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?

Genesis 30:2 nkjv

And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

Genesis 30:2 niv

Jacob became angry with her and said, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

Genesis 30:2 esv

Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"

Genesis 30:2 nlt

Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. "Am I God?" he asked. "He's the one who has kept you from having children!"

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 2 Meaning

Genesis 30:2 describes Jacob's strong and indignant reaction to Rachel's desperate plea for children. His response directly confronts her human-centered demand by asserting God's exclusive authority over life and fertility. Jacob highlights that only God, not he, can grant or withhold the ability to conceive, challenging Rachel to recognize the divine source of such blessings. The verse encapsulates a critical theological truth embedded within a passionate domestic dispute, emphasizing divine sovereignty over human desires and biological processes.

Genesis 30 2 Context

Genesis 30:2 occurs during a period of intense rivalry and competition for offspring among Jacob's wives, Rachel and Leah. Rachel, who has been barren, confronts Jacob in the preceding verse (Gen 30:1) with a desperate and highly emotional demand: "Give me children, or else I die!" This declaration highlights the cultural significance of fertility in the ancient Near East, where barrenness was often perceived as a divine curse and a woman's value was heavily tied to her ability to bear children, particularly sons, to carry on the family lineage. Jacob's reaction in verse 2, while showing frustration and anger, redirects Rachel's misplaced demand from him, a human, to God, the true source of all life. It also reflects the tension within Jacob's household and the prevailing understanding of divine Providence controlling matters of conception and birth.

Genesis 30 2 Word analysis

• Jacob's anger: חָרָה (ḥārāh), often translated "was kindled" or "burned," conveys intense indignation and strong displeasure, like a hot fire. It is a sharp emotional reaction, but notably directed at the misguided nature of Rachel's demand rather than solely at Rachel herself.
• was kindled against Rachel: While anger can be sinful, Jacob's response is often seen as a righteous indignation, aimed at correcting Rachel's blasphemous implied challenge to God's authority by demanding from a man what only God can provide.
• Am I in God's stead: The Hebrew phrase הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים אָנִי (hă·taḥat ’ělō·hîm ’ānî).
  • hă- (interrogative particle): introduces a question, expecting a negative answer ("Am I...? Surely not!").
  • taḥat (תַּחַת): means "under," "instead of," "in the place of." Jacob uses it to question if he possesses divine power.
  • ’ělō·hîm (אֱלֹהִים): The plural name for God, here referring to the one true God, emphasizes His singular divine power.
  • ’ānî (אָנִי): "I," the first-person singular pronoun. Jacob starkly contrasts his human impotence with God's omnipotence.This rhetorical question asserts God's exclusive dominion over life. It serves as a strong refutation of any implicit belief that human intervention or will could supersede divine control, which was a point of tension against contemporary pagan fertility cults that sought to manipulate divine forces.
• who hath withheld from thee: מָנַע (māna’), "to withhold," "to restrain," "to keep back." Jacob directly attributes Rachel's barrenness to God's deliberate act, not to any failing on his part or simply fate. This reinforces the concept of God's active, intentional sovereignty even in matters of lack or perceived disadvantage.
• the fruit of the womb: פְּרִי הַבֶּטֶן (pěrî habbāṭen). This is a common and tender biblical idiom referring to children or offspring. It emphasizes that physical procreation and the resulting life are ultimately divine gifts, a direct produce granted by God.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel": This initial statement sets the emotional tone, indicating Jacob's frustration not only with Rachel's suffering but her demand, which crossed a line in implying he possessed divine power. His anger is defensive of God's role.
• "Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?": This entire rhetorical question is a powerful theological declaration. It pivots Rachel's complaint from Jacob to God. It highlights that Jacob fully understands his human limitations and that he sees God as the sole Giver of life. It subtly corrects Rachel's desperation by reminding her of divine sovereignty and directing her to seek children from God Himself, the rightful source, rather than a man who is powerless in this specific area. This statement has polemical undertones against pagan beliefs that fertility could be guaranteed or manipulated by humans through cultic rituals or by appealing to specific human patrons. Jacob directly states the one true God's absolute control over fertility.

Genesis 30 2 Bonus section

The Hebrew word ḥārāh for "kindled" anger (Gen 30:2) is the same word used of God's anger in various instances (e.g., Exod 32:10, Num 11:1). While Jacob's anger is a human emotion, the term conveys its intensity and the seriousness with which he perceived Rachel's misdirected complaint. His response lays the groundwork for Rachel eventually turning to God directly (Gen 30:6, 30:22-24) after this verbal correction. The historical context indicates that surrogate motherhood (giving a maidservant to one's husband to bear children on behalf of the barren wife) was a recognized cultural practice, seen previously with Sarai and Hagar (Gen 16). However, Jacob's declaration still places the ultimate granting of offspring outside of human arrangement and within divine will, highlighting that even culturally acceptable methods are still subject to God's decree.

Genesis 30 2 Commentary

Genesis 30:2 presents a profound moment of theological truth within a deeply human drama of desire, jealousy, and frustration. Rachel's desperate plea ("Give me children, or else I die!") in verse 1 shows her extreme cultural pressure and personal anguish. Jacob's reaction, though expressing anger, is fundamentally a defense of divine sovereignty. He recognizes and states a foundational truth: no human, not even the patriarch chosen by God, can usurp the role of the Creator concerning life. Jacob implicitly reminds Rachel that if she is barren, it is because God, in His sovereign will, has chosen to withhold fertility for a time. This redirects her focus from demanding the impossible from a man to humbly seeking from God what only He can give.

The passage serves as a critical reminder that while human effort and desire are natural, ultimate power and blessing rest with God alone. It instructs us not to misplace our hopes or expectations in human capabilities but to turn to the divine Giver of all good things. Jacob's seemingly harsh words, when understood theologically, become an act of redirecting faith toward God, the true source of "the fruit of the womb." It reminds believers to present their deep longings to God, acknowledging His power and timing, rather than making demands of others or resorting to methods that defy divine principles.