Genesis 30

Genesis 30 focuses on the competition between Jacob's wives (Rachel and Leah) to bear children and Jacob's growing prosperity while working for his father-in-law Laban. The chapter begins with Rachel's desperation over her barrenness while her sister Leah had already borne four sons. In her envy, Rachel gave Jacob her maidservant Bilhah as a concubine to bear children "upon my knees" (a cultural practice in which the children were legally considered Rachel's). Bilhah bore two sons: Dan and Naphtali. Not to be outdone, Leah (who had temporarily stopped bearing children) gave Jacob her maidservant Zilpah, who bore Gad and Asher. Later, Leah traded mandrakes (plants believed to help with fertility) that her son Reuben found to Rachel in exchange for a night with Jacob. Leah bore two more sons (Issachar and Zebulun) and a daughter named Dinah. Finally, God "remembered" Rachel and opened her womb. She bore Joseph and expressed hope for another son. Jacob negotiated with Laban to begin building his own flocks. They agreed that Jacob could keep all the speckled, spotted, and dark-colored animals as his wages. Jacob then used a breeding technique entailing peeled branches to produce strong, streaked animals for himself while the weaker ones went to Laban. Through this strategy, Jacob grew "exceedingly" prosperous with large flocks and many servants.