Genesis 30:14 kjv

And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

Genesis 30:14 nkjv

Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest 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."

Genesis 30:14 niv

During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

Genesis 30:14 esv

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."

Genesis 30:14 nlt

One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 14 Meaning

Genesis 30:14 describes a significant domestic incident within Jacob's family. Reuben, Leah's eldest son, finds mandrakes during the wheat harvest season. He brings these plants, esteemed in antiquity for their supposed fertility properties, to his mother, Leah. Seeing them, Rachel, Jacob's preferred wife but currently barren, immediately approaches Leah to request some of the mandrakes, highlighting her desperation for children.

Genesis 30 14 Context

Genesis chapter 30 continues the intense family drama centered around Jacob's lack of an heir from his beloved wife, Rachel, and the escalating fertility rivalry between Rachel and her sister Leah. Leah has borne Jacob four sons, gaining favour in God's sight because she was "unloved" (Gen 29:31). Rachel, however, remains barren, leading to extreme anguish and envy, even resorting to giving her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob to bear children on her behalf. This exchange with Leah for the mandrakes takes place after Jacob has fathered children through Bilhah and Zilpah (Leah's maidservant), yet Rachel is still childless. The historical and cultural context is one where a woman's value and standing were heavily tied to her ability to bear children, especially sons, to ensure the family lineage and inheritance. Polygamy, as practiced by Jacob, intensified this pressure, creating a competitive environment among wives for affection, status, and offspring. Mandrakes (duda'im) were widely believed in the ancient Near East to be an aphrodisiac or fertility aid, likely due to their psychoactive properties and their root's occasional resemblance to a human form. This episode highlights human attempts to manipulate divine processes or fate, contrasting implicitly with God's ultimate sovereignty over life and barrenness.

Genesis 30 14 Word analysis

• Reuben: Hebrew: Re'uven (רְאוּבֵן). Meaning "Behold, a son!" Leah named him reflecting her initial joy and hope for Jacob's love. As the firstborn, his actions, even as a young boy, held significance in the family structure.
• went: Indicates an intentional movement, perhaps for a specific task or journey, not merely casual wandering.
• in the days of wheat harvest: Hebrew: bimey qetzir chit'im (בִּימֵי קְצִיר חִטִּים). This specifies the time of year, typically late spring to early summer (May-June). This is precisely when mandrake fruits ripen and become most noticeable and fragrant. It ties the discovery to the agricultural calendar.
• found: Hebrew: va-yimtza (וַיִּמְצָא). Implies discovery, not an active search, yet it leads to a profound turn in the narrative.
• mandrakes: Hebrew: duda'im (דּוּדָאִים). A crucial term. This fruit-bearing plant (likely Mandragora officinarum) was known in antiquity for its strong fragrance and believed magical/medicinal properties, particularly related to fertility and love (hence the possible linguistic connection to dod (דּוֹד), "love" or "beloved"). Their deep, forked roots were thought to resemble a human body, adding to their mystical allure.
• in the field: A common agricultural setting where such wild plants would grow. Not specifically planted or cultivated, adding to the idea of a chance discovery.
• brought them unto his mother Leah: An act of filial devotion. Reuben, still a young boy, shows thoughtfulness and care for his mother, presenting a perceived treasure. This act sets the entire exchange into motion.
• Then Rachel said to Leah: Indicates a direct, immediate verbal confrontation or petition. Highlights the tension and rivalry between the sisters. Rachel's address to Leah underscores the hierarchy and current possessor of the desired object.
• "Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.": Hebrew: Tni-na' li miduda'ey bnech (תְּנִי נָא לִי מִדּוּדָאֵי בְנֵךְ). "I pray thee" (na') indicates a polite, yet urgent and desperate plea. Rachel, though outwardly the more favored wife, is here in a position of humble request, driven by her yearning for a child. The phrase "thy son's mandrakes" emphasizes Reuben's role in the discovery and their belonging to Leah through him, perhaps even giving them greater perceived power or value.

Genesis 30 14 Bonus section

• The duda'im were known not only for supposed fertility effects but also for their potent fragrance. Some scholars suggest their scent could indeed have had an aphrodisiac effect, or simply represented a luxury or desired item.
• In some rabbinic traditions, the duda'im symbolize love and familial warmth, rather than just superstition.
• This story is an ancient parallel to modern beliefs in fertility treatments or folk remedies, highlighting the timeless human yearning for children and the efforts people will go to achieve conception, even if the ultimate power resides with God.
• The transaction reflects Leah's wisdom in leveraging the mandrakes not for her fertility (as she was already bearing children) but for time with Jacob, affirming her position as a wife.

Genesis 30 14 Commentary

Genesis 30:14 serves as a pivotal point in the Jacob family saga, shifting the dynamic of the fertility competition between Leah and Rachel. The verse, seemingly simple, reveals profound themes about human desire, divine sovereignty, and ancient beliefs. Reuben's innocent act of bringing his mother mandrakes—a plant commonly associated with fertility charms in the ancient Near East—unleashes Rachel's deep desperation for children. Her urgent plea to Leah underscores the immense cultural pressure on women to bear offspring, particularly sons, as well as her envy of Leah's fruitfulness.

This event is not about the efficacy of mandrakes, but about human attempts to manipulate destiny or acquire what only God can grant. While ancient cultures might have attributed mystical power to such plants, the biblical narrative consistently presents God as the ultimate source of life and fertility. Earlier, it was God who "opened Leah's womb" (Gen 29:31) and later "God remembered Rachel and opened her womb" (Gen 30:22). The mandrakes thus become a bargaining chip in Leah's and Rachel's ongoing competition for Jacob's affection and offspring, not a direct magical cause of conception. Leah leverages the mandrakes for a night with Jacob, and she conceives again immediately, bearing Issachar. Irony prevails: despite Rachel's belief in the mandrakes' power, it is Leah who conceives after the exchange, not Rachel, and then only by divine will later does Rachel bear Joseph. The narrative implicitly teaches that human strategies, superstitions, or earthly means cannot supersede God's plan and timing. It portrays the intense emotional landscape of this polygamous family and highlights that God uses even flawed human decisions to achieve His ultimate purposes within the unfolding story of His covenant people.