The Meaning of Genesis 30:15 Explained

Genesis 30:15

KJV: And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

YLT: And she saith to her, 'Is thy taking my husband a little thing, that thou hast taken also the love-apples of my son?' and Rachel saith, 'Therefore doth he lie with thee to-night, for thy son's love-apples.'

Darby: And she said to her, Is it too little that thou hast taken my husband, that thou wilt take my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

ASV: And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to-night for thy son's mandrakes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And she said  unto her, [Is it] a small matter  that thou hast taken  my husband?  and wouldest thou take away  my son's  mandrakes  also? And Rachel  said,  Therefore he shall lie  with thee to night  for  thy son's  mandrakes. 

What does Genesis 30:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 30:1-24 - Sons Born To Jacob
The details of this paragraph are given with great minuteness, because they concern the twelve sons of Jacob, the forefathers of Israel. After all, history is made in the nursery, and we are very much what our mothers have made us in the formative years. An old Spanish proverb says, "An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy." Leah's influence on her boys, as judged by their subsequent life, was anything but healthy; yet with Jacob being the man he was, there was poor chance for them to realize the highest ideals. Rachel's anguish of heart led her to earnest prayer. Compare Genesis 30:1; Genesis 30:22. Wait on God, oh, anguished ones: ye shall surely have reason to praise him. Was it not worth waiting for, to bear a Joseph, whose branches were to run over the wall in blessing? There are more compensations in life than we think for. If Rachel had her husband's love, Leah had a large family of boys. In the saddest lives there are glints of sunshine. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 30

1  Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, gives Bilhah her maid unto Jacob
5  Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali
9  Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher
14  Reuben finds mandrakes,
15  with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel
17  Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah
22  Rachel bears Joseph
25  Jacob desires to depart
27  Laban detains him on a new agreement
37  Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich

What do the individual words in Genesis 30:15 mean?

But she said to her is [it] a small [matter] that you have taken away - my husband and would you take away also mandrakes of my son and said Rachel therefore he will lie with you tonight for of your son
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־ ؟ אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם דּוּדָאֵ֖י ؟ בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת בְנֵֽךְ

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  But  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֗הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הַמְעַט֙  is  [it]  a  small  [matter] 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מְעַט  
Sense: littleness, few, a little, fewness.
קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ  that  you  have  taken  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
؟ אִישִׁ֔י  my  husband 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱנׄושׁ 
Sense: man, mortal man, person, mankind.
וְלָקַ֕חַת  and  would  you  take  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
גַּ֥ם  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
דּוּדָאֵ֖י  mandrakes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דּוּדָאִים 
Sense: mandrake, love-apple.
؟ בְּנִ֑י  of  my  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
רָחֵ֗ל  Rachel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָחֵל  
Sense: daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
יִשְׁכַּ֤ב  he  will  lie 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
עִמָּךְ֙  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
הַלַּ֔יְלָה  tonight 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
בְנֵֽךְ  of  your  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 30:15?

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