Genesis 30:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

NIV: Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

NASB: Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

CSB: Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb.

NLT: Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.

KJV: And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.

NKJV: Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Rachel has always been deeply loved by Jacob. He was willing to work seven years for the privilege of marrying her, only to be tricked into taking her older sister, Leah, instead. And yet, Jacob's love for Rachel was enough for him to agree to another seven years of labor for the right to marry her a week later (Genesis 29:18–30). Leah, in part because of this history, has never been shown affection by Jacob (Genesis 29:31). In part due to God's sympathy for Leah's pain, and though Rachel seems to have held on to Jacob's primary affection Rachel has never been able to give Jacob a son. Leah, on the other hand, has given him six sons by birth, two sons through her servant girl Zilpah, and at least one daughter, Dinah.

Now Rachel's long years of waiting come to an end. A major theme of this chapter is exactly who gives the gift of children: God, and God alone. Personal schemes (Genesis 30:1–3), plants (Genesis 30:14–17), and even striped sticks (Genesis 30:37–43) are irrelevant, since it's God who holds the real power. Now, God "remembers" Rachel, a phrase which refers to God's favorable consideration. He opens her womb. The Bible is consistent from start to finish in teaching that God is the creator of life and the giver of children in all cases, but this teaching is a particular focus in the lives of Israel's early ancestors.

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.