Jacob employed selective breeding strategies with Laban's cattle and flocks in order to increase his own herds. He used visual cues and separated the stronger specimens for breeding to concentrate desirable traits. As a result, Jacob's herds greatly increased in number while Laban's decreased, allowing Jacob to acquire significant wealth before leaving Padan Aram.

1. An expositional study taught by
Harry Morgan

2. For those of you online post your comments or questions
in the “comment section” on your screen. As time
affords they may be read to the class.

3. Chapters Chapters
Birth of Sons 25, Jacob and Esau 35, Benjamin
Relations with the People of the Land 26, Isaac in Gerar 34, Jacob in Shechem
Alienation & Reconciliation with Esau 27:1-28:9 33
Jacob Meets with God 28:10-22 32
Jacob comes to, & departs from 29:1-14 31
Padan-Aram & Laban
Each out bargains the other 29:15-30, for wives 30:25-43, for flocks
The birth of Jacob’s Children 29:31-30:24
The Chiasm of Jacob’s Life
H. Van Dyke Parunak (2003) www.cyber-chapel.org
The balance of chapter 30, like 29:15-30, deals with commercial
transactions between Jacob and Laban.

4. http://britishbibleschool.com/biblos/abraham-isaac-and-jacob-a-chronology
1. When do the events of Genesis 30 occur in
the chronology of the patriarchs?

5. 2. What was Rachel’s reaction to the births of
Leah’s 4 sons?
‫ק‬ָ‫נ‬ָ‫א‬ (qā·nāʾ) = be jealous, be envious, i.e.,
have a feeling of ill will ranging even to
anger, based on a perceived advantage, or
a desire for exclusivity in relationship

6. 3. Who did Rachel blame for her barrenness?
• Children were considered a blessing
from the Lord (Psa. 127:3-5).
• Barrenness was considered a curse.
30:22–23 Then God remembered Rachel, and God
listened to her and opened her womb. 23 And she
conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken
away my reproach.”

7. 4. What did Rachel threaten would happen?
‫מ‬‫וּ‬‫ת‬ (mûṯ) = die, be dead
35:16–18 …Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard
labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor,
that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; you will have
this son also.” 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing
(for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his
father called him Benjamin.

8. 5. How did Jacob respond to Rachel?
‫א‬ַ‫ף‬
Psalm 68:6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings
out those who are bound into prosperity…
(ʾǎp̄ ) = nostril

9. 6. What did Rachel propose as a solution to
her barrenness?
‫בּ‬ִ‫ל‬ְ‫ה‬ָ‫ה‬ (bil·hāh) = 10x sudden terror, horrible end; in
some contexts a horrible end refers to death or
simplicity or modesty or to be without concern

10. 7. What was the name of Bilhah’s first son?
‫דּ‬ָ‫ן‬ (dān) = judge

11. (n‫آ‬6∙phtā∙lî) =
wrestling; my struggle
8. What was the name of Bilhah’s second son?
‫נ‬ַ‫פ‬ְ‫תּ‬ָ‫ל‬ִ‫י‬
49:21 “Naphtali is a deer let
loose; he uses beautiful words.

12. (zil·pāh) = short
nosed person
9. What was Leah’s response to the births of
Bilhah’s sons?
‫ז‬ִ‫ל‬ְ‫פּ‬ָ‫ה‬

13. 10. What were the names of Zilpah’s sons?
‫גּ‬ָ‫ד‬ (gāḏ) = fortune ‫א‬ָ‫שׁ‬ֵ‫ר‬ (ʾā·šēr) = happy one

14. 11. What did Reuben discover in the field?
• Reuben, Leah’s firstborn, may have been 5–12 yrs. old.
• The wheat harvest is in May or September.

15. 12. Why was Rachel determined to acquire
the mandrakes?

16. Song of Solomon 7:13 The mandrakes (dudaʾim)
give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant
fruits, all manner, new and old, which i have laid
up for you, my beloved (dodi).
“love-plants“
“love-apple“
Arabs call it “Satan's apple”
Mandrake plant believed to be
an aphrodisiac and/or fertility
aid, a plant of the Atropa or
Mandragora plant families.
13. What are mandrakes?

17. You may know the plant from Harry Po=er and the Chamber
of Secrets as the one with the anthropomorphic stalk that
emits a lethal shriek when you uproot it. But the mandrake
has a centuries-old history as one of the most important
and powerful plants in witchcra_, sorcery, and herbal
medicine.
Mandrakes & Harry Potter

18. Mandrakes & Cartoons
"Some people say
Mandrake the Magician,
who started in 1934,
was comics' first
superhero."

19. Erik Jan Hanussen, a famous astrologer, hypnotist, and occultist told Hitler in the
autumn of 1932 that his horoscope showed that he had been cursed. To remove
this curse, Hanussen said that it was necessary for someone to travel to Hitler's
hometown and take a mandrake root from a butcher's back yard.
Mandrakes & Hitler

20. 14. What irony do you find in Leah’s accusation
that Rachel had “taken” her husband?

21. 15. What bargain did Leah and Rachel make?
in
exchange
for

22. 16. What did Leah do with the mandrakes?
Exodus 21:10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish
her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.
1 Corinthians 7:3–4 Let the husband render to his wife the
affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but
the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have
authority over his own body, but the wife does.

23. 17. What part did the mandrakes have in
Leah’s pregnancy?
1. God, not the mandrakes gave Leah another son.
2. Leah and Jacob’s rela:onship improved.
Psalm 113:9 He grants the barren
woman a home, like a joyful mother
of children. Praise the LORD!

24. 18. What was Leah’s fifth son’s name and
what is the meaning of his name?
‫י‬ִ‫שּׂ‬ָ‫שׂ‬‫כ‬ָ‫ר‬ (yiś·śāś·ḵār) =
he will bring a reward

25. 19. What was Leah’s sixth son’s name and
what is the meaning of his name?
‫ז‬ְ‫ב‬‫וּ‬‫ל‬‫וּ‬‫ן‬ (zeḇû·lûn) = honor

26. 20. What was Leah’s seventh child’s name and
what is the meaning of her name?
‫דּ‬ִ‫י‬‫נ‬ָ‫ה‬ (dî·nāh) = judgment or stand,
make stand
Genesis 34

27. 21. What did God do when He turned His
attention to Rachel?
‫ז‬ָ‫כ‬ַ‫ר‬ (zā·ḵǎr) = remember, i.e., to recall information
or events
‫שׁ‬ָ‫מ‬ַ‫ע‬ (šā·mǎʿ) = listen, hear
‫פּ‬ָ‫ת‬ַ‫ח‬ (pā·ṯǎḥ) = open

28. 22. What happened to Rachel when God
turned His attention to her?
‫ח‬ֶ‫ְר‬‫פּ‬ָ‫ה‬ (ḥěr·pāh) = reproach, disgrace, contempt,
i.e., the state of dishonor and low status

29. 23. What was Rachel’s son’s name and the
meaning of his name?
‫י‬‫וֹ‬‫ס‬ֵ‫ף‬ (yô·sēp̄ ) = he will add

30. 24. How does this son’s name and Rachel’s
explanaPon for giving him this name
evidence her faith?

31. The Gospel in the Names of Jacob’s Sons
Name Meaning of the Name
Reuben “behold a son”
Simeon “hearing”
Levi “joined”
Judah “praise YHVH”
Dan “judgment”
Naphtali “wrestling”
Gad “troop or company”
Asher “happy”
Issachar “hire”
Zebulun “dwelling, exalt & honor”
Joseph “adding”
Benjamin “son of my right hand”

32. Behold or see the Son for YHVH has looked
upon my affliction. YHVH has heard that I was
unloved, and now will be joined to me. I will
praise YHVH. Elohim has judged my case.
With great wrestlings have I wrestled, a troop
comes, I am happy, and I will be called
blessed. Elohim has given me my wages.
Elohim has endowed me with a good gift, and
now will dwell with me. Elohim has taken
away my reproach and He shall add to me
another Son who will be Son of His right hand.
When the scriptural meanings attached to the names of
Jacob’s 12 sons are combined, the following (Gospel)
message is revealed:

33. 25. What prompted Jacob to make a formal
request of his uncle Laban?
Births that changed Lives &
the course of History:
Jacob & birth of Joseph
Enoch & birth of Methuselah
Herod & birth of Jesus

34. 26. What was Jacob’s request?
• A formal request of release from indentured service
(Deut. 15:12-13)
• “…to my country” – Literally “my place and my land”
• “Let me go” (Gen. 32:26)

35. 27. What was Laban’s response?

36. 28. What was Laban’s educational “experience”?
‫נ‬ָ‫ח‬ַ‫שׁ‬ (nā·ḥǎš) = learned through divinaFon

37. 29. How did Jacob respond to Laban’s offer?
1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone
does not provide for his own,
and especially for those of his
household, he has denied the
faith and is worse than an
unbeliever.

38. 30. What was the agreement that Jacob and
Laban reached?

39. 31. What “thing” did Jacob require of Laban?

40. 32. What was the basis of Jacob’s contract
with Laban?
‫צ‬ְ‫ד‬ָ‫ק‬ָ‫ה‬ (ṣeḏā·qāh) = rightness
righteousness, justice,

41. 33. How did Jacob plan to profit with the
contract he made with Laban?
1. Jacob proposes his wages will be the black animals
among the sheep and the variegated animals
among the goats (32–33).
2. Laban accepts the proposal, separates out the
designated animals from his herd for himself, and
transfers them to the supervision of his sons (34–
35).
3. Jacob employs visual aids to increase the
variegated goats (36–39) and black sheep (40) for
himself.
4. Jacob crossbreeds the strongest specimens of his
stock (41–42).

42. 34. How did Laban violate the agreement?

43. 35. What precauPon did Laban take in
separaPng Jacob’s flocks from his own?

44. 36. How did Jacob employ visual aids with the
cattle and flocks?

45. 37. Did Jacob’s visual aids work?

46. 38. How did Jacob use breed selection?

47. 39. How did Jacob use cross-breeding to his
advantage?

48. 40. Did Jacob’s breed selection and cross-
breeding work for him?
‫פּ‬ָ‫ר‬ַ‫ץ‬ (pā·rǎṣ) = increase, i.e., have a larger number of
a quanCty of a collecCon or mass as an extension
of the linear spreading out of herds and flocks,
implying prosperity
Genesis 28:14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust
of the earth; you shall spread (pā·rǎṣ) abroad to the west
and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in
your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

49. 41. Is there a scientific explanation for why
Jacob’s strategy worked?
Gregor Mendel
Law of Segregation
Law of Independent Assortment

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