Genesis 30:14-16
New English Translation
14 At the time[a] of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants[b] in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 15 But Leah replied,[c] “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,”[d] Rachel said, “he may go to bed with[e] you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” 16 When Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must sleep[f] with me because I have paid for your services[g] with my son’s mandrakes.” So he went to bed with[h] her that night.
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- Genesis 30:14 tn Heb “during the days.”
- Genesis 30:14 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
- Genesis 30:15 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 30:15 tn Heb “therefore.”
- Genesis 30:15 tn Heb “lie down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can be a euphemism for going to bed for sexual relations.
- Genesis 30:16 tn Heb “must come to me.” The imperfect verbal form has an obligatory nuance here. The expression בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) means “come to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
- Genesis 30:16 tn Heb “I have surely hired.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form for emphasis. The name Issachar (see v. 18) seems to be related to this expression.
- Genesis 30:16 tn Heb “lay down with.” See note at v. 15.
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