Matthew Henry Commentary Genesis 30:1-13

"And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob`s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God`s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel`s handmaid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah`s handmaid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said, Fortunate! and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah`s handmaid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: and she called his name Asher." — Genesis 30:1-13 (ASV)

Rachel envied her sister: envy is grieving at the good of another—a sin than which none is more hateful to God, or more hurtful to our neighbors and ourselves. She did not consider that God made the difference, and that in other things she had the advantage. Let us carefully watch against all the stirrings and workings of this passion in our minds. Let not our eye be evil toward any of our fellow servants, because our Master is good.

Jacob loved Rachel, and therefore reproved her for what she said that was wrong. Faithful reproofs show true affection. God can be to us all that any creature is; but it is sin and folly to put any creature in God's place, and to place that confidence in any creature which should be placed in God alone. At Rachel's persuasion, Jacob took Bilhah, her handmaid, as his wife, so that, according to the custom of those times, her children might be recognized as her mistress's children.

If Rachel's heart had not been influenced by evil passions, she would have thought her sister's children closer to her, and more entitled to her care, than Bilhah's. But children whom she had a right to rule were more desirable to her than children she had more reason to love. As an early instance of her power over these children, she takes pleasure in giving them names that bear marks of her rivalry with her sister.

See what roots of bitterness envy and strife are, and what mischief they cause among relatives. At Leah's persuasion, Jacob also took Zilpah, her handmaid, as his wife. See the power of jealousy and rivalry, and admire the wisdom of the divine appointment, which joins together one man and one woman only; for God has called us to peace and purity.