Genesis 30:25 kjv
And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
Genesis 30:25 nkjv
And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.
Genesis 30:25 niv
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.
Genesis 30:25 esv
As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country.
Genesis 30:25 nlt
Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Please release me so I can go home to my own country.
Genesis 30 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:1 | The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country... to the land I will show you." | Abraham's call to leave his country. |
| Gen 28:13-15 | "I am the LORD... The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring... I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." | God's promise to Jacob to return. |
| Gen 29:20 | So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her. | Jacob's long service for his wives. |
| Gen 30:22-24 | Then God remembered Rachel... She conceived and bore a son and said, "God has taken away my reproach." And she called his name Joseph, saying, "May the LORD add to me another son." | Joseph's birth and its significance. |
| Gen 31:3 | Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you." | God explicitly commands Jacob to return. |
| Gen 31:41 | These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. | Jacob's total years of service to Laban. |
| Gen 32:9 | Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good...'" | Jacob recalling God's command to return. |
| Gen 35:16-18 | As they journeyed from Bethel... Rachel bore a son and... named him Ben-Oni, but his father called him Benjamin. | Birth of Benjamin, Rachel's second son. |
| Deut 10:11 | And the LORD said to me, "Arise, go on your journey at the head of the people, so that they may go in and take possession of the land that I swore to their fathers to give them." | Divine instruction to move into land. |
| Psa 105:9-10 | The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac, confirmed to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: "To you I will give the land of Canaan..." | God's covenant concerning the Promised Land. |
| Jer 3:18 | "In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your fathers." | Return to inheritance land (exile). |
| Ezra 1:3 | "Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem... let him rebuild the house of the LORD..." | Return from exile to homeland. |
| Matt 2:13 | ...the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you..." | Divine direction for relocation. |
| Heb 11:8-10 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance... he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. | Patriarchs seeking a promised homeland. |
| Heb 11:13 | These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. | The transient nature of life before reaching promise. |
| Php 3:20 | But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ... | Believer's heavenly home/country. |
| Psa 84:1-2 | How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. | Longing for God's dwelling/presence. |
| 1 Cor 7:20-23 | Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it... for you were bought with a price. | Believers released from servitude. |
| Isa 49:6 | "I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." | The broader purpose of God's people's location. |
| Lk 2:38 | ...and coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. | Expectation of God's promised deliverance. |
| 2 Cor 6:17-18 | Therefore "come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord..." | Call to separate from ungodly environments. |
| Rev 21:2-3 | And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man..." | The ultimate 'home' for God's people. |
Genesis 30 verses
Genesis 30 25 Meaning
Genesis 30:25 marks a turning point in Jacob's life in Laban's household. After fourteen years of serving Laban for his wives, Leah and Rachel, and the birth of his eleventh son, Joseph, Jacob felt it was time to fulfill his divine call. The birth of Joseph, specifically to Rachel, Jacob's beloved, served as a catalyst, prompting Jacob to declare his intent to return to his "own place" and "country" – the Promised Land, as God had covenanted with him and his forefathers.
Genesis 30 25 Context
Genesis 30:25 occurs immediately following the birth of Joseph, Rachel's first child. For twenty years, Jacob had been residing in Paddan-Aram under Laban, his maternal uncle, enduring deceptive and demanding servitude (Gen 31:41). He had worked for fourteen years to earn his two wives, Leah and Rachel, as well as Bilhah and Zilpah, who also bore him children. Joseph's birth completed the cycle of births for eleven of Jacob's sons and his only daughter, Dinah (Benjamin would be born later). The previous chapters highlighted Jacob's cunning and Laban's trickery concerning Jacob's wives and his wages. With a substantial family and newly acquired wealth from God's blessing on his flocks (despite Laban's attempts to exploit him), Jacob's readiness and divine prompting converged for his departure back to Canaan, his inherited land, and a reunion with his own kin, particularly Esau, whom he feared.
Genesis 30 25 Word analysis
- And it came to pass (וַיְהִי, vayhi): This Hebrew idiom introduces a significant narrative development or transition. It signals that what follows is an important event in the ongoing story.
- when Rachel had borne Joseph (בְּלֶדֶת רָחֵל אֶת־יוֹסֵף, b'le·det Ra·chel et-Yo·sef): This clause pinpoints the precise moment or trigger for Jacob's request. The focus on Rachel is significant because she was Jacob's beloved wife, previously barren, and Joseph was a long-awaited son.
- Rachel (רָחֵל, Rachel): Jacob's favored wife, the daughter of Laban. Her barrenness had been a source of distress, and her giving birth marked a completion of Jacob's immediate family, strengthening his sense of divine favor.
- Joseph (יוֹסֵף, Yosef): The name means "he adds" or "he gathers/removes." Rachel's naming reflects her prayer for another son ("May the LORD add to me another son") and her acknowledgment of God taking away her reproach (Gen 30:24). For Jacob, Joseph's birth by Rachel may have represented a culmination, giving him the confidence or sense of divine timing to leave.
- that Jacob said (וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב, vayyo'mer Ya'akov): This indicates Jacob taking initiative. Throughout much of his time with Laban, Jacob was in a subservient position, reacting to Laban's dictates. Here, Jacob directly addresses Laban, signaling a shift in dynamics and Jacob's newfound resolve.
- to Laban (אֶל־לָבָן, 'el-La·van): The dialogue partner. Laban represents the entanglement and exploitation Jacob has endured, making the request for departure a challenging but necessary confrontation.
- Send me away (שַׁלְּחֵנִי, shal·le·cheni): An imperative verb meaning "send me," "let me go," or "dismiss me." It implies that Jacob cannot simply leave; he requires Laban's permission or release, highlighting the power dynamic. This request is direct and firm.
- that I may go (וְאֵלֵכָה, ve'e·le·khah): This indicates the purpose of his release. Jacob's intention is not vague; he knows exactly where he intends to go.
- to mine own place (אֶל־מְקוֹמִי, 'el-me·qo·mi): This phrase points to a specific destination that is uniquely Jacob's. It contrasts with Laban's "place" and refers not just to a physical location, but perhaps the "place" or status God ordained for him within the covenant.
- and to my country (וּלְאַרְצִי, u'l'ar·tzi): This specifies the "place" further. "Country" (אֶרֶץ, eretz) unmistakably refers to the land of Canaan, the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This explicitly links Jacob's desire to the ancestral promises and his heritage.
Words-group analysis:
- "When Rachel had borne Joseph": This phrase functions as a significant narrative pivot. Joseph's birth is presented as the culmination or key event that empowers Jacob to seek his return. Theologically, it highlights God's sovereignty in orchestrating events (even delays in childbirth) to serve His divine timeline for Jacob's spiritual and physical readiness for the next stage of the covenant story in Canaan.
- "Jacob said to Laban, Send me away": This represents Jacob's decisive break from his subservience and years of difficult service. It marks an act of faith and reliance on God, knowing that returning to Canaan would involve facing his brother Esau. The choice is Jacob's initiative, but implicitly enabled by divine grace.
- "to mine own place, and to my country": These phrases underscore Jacob's profound longing not just for any location, but for his rightful heritage. This yearning reflects the Abrahamic covenant promises, signifying a return to divine destiny rather than mere personal preference. It highlights themes of identity, belonging, and the inheritance God had specifically promised.
Genesis 30 25 Bonus section
The Hebrew word for "send me away" (שַׁלַּח, shalach) is often used in the context of releasing slaves or dependents. This choice of word highlights Jacob's practical subservience to Laban despite his accumulated wealth. His reliance on Laban's permission points to a master-servant dynamic that had endured for two decades, setting the stage for the negotiation of his departure in the following verses (Gen 30:27-31). Joseph's birth represents not only the completion of Jacob's household of eleven sons (Benjamin yet to come), but also signifies God "adding" blessing and direction, transforming Jacob's desire for personal reunion with his family into a faith-driven step toward the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.
Genesis 30 25 Commentary
Genesis 30:25 marks a strategic turning point in Jacob's narrative, catalyzed by Joseph's birth to Rachel. After a period of 14 years serving for his wives, Joseph’s arrival appears to have served as the divine signal for Jacob to act on God's prior directive to return (though not explicitly stated until Gen 31:3, Jacob’s conviction is evident here). This request to Laban indicates a shift in Jacob's disposition, from passively enduring Laban's exploitations to proactively seeking his own divinely appointed destiny. The repeated emphasis on "mine own place" and "my country" signifies a deep yearning for the covenant land of Canaan, reflecting a return to his family heritage and the unfolding of God's promises made at Bethel (Gen 28:15). This moment also highlights that Jacob's status under Laban was still that of a servant who required permission to leave, emphasizing Laban's continued, though weakening, control. It underscores the spiritual journey of the patriarchs—their temporary sojourns in foreign lands were always leading back to the Promised Land where God's ultimate plan would be realized.