Genesis 30:14-21

2009.Jan.02 11:00

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Read Genesis 30:14-21 | Full Chapter

Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But she said to her, "Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son's mandrakes also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar. Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
(Genesis 30:14-21, NASB)

I tried to read up on Mandrakes), but I’m mostly just confused now. It doesn’t sound like something one would particularly want, but hey, Rachel wants these bloody mandrakes. More than sex, or possibly, more than the hope of having children. Or both, I suppose. So she and Leah arrange a deal that Leah gets to sleep that night with Jacob. One implication here is that Jacob regularly spends the night with his younger wife, not surprising considering he is apparently much more attracted to Rachel. Leah takes the bargain.

For Leah, this pays off, in that she conceives and has another son, then has her sixth son sometime thereafter. She’s gone back to thinking this will make Jacob particularly love her. That Jacob does not seem to love his first wife for any reason is a sad testament. Yes, his marriage to her was based in deception, but he could have chosen to show her love regardless. This could have been at least a happier situation, I think, if Jacob had made more effort to bless his first wife.

Anyway, Leah’s happy(-ish) because she has more sons, Rachel’s happy(-ish) because she has mandrakes, although I don’t venture to know why. Actually, it’s interesting that Rachel seems to find happiness quicker than her older sister, perhaps because Rachel does have a husband that loves her.

Then, a strange thing happens in this narrative: a daughter is born! Although I imagine it’s mostly just mentioned because Dinah does play a role in a later chapter.