Genesis 30:38 kjv

And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

Genesis 30:38 nkjv

And the rods which he had peeled, he set before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, so that they should conceive when they came to drink.

Genesis 30:38 niv

Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink,

Genesis 30:38 esv

He set the sticks that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink,

Genesis 30:38 nlt

Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated.

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 38 Meaning

Genesis 30:38 describes Jacob's specific action of placing peeled rods in the watering troughs before the ewes as they came to drink. This was part of his strategy, prompted by a divinely guided inspiration, to increase his portion of the flock—specifically, the streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring—as stipulated in his renewed agreement with Laban. From a human perspective, Jacob was utilizing a common ancient Near Eastern folk belief about prenatal influence; however, the subsequent biblical narrative clarifies that this prosperity was fundamentally a direct result of God's supernatural intervention and blessing upon Jacob.

Genesis 30 38 Context

Genesis chapter 30 primarily details Jacob's continued service to Laban and his efforts to build his own household and wealth. After fourteen years of working for his wives, Rachel and Leah, Jacob sought to return to his own land (Gen 30:25-26). However, Laban, having experienced great prosperity because of Jacob's presence (Gen 30:27), persuaded Jacob to stay by offering him a unique wage arrangement: Jacob would take all the speckled, spotted, and streaked animals from the flock as his pay (Gen 30:31-33). Laban immediately took steps to prevent Jacob from accumulating many such animals, removing those already marked from the main flock (Gen 30:35-36), effectively creating an initial flock of entirely solid-colored animals for Jacob to work with.

In response to Laban's manipulative actions, and guided by a deeper divine plan, Jacob devised a strategy detailed in this verse. His actions here were performed under a patriarchal covenant with God, and God intended to bless Jacob and make him prosperous, despite Laban's treachery. This specific verse describes a key practical step in Jacob's ingenious, yet ultimately God-ordained, method for increasing his livestock, demonstrating God's providence and faithfulness to His servant.

Genesis 30 38 Word analysis

• And he set (וַיַּצֵּב֙ - wayyaṣṣēḇ): From the verb נָצַב (natzav), meaning to stand, set up, or cause to stand. It denotes intentional, decisive action. Jacob actively positioned the rods. This wasn't a passive act but a purposeful, well-thought-out arrangement on his part.
• the rods (אֶת־הַמַּקְלוֹת֙ - ’eṯ-hammaqəlôṯ): מַקְלוֹת (maqelot) is the plural of מַקֵּל (maqel), meaning staff, stick, or rod. These were freshly cut branches from poplars, almond, and plane trees, mentioned in Gen 30:37. In biblical tradition, rods can symbolize authority, divine instrument, or, as here, a tool in human endeavors, whose effectiveness is ultimately subject to God's will.
• which he had peeled (אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּצֵּ֔ל - ’ăšer piṣṣēl): פִּצֵּל (pitsel) means to peel, strip, or cut grooves. Jacob stripped off strips of bark to reveal the white wood beneath, creating rings and streaks of various colors on the rods. This action connects directly to the desired outcome: streaked, speckled, and spotted animals. This visual technique was linked to ancient, often superstitious, beliefs about sympathetic magic or influencing offspring characteristics through visual stimuli experienced by the parents during conception.
• before (לְנֹ֖כַח - lənoḵaḥ): This preposition means opposite, in front of, or facing. It emphasizes the direct visual access of the flocks to the peeled rods. The arrangement was designed so the rods would be clearly seen by the ewes.
• the flocks (הַצֹּֽאן׃ - haṣṣō’n): Refers to the sheep and goats, the very animals whose reproductive outcomes were the subject of Jacob's method and God's intervention.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And he set the rods which he had peeled": This phrase emphasizes Jacob's initiative and deliberate, laborious effort. He wasn't idle; he actively prepared the tools he believed would aid in his prosperity. The action of "peeling" creates a striking visual, crucial for the human rationale behind the plan.
• "before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs": This precise placement highlights Jacob's detailed observation of the flock's behavior and the opportune moment for the "sympathetic magic" to occur. Watering troughs (שִׁקְתוֹת, shiqətōt) were central gathering places, and "gutters" (רְהָטִים, rehāṭim) likely refers to channels or small troughs for water to flow, ensuring proximity to the water source. The repetition of "in" or "where" (בְּ, אֲשֶׁר) stresses the exact location, maximizing the exposure of the ewes to the visual stimuli while they were most affected or impressionable.
• "where the flocks came to drink, over against the flocks": This detail further solidifies the strategy. It specifically identifies the critical moment and positioning. Ewes were considered most impressionable during the intense process of mating, which often occurred after drinking water. The phrase "over against the flocks" (לְנֹכַח הַצֹּֽאן) powerfully reiterates the direct visual confrontation. From a human standpoint, this visual impact was thought to imprint itself upon the animals, influencing the genetic makeup of their offspring. However, as revealed in Gen 31:10-12, God Himself clarified to Jacob in a dream that it was His doing to ensure the desired markings, regardless of Jacob's precise actions with the rods. This implies that while Jacob employed a common human technique of his day, the success of the plan was solely by divine design, turning a seemingly superstitious act into a conduit for God's blessing. This narrative subtly challenges the absolute power attributed to sympathetic magic by confirming God's ultimate sovereignty.

Genesis 30 38 Bonus section

The account of Jacob's breeding strategy serves as a subtle polemic against the efficacy of divination and magic independent of God's will. While Jacob uses a method commonly associated with ancient Near Eastern sympathetic magic, the Bible's explanation in Gen 31:10-12 reattributes the success from human or magical influence to God's direct divine intervention. This narrative demonstrates that what might appear as clever human manipulation or adherence to folk beliefs is, in fact, an unfolding of God's sovereign plan to bless His chosen servant and restore justice. This principle reassures believers that their success comes not from adherence to superstitious practices but from God's favor, faithfulness, and His commitment to His promises, often working through diligent, albeit imperfect, human efforts.

Genesis 30 38 Commentary

Genesis 30:38 captures a pivotal moment in Jacob's strategic dealings with Laban, portraying his practical steps in conjunction with ancient beliefs about animal breeding. From a naturalistic human viewpoint, Jacob employed a method rooted in what we might call sympathetic magic or environmental influence, believing that the sight of streaked and spotted rods during mating or conception would somehow induce similar markings in the offspring. This reflects common understandings of the natural world in that era, where observable patterns, however disconnected, might be linked.

However, the divine perspective presented later in Genesis 31 is paramount for a complete biblical understanding. God explicitly reveals to Jacob in a dream (Gen 31:10-12) that He Himself engineered the outcome, causing the stronger animals to conceive streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring. Jacob's actions with the rods, therefore, become a demonstration of his diligent effort and his willingness to use his ingenuity, which God sovereignly chose to bless and work through. It illustrates God's ability to use human means, even those born of folk wisdom, to fulfill His divine purpose and uphold His covenant promises, particularly in delivering justice to Jacob who had been defrauded by Laban (Gen 31:7).

This verse also implicitly underscores God's sovereignty over natural processes and human endeavors. It is not the rods themselves, nor the "magic" of sympathetic influence, that produces the results, but God working behind the scenes. Jacob's labor and peculiar method are acknowledged, but the success is unequivocally attributed to God's hand. It serves as an example of God blessing His servant by enabling him to prosper against oppression, reminding believers that divine provision often comes through the diligent and wise application of the resources at hand, all while acknowledging God as the ultimate provider and orchestrator.