Genesis 30

It is here that we see how בן (child) is related to בנה (build) - verse 3. Also here my algorithm had the wrong stem for maidservant (אמה). I had אים (horror). It is a mistake, but one can almost imagine the language giving voice to how desperate Rachel is for a child.

Verse 4 - no rest (in the verse) during the pregnancy.

Verse 7 - a rest in the verse about the second pregnancy. Normally I would use gave birth to, but here for the rest, just gave birth. The words following the atenach I have let stand alone. Verses do not have to be sentences. Thoughts can be fragmentary.

The competition for babies between the sisters is more vivid than I recall. Perhaps because KJV is unhappy to use God in the context of Rachel's tortuous grappling.

God seems to be, in several places in the Scripture, a God who shares the difficulty of the human condition, a God who grows out of a necessary parochialism, and who calls out a universal reality of kindness. We have lapses.

At the same time in this section, there is clearly a game of language being played, almost as if the speaking of the word brings forth the child from the womb.

• Invasion (גדי from גוד) is coming, verse 11, so the child's name is Gad (גד). Impossible in translation. Perhaps one could use the English equivalent, In Vader,
• or Grapple (Naphtali) verse 8. 
• and Dan could be called Case.
• And Asher could be called Mr Happy,
• and Issachar, Wage,
• and Zebulun, Reside.
• Dinah could be called Her Case.
• And Joseph is from the word for adding again, אסף.
• Names are games. (So also Rachel, = ewe lamb, and Laban, = white, and Leah, =exasperation.)

This chapter says something about the sexual education of children in the ancient times. What was the significance of mandrakes? How old was the child? Was the finding a game played during the harvest?

In this limited 305,000+ word sample of the language, how many times would a person have said to my land? Yet only once in this puzzle are the common prefixed preposition to ל and the common word for land ארץ and the common suffix my י combined into לארצי to form such a potentially frequent phrase.

I have no idea how Jacob's selective breeding worked. It seems odd that looking at something would cause stripes, or drinking the water soaked in whatever was in the sticks would have any impact on wool colour. (Any more than a mandrake would affect fertility except via suggestion.) Selective breeding would certainly work though, once there was a mutation.

The article here Sex, Sticks, and the Trickster suggests that the sticks were a phallic substitute perhaps even combined with a fake sheep made of sticks for the ewes ready to mate with, so of course they did not conceive. Here perhaps we should use the phrase 'in heat' instead of conceive. The intricate play of words is well considered in the referenced article. It is no wonder that both the trickery and the humour is lost in translation. This article also illustrates why we should not try to 'make sense' of some stories just on the surface.

Genesis 30		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וַתֵּ֣רֶא רָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽלְדָה֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א רָחֵ֖ל בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ הָֽבָה־לִּ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְאִם־אַ֖יִן מֵתָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי	1		And Rachel saw that she did not give birth for Jacob. And Rachel was jealous of her sister. And she said to Jacob, Provide me sons, and if there is nothing, I am dead.	3e	4C	22 20
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּרָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲתַ֤חַת אֱלֹהִים֙ אָנֹ֔כִי אֲשֶׁר־מָנַ֥ע מִמֵּ֖ךְ פְּרִי־בָֽטֶן	2		And the anger of Jacob burned against Rachel, and he said, In the guise of God am I, that he withheld from you the fruit of the belly?	3e	4C	10 21
וַתֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה אֲמָתִ֥י בִלְהָ֖ה בֹּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יהָ וְתֵלֵד֙ עַל־בִּרְכַּ֔י וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה גַם־אָנֹכִ֖י מִמֶּֽנָּה	3		And she said, Behold my maidservant, Bilhah. Go in to her, and she will give birth on my knees, and I will build up even myself from her.	3d	4B	14 17
וַתִּתֶּן־ל֛וֹ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֥ה שִׁפְחָתָ֖הּ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ יַעֲקֹֽב	4		And she gave to him Bilhah, her handmaid, for a wife. And Jacob came to her.	3d	4A	13 9
וַתַּ֣הַר בִּלְהָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּֽן	5		And Bilhah became pregnant, and she gave birth for Jacob to a son.	3e	4B	13
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ דָּנַ֣נִּי אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְגַם֙ שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלִ֔י וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֖י בֵּ֑ן עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרְאָ֥ה שְׁמ֖וֹ דָּֽן	6		And Rachel said, God has made my case, and moreover has heard my voice, and he has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan.	3d	4C	23 7
וַתַּ֣הַר ע֔וֹד וַתֵּ֕לֶד בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחַ֣ת רָחֵ֑ל בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב	7		And Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel, became pregnant yet again and gave birth. A second son for Jacob.	3e	4B	13 7
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל נַפְתּוּלֵ֨י אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ נִפְתַּ֛לְתִּי עִם־אֲחֹתִ֖י גַּם־יָכֹ֑לְתִּי וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ נַפְתָּלִֽי	8		And Rachel said, The grappling of God, I have grappled with my sister. Moreover I have overpowered. And she called his name Naphtali.	3c	4B	22 8
וַתֵּ֣רֶא לֵאָ֔ה כִּ֥י עָמְדָ֖ה מִלֶּ֑דֶת וַתִּקַּח֙ אֶת־זִלְפָּ֣ה שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לְאִשָּֽׁה	9		And Leah saw that she stood down from giving birth. And she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and she gave her to Jacob for a wife.	3d	4B	11 21
וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּ֛ה שִׁפְחַ֥ת לֵאָ֖ה לְיַעֲקֹ֥ב בֵּֽן	10		And Zilpah, handmaid of Leah, gave birth for Jacob to a son.	3d	3g	14
וַתֹּ֥אמֶר לֵאָ֖ה בָּ֣א גָ֑ד וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גָּֽד	11		And Leah said, Invasion is coming, and she called his name Gad.	3e	4B	7 7
וַתֵּ֗לֶד זִלְפָּה֙ שִׁפְחַ֣ת לֵאָ֔ה בֵּ֥ן שֵׁנִ֖י לְיַעֲקֹֽב	12		And Zilpah, handmaid of Leah, gave birth to a second son for Jacob.	3e	4B	16
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֔ה בְּאָשְׁרִ֕י כִּ֥י אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי בָּנ֑וֹת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אָשֵֽׁר	13		And Leah said, O my happiness, for daughters will consider me happy, and she called his name Asher.	3e	4B	14 8
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ	14		And Reuben went, in the days of the wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to Leah his mother. And Rachel said to Leah, Give me, please, from the mandrakes of your child.	3e	4C	31 17
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ	15		And she said to her, Is it insignificant that you have taken my man, and you would take also the mandrakes of my child? And Rachel said, Therefore he lies down with you tonight, in exchange for the mandrakes of your child.	3e	4C	22 21
וַיָּבֹ֨א יַעֲקֹ֣ב מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה֮ בָּעֶרֶב֒ וַתֵּצֵ֨א לֵאָ֜ה לִקְרָאת֗וֹ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֵלַ֣י תָּב֔וֹא כִּ֚י שָׂכֹ֣ר שְׂכַרְתִּ֔יךָ בְּדוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב עִמָּ֖הּ בַּלַּ֥יְלָה הֽוּא	16		And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah came out to encounter him. And she said, To me, you will come, because for a wage I have hired you with the mandrakes of my child. And he lay down with her in that night.	3e	4C	41 9
וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־לֵאָ֑ה וַתַּ֛הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד לְיַעֲקֹ֖ב בֵּ֥ן חֲמִישִֽׁי	17		And God paid heed to Leah, and she became pregnant, and she gave birth for Jacob to a son, the fifth.	3d	4A	9 14
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה נָתַ֤ן אֱלֹהִים֙ שְׂכָרִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי שִׁפְחָתִ֖י לְאִישִׁ֑י וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יִשָּׂשכָֽר	18		And Leah said, God has given my wage that I gave my handmaid for my man. And she called his name Issachar.	3e	4C	24 8
וַתַּ֤הַר עוֹד֙ לֵאָ֔ה וַתֵּ֥לֶד בֵּן־שִׁשִּׁ֖י לְּיַעֲקֹֽב	19		And Leah became pregnant yet again, and she gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob.	3e	4C	16
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֗ה זְבָדַ֨נִי אֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀ אֹתִי֮ זֵ֣בֶד טוֹב֒ הַפַּ֙עַם֙ יִזְבְּלֵ֣נִי אִישִׁ֔י כִּֽי־יָלַ֥דְתִּי ל֖וֹ שִׁשָּׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ זְבֻלֽוּן	20		And Leah said, God has subsidized me, a good subsidy. This time, let my man be resident with me, for I have begotten for him six children. And she called his name Zebulun.	3e	4B	34 9
וְאַחַ֖ר יָ֣לְדָה בַּ֑ת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ דִּינָֽה	21		And afterwards she gave birth to a daughter, and she called her name Dinah.	3e	4B	6 8
וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־רָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָֽהּ	22		And God remembered Rachel. And God heard her and opened her womb.	3e	4C	9 15
וַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר אָסַ֥ף אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־חֶרְפָּתִֽי	23		And she became pregnant and she gave birth to a son. And she said, God has gathered my reproach.	3e	4B	7 12
וַתִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר יֹסֵ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י בֵּ֥ן אַחֵֽר	24		And she called his name Joseph, saying, Yahweh will add for me another son.	3c	4A	10 8
וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יָלְדָ֥ה רָחֵ֖ל אֶת־יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ אֶל־לָבָ֔ן שַׁלְּחֵ֙נִי֙ וְאֵ֣לְכָ֔ה אֶל־מְקוֹמִ֖י וּלְאַרְצִֽי	25		And it happened that when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, Send me away that I may go to my place and to my land.	3d	4C	12 22
תְּנָ֞ה אֶת־נָשַׁ֣י וְאֶת־יְלָדַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֧דְתִּי אֹֽתְךָ֛ בָּהֵ֖ן וְאֵלֵ֑כָה כִּ֚י אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֶת־עֲבֹדָתִ֖י אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲבַדְתִּֽיךָ	26		Give my wives and my successions for whom I have served you, that I may go. For you yourself know my service that I have served you.	3c	4C	23 17
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ לָבָ֔ן אִם־נָ֛א מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ נִחַ֕שְׁתִּי וַיְבָרֲכֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה בִּגְלָלֶֽךָ	27		And Laban said to him, If please I have found grace in your eyes, I am brazen to say that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.	3d	4C	17 14
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נָקְבָ֧ה שְׂכָרְךָ֛ עָלַ֖י וְאֶתֵּֽנָה	28		And he said, Hammer out your wage to me and I will give.	3c	4A	3 11
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲבַדְתִּ֑יךָ וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה מִקְנְךָ֖ אִתִּֽי	29		And he said to him, You yourself know how I have served you, and how your livestock are with me.	3d	4B	17 11
כִּ֡י מְעַט֩ אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֨ה לְךָ֤ לְפָנַי֙ וַיִּפְרֹ֣ץ לָרֹ֔ב וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְהוָ֛ה אֹתְךָ֖ לְרַגְלִ֑י וְעַתָּ֗ה מָתַ֛י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה גַם־אָנֹכִ֖י לְבֵיתִֽי	30	~	For few were yours before me, and it has broken out to a multitude, and Yahweh blessed you for my feet. So now, how will I do, even myself, for my house?	3c	4C	27 15
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מָ֣ה אֶתֶּן־לָ֑ךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַעֲקֹב֙ לֹא־תִתֶּן־לִ֣י מְא֔וּמָה אִם־תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּי֙ הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה אָשׁ֛וּבָה אֶרְעֶ֥ה צֹֽאנְךָ֖ אֶשְׁמֹֽר	31		And he said, What I will give you? And Jacob said, You will not give me anything whatever. If you will do for me this thing, I will return, I will tend. I will keep your flock.	3d	4C	7 31
אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר בְּכָל־צֹֽאנְךָ֜ הַיּ֗וֹם הָסֵ֨ר מִשָּׁ֜ם כָּל־שֶׂ֣ה ׀ נָקֹ֣ד וְטָל֗וּא וְכָל־שֶׂה־חוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים וְטָל֥וּא וְנָקֹ֖ד בָּעִזִּ֑ים וְהָיָ֖ה שְׂכָרִֽי	32		I will pass through all your flock today, putting aside from there every speckled or patchwork lamb and every brown lamb among the young lambs, and patchwork or speckled among the she-goats. And it will be my wage.	3e	4B	36 6
וְעָֽנְתָה־בִּ֤י צִדְקָתִי֙ בְּי֣וֹם מָחָ֔ר כִּֽי־תָב֥וֹא עַל־שְׂכָרִ֖י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־אֵינֶנּוּ֩ נָקֹ֨ד וְטָל֜וּא בָּֽעִזִּ֗ים וְחוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים גָּנ֥וּב ה֖וּא אִתִּֽי	33		And my righteousness will answer in me in the day following, when it will come to my wage in your presence. All that is not speckled or patchwork among the she-goats, or brown among the young lambs, that will be considered stolen with me.	3e	4C	21 24
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָבָ֖ן הֵ֑ן ל֖וּ יְהִ֥י כִדְבָרֶֽךָ	34		And Laban said Lo, oh that it will be according to your word.	3e	4A	6 7
וַיָּ֣סַר בַּיּוֹם֩ הַה֨וּא אֶת־הַתְּיָשִׁ֜ים הָֽעֲקֻדִּ֣ים וְהַטְּלֻאִ֗ים וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הָֽעִזִּים֙ הַנְּקֻדּ֣וֹת וְהַטְּלֻאֹ֔ת כֹּ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־לָבָן֙ בּ֔וֹ וְכָל־ח֖וּם בַּכְּשָׂבִ֑ים וַיִּתֵּ֖ן בְּיַד־בָּנָֽיו	35		And he put aside in that day the streaked and patchwork billy-goats and all the speckled and patchwork she-goats, all that had white in it and all brown among the young lambs. And he gave into the hand of his children.	3e	4C	44 7
וַיָּ֗שֶׂם דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים בֵּינ֖וֹ וּבֵ֣ין יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְיַעֲקֹ֗ב רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֥אן לָבָ֖ן הַנּוֹתָרֹֽת	36		And he set a journey of three days between him and Jacob, and Jacob tended the sheep of Laban that remained.	3d	4C	17 14
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֣וֹ יַעֲקֹ֗ב מַקַּ֥ל לִבְנֶ֛ה לַ֖ח וְל֣וּז וְעֶרְמ֑וֹן וַיְפַצֵּ֤ל בָּהֵן֙ פְּצָל֣וֹת לְבָנ֔וֹת מַחְשֹׂף֙ הַלָּבָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַמַּקְלֽוֹת	37		And Jacob took for himself sticks of fresh poplar, and hazel, and chestnut, and peeled in them white peelings, and stripped the white that was on the sticks.	3d	4C	17 22
וַיַּצֵּ֗ג אֶת־הַמַּקְלוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּצֵּ֔ל בָּרֳהָטִ֖ים בְּשִֽׁקֲת֣וֹת הַמָּ֑יִם אֲשֶׁר֩ תָּבֹ֨אןָ הַצֹּ֤אן לִשְׁתּוֹת֙ לְנֹ֣כַח הַצֹּ֔אן וַיֵּחַ֖מְנָה בְּבֹאָ֥ן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת	38		And he exhibited the sticks that he had peeled in the troughs, in the drinking water. And the flock came to imbibe, opposite the flock. And they conceived when they came to imbibe.	3e	4C	22 23
וַיֶּחֱמ֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן אֶל־הַמַּקְל֑וֹת וַתֵּלַ֣דְןָ הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּטְלֻאִֽים	39		And the flock conceived at the sticks, and gave birth to sheep, streaked, speckled, and patchwork.	3e	4B	10 15
וְהַכְּשָׂבִים֮ הִפְרִ֣יד יַעֲקֹב֒ וַ֠יִּתֵּן פְּנֵ֨י הַצֹּ֧אן אֶל־עָקֹ֛ד וְכָל־ח֖וּם בְּצֹ֣אן לָבָ֑ן וַיָּֽשֶׁת־ל֤וֹ עֲדָרִים֙ לְבַדּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁתָ֖ם עַל־צֹ֥אן לָבָֽן	40		And the young lambs Jacob separated, and he positioned the faces of the sheep to the streaked, and every brown among the sheep of Laban. And he put his troops by themselves, and did not put them with the sheep of Laban.	3c	4C	26 18
וְהָיָ֗ה בְּכָל־יַחֵם֮ הַצֹּ֣אן הַמְקֻשָּׁרוֹת֒ וְשָׂ֨ם יַעֲקֹ֧ב אֶת־הַמַּקְל֛וֹת לְעֵינֵ֥י הַצֹּ֖אן בָּרֳהָטִ֑ים לְיַחְמֵ֖נָּה בַּמַּקְלֽוֹת	41		And it happened for every conception of the sturdiest of the flock, that Jacob set the sticks in the sight of the sheep at the troughs, that they might conceive among the sticks.	3c	4B	31 7
וּבְהַעֲטִ֥יף הַצֹּ֖אן לֹ֣א יָשִׂ֑ים וְהָיָ֤ה הָעֲטֻפִים֙ לְלָבָ֔ן וְהַקְּשֻׁרִ֖ים לְיַעֲקֹֽב	42		But among the disabled of the flock he did not set up. And the disabled became Laban's and the sturdier Jacob's.	3e	4C	9 18
וַיִּפְרֹ֥ץ הָאִ֖ישׁ מְאֹ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־לוֹ֙ צֹ֣אן רַבּ֔וֹת וּשְׁפָחוֹת֙ וַעֲבָדִ֔ים וּגְמַלִּ֖ים וַחֲמֹרִֽים	43		And the man broke out very very much. And he had abundant sheep, and female servants, and male servants, and camels, and asses.	3e	4B	9 19