The Meaning of Genesis 30:22 Explained

Genesis 30:22

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

YLT: And God remembereth Rachel, and God hearkeneth unto her, and openeth her womb,

Darby: And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Genesis 30:22 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 30:22 mean?

And remembered God - Rachel and listened to her God and opened her womb
וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־ רָחֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח רַחְמָֽהּ

וַיִּזְכֹּ֥ר  And  remembered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
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.
רָחֵ֑ל  Rachel 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָחֵל  
Sense: daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע  and  listened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אֱלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח  and  opened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
רַחְמָֽהּ  her  womb 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: רֶחֶם  
Sense: womb.