Genesis 30:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun.

NIV: Then Leah said, "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

NASB: Then Leah said, 'God has endowed me with a good gift; finally my husband will acknowledge me as his wife, because I have borne him six sons.' So she named him Zebulun.

CSB: "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne six sons for him," and she named him Zebulun.

NLT: She named him Zebulun, for she said, 'God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons.'

KJV: And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

NKJV: And Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun.

Sisters Leah and Rachel are engaged in a "birth war," competing for the affections of their mutual husband, Jacob (Genesis 29:18–30). Following her pattern, Leah names her sixth naturally-born son according to her feelings about the circumstances of the moment. Again, she credits God for giving her another son. Specifically, Leah says God has endowed or presented to her a good gift, using the Hebrew word zabad. Leah's faith in and gratitude to God seems to be a constant in her life.

The other constant in Leah's life seems to be a deep desire to be loved and valued by her husband Jacob. That desire has often gone unmet, according to the details of this chapter (Genesis 30:15). Now that she has born him a sixth child, with two more through her servant Zilpah, Leah expresses her deep hope that perhaps her husband will at least "honor" or perhaps "live with" her, depending on the translation of the Hebrew word zabal.

She connects these two expressions, gratitude to God for this gift and confidence that her husband will honor her, with the name Zebulun. That name, Zabuwluwn in Hebrew, contains references to both "gift" and "honor."

Genesis 30:1–24 describes the birth of eight more sons to Jacob, as well as one daughter. While Rachel remains barren, her servant woman bears to Jacob two sons. Then Leah's servant woman does so, as well. Next, Leah herself has three more children. Then, finally, God remembers Rachel. She gives birth to Joseph, giving him a name that is essentially a prayer for another son to follow. As the section ends, Jacob now has 11 sons, at least one daughter, and a plan to return home to his own people.

God alone gives children. He causes babies to be born. He even determines what color baby sheep and goats will be. Genesis 30 describes the urgent desire of Rachel and Leah to have sons for Jacob and how God hears and grants their prayers in His own time. In addition, God blesses Jacob's unusual breeding practices with Laban's flocks to finally allow Jacob to overcome his father-in-law's schemes to keep Jacob under his service.

In the previous chapter, Laban tricked Jacob both into marrying Leah along with Rachel and into working for him as a servant for a total of fourteen years. God blessed unloved Leah by allowing her to bear four sons to Jacob. As this chapter opens, Rachel remains barren while Leah and both of their servant women continue to bear sons. Finally God answers Rachel's prayer, allowing her to bear Joseph. His contract completed, Jacob demands Laban send him away to his own people. Laban refuses, asking Jacob to set new terms for his service. Jacob's deal, along with the Lord's blessing and his unusual breeding practices with the flocks, results in Jacob becoming a wealthy man in his own right. This wealth and power will enable him to finally break free and return home.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.