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Genesis 35:17 Commentaries: When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, "Do not fear, for now you have another son."
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thou shalt have this son also.</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/35.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/genesis/35.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/genesis/35.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/genesis/35.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/genesis/35.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/genesis/35.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/genesis/35.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/genesis/35.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/genesis/35.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a href="/commentaries/edt/genesis/35.htm" title="Expositor's Dictionary">Exp Dct</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gaebelein/genesis/35.htm" title="Gaebelein's Annotated Bible">Gaebelein</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gsb/genesis/35.htm" title="Geneva Study Bible">GSB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gill/genesis/35.htm" title="Gill's Bible Exposition">Gill</a> • <a href="/commentaries/gray/genesis/35.htm" title="Gray's Concise">Gray</a> • <a href="/commentaries/guzik/genesis/35.htm" title="Guzik Bible Commentary">Guzik</a> • <a href="/commentaries/haydock/genesis/35.htm" title="Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary">Haydock</a> • <a href="/commentaries/hastings/genesis/32-24.htm" title="Hastings Great Texts">Hastings</a> • <a href="/commentaries/homiletics/genesis/35.htm" title="Pulpit Homiletics">Homiletics</a> • <a href="/commentaries/jfb/genesis/35.htm" title="Jamieson-Fausset-Brown">JFB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/kad/genesis/35.htm" title="Keil and Delitzsch OT">KD</a> • <a href="/commentaries/king-en/genesis/35.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/genesis/35.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/genesis/35.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/35.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/genesis/35.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/genesis/35.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/35.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/35.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/genesis/35.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/genesis/35.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/genesis/35.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/genesis/35.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/35.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>35:16-20 Rachel had passionately said, Give me children, or else I die; and now that she had children, she died! The death of the body is but the departure of the soul to the world of spirits. When shall we learn that it is God alone who really knows what is best for his people, and that in all worldly affairs the safest path for the Christian is to say from the heart, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good. Here alone is our safety and our comfort, to know no will but his. Her dying lips called her newborn son Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow; and many a son proves to be the heaviness of her that bare him. Children are enough the sorrow of their mothers; they should, therefore, when they grow up, study to be their joy, and so, if possible, to make them some amends. But Jacob, because he would not renew the sorrowful remembrance of the mother's death every time he called his son, changed his name to Benjamin, the son of my right hand: that is, very dear to me; the support of my age, like the staff in my right hand.<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/35.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>God appears to Jacob again at Bethel, and renews the promise made to him there <a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/28-13.htm">Genesis 28:13-14</a>. Again. The writer here refers to the former meeting of God with Jacob at Bethel, and thereby proves himself cognizant of the fact, and of the record already made of it. "When he went out of Padan-aram." This corroborates the explanation of the clause, <a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/35-6.htm">Genesis 35:6</a>, "which is in the land of Kenaan." Bethel was the last point in this land that was noticed in his flight from Esau. His arrival at the same point indicates that he has now returned from Padan-aram to the land of Kenaan. "He called his name Israel." At Bethel he renews the change of name, to indicate that the meetings here were of equal moment in Jacob's spiritual life with that at Penuel. It implies also that this life had been declining in the interval between Penuel and Bethel, and had now been revived by the call of God to go to Bethel, and by the interview.<p>The renewal of the naming aptly expresses this renewal of spiritual life. "I am God Almighty." So he proclaimed himself before to Abraham <a href="/genesis/17-1.htm">Genesis 17:1</a>. "Be fruitful, and multiply." Abraham and Isaac had each only one son of promise. But now the time of increase is come. Jacob has been blessed with eleven sons, and at least one daughter. And now he receives the long-promised blessing, "be fruitful and multiply." From this time forth the multiplication of Israel is rapid. In twenty-six years after this time he goes down into Egypt with seventy souls, besides the wives of his married descendants, and two hundred and ten years after that Israel goes out of Egypt numbering about one million eight hundred thousand. "A nation and a congregation of nations," such as were then known in the world, had at the last date come of him, and "kings" were to follow in due time. The land, as well as the seed, is again promised.<p>Jacob now, according to his wont, perpetuates the scene of divine manifestation with a monumental stone. "God went up;" as he went up from Abraham <a href="/genesis/17-22.htm">Genesis 17:22</a> after a similar conferencc with him. He had now spoken to Jacob face to face, as he communed with Abraham. "A pillar" in the place where he talked with him, a consecrated monument of this second interview, not in a dream as before, but in a waking vision. On this he pours a drink-offering of wine, and then anoints it with oil. Here, for the first time, we meet with the libation. It is possible there was such an offering when Melkizedec brought forth bread and wine, though it is not recorded. The drink-offering is the complement of the meat-offering, and both are accompaniments of the sacrifice which is offered on the altar. They are in themselves expressive of gratitude and devotion. Wine and oil are used to denote the quickening and sanctifying power of the Spirit of God. "Bethel." We are now familiar with the repetition of the naming of persons and places. This place was already called Bethel by Jacob himself; it is most likely that Abraham applied this name to it: and for aught we know, some servant of the true God, under the Noachic covenant, may have originated the name.<a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/genesis/35.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>Ge 35:16-27. Birth of Benjamin—Death of Rachel, &c.<p>16. And they journeyed from Beth-el—There can be no doubt that much enjoyment was experienced at Beth-el, and that in the religious observances solemnized, as well as in the vivid recollections of the glorious vision seen there, the affections of the patriarch were powerfully animated and that he left the place a better and more devoted servant of God. When the solemnities were over, Jacob, with his family, pursued a route directly southward, and they reached Ephrath, when they were plunged into mourning by the death of Rachel, who sank in childbirth, leaving a posthumous son [Ge 35:18]. A very affecting death, considering how ardently the mind of Rachel had been set on offspring (compare Ge 30:1).<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/35.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> No text from Poole on this verse. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/genesis/35.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,.... In the midst of it, and at the worst: <p>that the midwife said unto her, fear not; for Rachel big with child, it was necessary to take a midwife with them in the journey; and perhaps this might be one that was always kept in the family, and had been assisting to all Jacob's wives and concubines at their labours; and this seems probable from what follows, since she not only bids her be of good courage, and not fear, comforting her under her pains, giving her hopes they would soon be over, and that she would have a safe delivery, and do well: but this she assures her of: <p>thou shalt have this son also; as she had one before, at whose birth she said, "the Lord shall add to me another son"; and therefore called his name Joseph, <a href="/genesis/30-24.htm">Genesis 30:24</a>; this the midwife remembered, and endeavours to comfort her with the accomplishment of it. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/genesis/35.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/genesis/35.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">17</span>. <span class="ital">another son</span>] Lit. “for this also is a son for thee.” Perhaps the reference is to Rachel’s prayer (<a href="/genesis/30-24.htm" title="And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.">Genesis 30:24</a>), “the Lord add to me another son,” when Joseph was born.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/35.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 17.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor</span> (literally, <span class="accented">in her laboring hard in her parturition</span>)<span class="accented">, <span class="cmt_word"></span>that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also</span> - literally, <span class="accented">for also this to thee a son</span>; meaning either that she would certainly have strength to bring forth another son, or, what is more probable, that the child was already born, and that it was a son. Genesis 35:17<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/genesis/35.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>Birth of Benjamin and Death of Rachel. - Jacob's departure from Bethel was not in opposition to the divine command, "dwell there" (<a href="/genesis/35-1.htm">Genesis 35:1</a>). For the word שׁב does not enjoin a permanent abode; but, when taken in connection with what follows, "make there an altar," it merely directs him to stay there and perform his vow. As they were travelling forward, Rachel was taken in labour not far from Ephratah. הארץ כּברת is a space, answering probably to the Persian parassang, though the real meaning of כּברה is unknown. The birth was a difficult one. בּלדתּהּ תּקשׁ: she had difficulty in her labour (instead of Piel we find Hiphil in <a href="/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17</a> with the same signification). The midwife comforted her by saying: "Fear not, for this also is to thee a son," - a wish expressed by her when Joseph was born (<a href="/genesis/30-24.htm">Genesis 30:24</a>). But she expired; and as she was dying, she called him Been-oni, "son of my pain." Jacob, however, called him Ben-jamin, probably son of good fortune, according to the meaning of the word jamin sustained by the Arabic, to indicate that his pain at the loss of his favourite wife was compensated by the birth of this son, who now completed the number twelve. Other explanations are less simple. He buried Rachel on the road to Ephratah, or Ephrath (probably the fertile, from פּרה), i.e., Bethlehem (bread-house), by which name it is better known, though the origin of it is obscure. He also erected a monument over her grave (מצּבה, στήλη), on which the historian observes, "This is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day:" a remark which does not necessarily point to a post-Mosaic period, but which could easily have been made even 10 or 20 years after its erection. For the fact that a grave-stone had been preserved upon the high road in a foreign land, the inhabitants of which had no interest whatever in it, might appear worthy of notice even though only a single decennary had passed away.<p>(Note: But even if this Mazzebah was really preserved till the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites, i.e., more than 450 years, and the remark referred to that time, it might be an interpolation by a later hand. The grave was certainly a well-known spot in Samuel's time (<a href="/1_samuel/10-2.htm">1 Samuel 10:2</a>); but a monumentum ubi Rachel posita est uxor Jacob is first mentioned again by the Bordeaux pilgrims of a.d. 333 and Jerome. The Kubbet Rahil (Rachel's grave), which is now shown about half an hour's journey to the north of Bethlehem, to the right of the road from Jerusalem to Hebron, is merely "an ordinary Muslim wely, or tomb of a holy person, a small square building of stone with a dome, and within it a tomb in the ordinary Mohammedan form" (Rob. Pal. 1, p. 322). It has been recently enlarged by a square court with high walls and arches on the eastern side (Rob. Bibl. Researches. p. 357). Now although this grave is not ancient, the correctness of the tradition, which fixes upon this as the site of Rachel's grave, cannot on the whole be disputed. At any rate, the reasons assigned to the contrary by Thenius, Kurtz, and others are not conclusive.) <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/genesis/35-17.htm">Genesis 35:17 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-ATF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-300x250-ATF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-BTF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-300x250-BTF --> <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br /> <!-- /1078254/BH-728x90-BTF2 --> <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../genesis/35-16.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Genesis 35:16"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Genesis 35:16" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../genesis/35-18.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Genesis 35:18"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Genesis 35:18" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>