some distance away, Rachel went into labor--and her labor was hard.

New Revised Standard Version
Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel was in childbirth, and she had hard labor.

New Heart English Bible
Then they set out from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel went into labor, and her labor was difficult.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.

World English Bible
They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.

Young's Literal Translation
And they journey from Bethel, and there is yet a kibrath of land before entering Ephratha, and Rachel beareth, and is sharply pained in her bearing;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Benjamin is Born, Rachel Dies
16Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”…

Cross References
Genesis 35:19
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

Genesis 48:7
Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).

Ruth 4:11
"We are witnesses," said the elders and all the people at the gate. "May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 4:20
As she was dying, the women attending to her said, "Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!" But she did not respond or pay any heed.

1 Samuel 10:2
When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel's tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, "What should I do about my son?"'

Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel--One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.


Treasury of Scripture

And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.

a little way to come.

2 Kings 5:19
And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

Ephrath.

Genesis 48:7
And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.

Ruth 1:2
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

1 Chronicles 2:19
And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, which bare him Hur.

hard labour.

Genesis 3:16
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1 Timothy 2:15
Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Jump to Previous
Beareth Bethel Beth-El Birth Childbearing Childbirth Difficulty Distance Entering Ephrath Ephratha Great Hard Journey Journeyed Kibrath Labor Moved Pained Pains Rachel Severe Sharply Suffered Time Travailed Traveled Way
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Beareth Bethel Beth-El Birth Childbearing Childbirth Difficulty Distance Entering Ephrath Ephratha Great Hard Journey Journeyed Kibrath Labor Moved Pained Pains Rachel Severe Sharply Suffered Time Travailed Traveled Way
Genesis 35
1. God commands Jacob to go to Bethel.
2. He purges his house of idols.
6. He builds an altar at Bethel.
8. Deborah dies at Allon Bacuth.
9. God blesses Jacob at Bethel.
10. Jacob Named Israel.
16. Rachel travails of Benjamin, and dies in the way to Edar.
22. Reuben lies with Bilhah.
23. The sons of Jacob.
27. Jacob comes to Isaac at Hebron.
28. The age, death, and burial of Isaac.














(16) But a little way.--Heb., and there was still a "chibrath" of land to come to Ephrath. This word occurs four times in the Old Testament: here, in Genesis 48:7, in 2Kings 5:19, and in Amos 9:9, where it is used in the sense of a sieve. Many of the Rabbins, therefore, translate "in the spring-time," because the earth is then riddled by the plough like a sieve; and the Targum and Vulgate adopt this rendering. The real meaning of the word is lost, but probably it was a measure of distance; and the Jewish interpreters generally think that it meant a mile, because Rachel's traditional tomb was about that distance from Bethlehem.

Ephrath (the fruitful) and Beth-lehem (the house of bread) have virtually the same meaning, but the latter name would be given to the town only when its pastures had given place to arable lands, where corn was sown for bread.

Verse 16. - And they journeyed - not in opposition to the Divine commandment (ver. 1), which did not enjoin a permanent settlement at Bethel, but in accordance probably with his own desire, if not also Heaven's counsel, to proceed to Mamre to visit Isaac - from Bethel (southwards in the direction of Hebron); and there was but a little way (literally, there was yet a space of land; probably a few furlongs (Murphy), about four English miles (Gerlach). The Vulgate translates, "in the spring-time," and the LXX. render, ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν εἰς χαβραθὰ, both of which are misunderstandings of the original - to come to Ephrath: - Fruitful; the ancient name of Bethlehem (vide infra ver. 19) - and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor - literally, she had hard labor in her parturition, which was perhaps all the more severe that sixteen or seventeen years had elapsed since her first son, Joseph, was born.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Later, they set out
וַיִּסְעוּ֙ (way·yis·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

from
מִבֵּ֣ית (mib·bêṯ)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew

Bethel,
אֵ֔ל (’êl)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1008: Bethel -- 'house of God', a city in Ephraim, also a place in southern Judah

and while they were
וַֽיְהִי־ (way·hî-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

still
ע֥וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

some distance
כִּבְרַת־ (kiḇ·raṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3530: Length, a measure

from Ephrath,
אֶפְרָ֑תָה (’ep̄·rā·ṯāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 672: Ephrath -- an Israelite woman, also the name of several places in Palestine

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

began to give birth,
וַתֵּ֥לֶד (wat·tê·leḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

and her labor
בְּלִדְתָּֽהּ׃ (bə·liḏ·tāh)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

was difficult.
וַתְּקַ֥שׁ (wat·tə·qaš)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7185: To be hard, severe or fierce


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OT Law: Genesis 35:16 They traveled from Bethel (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 35:15
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