Honoring the Lord Alone. Genesis 30:17-24

May the mumbling commence!

Sometimes we must give up the search for human love and look simply for someone to honor us.  It’s sad but true.  Sometimes we must try, try again.  Eventually we will find success when we least expect it.  Read from Peterson’s The Message:

            God listened to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a fifth son.  She said, “God rewarded me for giving my maid to my husband.”  She named him Issachar (Bartered). Leah became pregnant yet again and gave Jacob a sixth son, saying, “God has given me a great gift.  This time my husband will honor me with gifts – I’ve given him six sons!”  She named him Zebulun (Honor).  Last of all she had a daughter and named her Dinah.

            And then God remembered Rachel.  God listened to her and opened her womb.  She became pregnant and had a son.  She said, “God has taken away my humiliation.”  She named him Joseph (Add), praying, “May God add yet another son to me.”  (Genesis 17-24)

Now read the same passage from the NIV translation:

God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.  Then Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband." So she named him Issachar. 

Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son.  Then Leah said, "God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. 

Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah. 

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb.  She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, "God has taken away my disgrace."  She named him Joseph, and said, "May the Lord add to me another son."  (Genesis 30:17-24)

I’ve only a couple of issues with Peterson’s work in this particular passage.  First, there’s the addition of the idea of honoring with gifts.  I do not understand the need for adding that phrase.

I also take issue with Peterson’s use of humiliation.  Yes, the human circumstances must have been humiliating for Rachel as she saw her sister produce six sons while she had none.  But the greater underlying theme is the grace that comes from the Lord.  The use of God’s personal name for the first time by Rachel shows the grace has been given.  That’s why I strongly prefer the adjective disgrace.

Other than those two things, I have no issues with Peterson’s work in this passage.  In fact, I like how he inserts the meaning of the names of the children in parentheses (except for the lone daughter).  Though Leah thinks she’s rewarded for giving her maid to Jacob, she names the child “Bartered”.  That name harkens back to the barter she did with her sister Rachel instead.

God rewarded Leah for not trusting in the potency of the mandrakes.  Leah had three more children before Rachel had her first.  That’s a total of seven children.  Seven is a complete number.  Whether or not Jacob honored Leah, God did.

After the mandrake incident, Rachel had to wait several more years before her first son was born.  God had finally listened to her prayers and graced her with Joseph.  Then Rachel finally embraced God as her personal Lord.  That’s significant.  It’s the first time in a while – in this struggle – that the personal name of the Lord is mentioned.  

And we will see as the story continues to unfold the troubles that Rachel has with attaching herself to the Lord only.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out