Genesis 30 22

Genesis 30:22 kjv

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

Genesis 30:22 nkjv

Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Genesis 30:22 niv

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.

Genesis 30:22 esv

Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Genesis 30:22 nlt

Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children.

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 22 meaning

This verse signifies a pivotal moment in Rachel's life, illustrating God's compassionate and active intervention. After a period of longing and barrenness, the Creator remembered Rachel, which in biblical context means not just recalling her, but acting decisively on her behalf. He listened to her heartfelt pleas and sovereignly intervened to open her womb, granting her the ability to conceive and bear a son, thereby ending her distress and fulfilling her deep desire for a child. It underscores God's personal attention and providential care over individuals and their circumstances.

Genesis 30 22 Context

Genesis chapter 30 is situated within Jacob's household narrative, particularly focusing on the intense rivalry between his two wives, Leah and Rachel, and their respective maidservants, Zilpah and Bilhah, to bear children for Jacob. Childbearing was highly valued in ancient Israelite culture, especially for lineage and inheritance, and barrenness was often seen as a significant affliction or even a reproach. Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, suffered greatly from her inability to conceive, expressing deep despair and even challenging Jacob directly in Gen 30:1, saying "Give me children, or I'll die!" For years, while Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah bore children (10 sons and one daughter are mentioned before Joseph), Rachel remained barren. The previous verses detail the competitive birth-giving cycle among the four women. This verse, Gen 30:22, marks a turning point in this lengthy narrative of fertility struggles, signaling the end of Rachel's barrenness and God's active involvement in her life, setting the stage for the birth of Joseph, a son who would play a crucial role in the future of the nation of Israel. This divine intervention affirms God's ultimate control over all life and providence.

Genesis 30 22 Word analysis

• Then (וַיִּזְכֹּר - Vayyizzāḵar): The Hebrew connective "then" marks a consequential shift or progression in the narrative, indicating that what follows is a direct result or a significant turning point after previous events.
• God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): This is the plural form of "God" but used with a singular verb, emphasizing the supreme power and authority of the one true God, the Creator and Sovereign Lord. This term for God highlights His universal power and transcendent nature in exercising His will.
• remembered (וַיִּזְכֹּר - vayyizkor): From the root zakhar (זָכַר). In biblical Hebrew, "remembering" God does not imply that He had forgotten. Rather, it signifies an active, purposeful turning of divine attention, implying an intention to act on behalf of the one remembered. It means to recall and then respond or take action; here, it refers to God's deliberate intervention. This is a divine act of covenant faithfulness and compassion.
• Rachel (רָחֵל - Raḥēl): Jacob's beloved wife, but also the one who suffered from prolonged barrenness. Her name means "ewe." Her story underscores personal distress answered by divine intervention.
• he listened (וַיִּשְׁמַע - vayyishma’): From the root shama (שָׁמַע). "He listened" means He paid attention to her pleas or cries. In the biblical context, God "hearing" prayer often means that He granted the petition or responded affirmatively. It implies not just the act of hearing, but of heeding and acting in response to one's voice or prayers.
• to her (אֵלֶיהָ - eleiha): Specifies that the divine attention and hearing were directed precisely towards Rachel, emphasizing God's personal concern.
• and enabled her to conceive (וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת-רַחְמָהּ - vayyiftaḥ et raḥmah): Literally translates to "and He opened her womb." This is a common Hebrew idiom for making a woman fertile or enabling conception. It signifies that God is the sole one who has ultimate control over fertility, a profound statement about divine sovereignty over life itself. It clearly attributes the end of her barrenness to God's direct intervention, not to natural means or any other factor.
• and bear a son (וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן - vatahar vatteled ben): Lit. "and she conceived and bore a son." This completes the successful outcome of God's intervention, leading to pregnancy and the eventual birth. It signifies the full, practical manifestation of God's action.

• "God remembered Rachel; he listened to her": This phrase beautifully intertwines God's active care with His response to human petition. It reflects God's relational nature and His attentiveness to the plight of individuals. It's not a mere memory, but a benevolent, purposeful act initiated by divine compassion and acknowledged prayer.
• "and enabled her to conceive and bear a son": This concluding phrase highlights God's omnipotence over life. It dismisses any notion of natural causes for Rachel's barrenness or her eventual conception apart from God's direct and sovereign will. The focus is entirely on God as the Giver of life.

Genesis 30 22 Bonus section

This verse carries a significant polemical implication against contemporary ancient Near Eastern fertility deities. In many surrounding cultures, Baal and other gods/goddesses were believed to control fertility and crop yield. By explicitly stating that Elohim, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the one who "remembered Rachel," "listened to her," and "opened her womb," the text emphatically declares that the true God, YHWH (implicitly understood, as Elohim is used often interchangeably for Him), is the sole giver of life and fertility, not the pagan gods. This was a clear message to the original audience about the singular power and sovereignty of their God.

The phrase "opened her womb" (פָּתַח אֶת-רַחְמָהּ - patach et rachmah) is not merely a descriptive phrase but a theological statement throughout the Old Testament. It signifies that the cessation of barrenness is a divine act, demonstrating God's ultimate authority over human physiology and destiny. This concept elevates human life as a gift directly from God, countering any humanistic or fatalistic views on birth.

Genesis 30 22 Commentary

Genesis 30:22 stands as a testament to God's sovereign control over human life and His compassionate responsiveness to the cries of His people. The phrase "God remembered Rachel" transcends simple recall; it denotes an active divine turning, a benevolent attention leading to intervention. For years, Rachel had suffered the cultural shame and personal grief of barrenness. While others around her conceived, her longing deepened, even leading to desperate measures within the household (giving her maid Bilhah to Jacob). This verse marks a definitive moment where God directly answers Rachel's distress.

"He listened to her" affirms the efficacy of prayer, not that Rachel's prior prayers were unheard, but that this was the appointed time for God to grant her petition according to His perfect timing and purpose. The action "enabled her to conceive and bear a son" is a vivid biblical idiom, "opened her womb," emphatically attributing the breaking of her barrenness to God alone. It underlines a profound theological truth: fertility and the gift of children are ultimately in God's hands. This account parallels Hannah's story in 1 Samuel, reinforcing a pattern of God answering the prayers of the barren. The birth of Joseph, the eventual outcome, underscores that God's plans are far-reaching, even beyond immediate personal desires, often laying groundwork for future redemptive history. It reminds us that God, in His providence, has a perfect time to intervene in our struggles, bringing about His will and often fulfilling our deepest, righteous desires.