The Meaning of Genesis 30:2 Explained

Genesis 30:2

KJV: And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

YLT: And Jacob's anger burneth against Rachel, and he saith, 'Am I in stead of God who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?'

Darby: And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

ASV: And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jacob's  anger  was kindled  against Rachel:  and he said,  [Am] I in God's  stead, who hath withheld  from thee the fruit  of the womb? 

What does Genesis 30:2 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 30:2 mean?

And was kindled the anger of Jacob against Rachel and he said [am] in the place of God I who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb
וַיִּֽחַר־ אַ֥ף יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּרָחֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲתַ֤חַת אֱלֹהִים֙ אָנֹ֔כִי אֲשֶׁר־ מָנַ֥ע מִמֵּ֖ךְ פְּרִי־ ؟ בָֽטֶן

וַיִּֽחַר־  And  was  kindled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.
אַ֥ף  the  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אַף 
Sense: nostril, nose, face.
יַעֲקֹ֖ב  of  Jacob 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
בְּרָחֵ֑ל  against  Rachel 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רָחֵל  
Sense: daughter of Laban, wife of Jacob, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֲתַ֤חַת  [am]  in  the  place 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
אֱלֹהִים֙  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מָנַ֥ע  has  withheld 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָנַע  
Sense: to withhold, hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, keep restrain, hinder.
מִמֵּ֖ךְ  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
פְּרִי־  the  fruit 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
؟ בָֽטֶן  of  the  womb 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֶּטֶן  
Sense: belly, womb, body.