Genesis 30:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

NIV: Then Rachel said, 'God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.' Because of this she named him Dan.

NASB: Then Rachel said, 'God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.' Therefore she named him Dan.

CSB: Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; yes, he has heard me and given me a son," so she named him Dan.

NLT: Rachel named him Dan, for she said, 'God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.'

KJV: And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

NKJV: Then Rachel said, “God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan.

When Jacob's grandmother Sarah had a child by giving her servant girl as a wife to Abraham (Genesis 16:1–4), she seemed to quickly regret it (Genesis 16:5–6). Rachel, on the other hand, receives the baby born to her servant Bilhah (Genesis 29:29; 30:3) as a gift from God. Indeed, unlike Sarah's Ishmael, this son, and the others to be born to Jacob by his wives' servants, will become children of God's covenant promises to Jacob. In fact, they will become the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Rachel names this boy Dan, related to a Hebrew term diyin, used earlier in the verse when Rachel says God has "vindicated" her. The word is also a play on the Hebrew word for "give." Rachel has apparently prayed for children, after all, in spite of her angry words to Jacob in Genesis 30:1. She credits the Lord both for vindicating her and for hearing her voice. As her sister Leah has done, Rachel worships God in the naming of her son.

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 2:38:09 AM