• Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 30:1-43
• Prophets (P): 1 Samuel 1:1-11
• Apostolic (A): Romans 11:1-36
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 28:11 – 29:12

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Psalms 127:3-5 (T)
• Genesis 16:1-4 (T)
• Genesis 25:21 (T)
• Proverbs 14:30 (T)
• 1 Chronicles 2:1-2 (T)
• Genesis 49:1-33 (T)
• Acts 7:8 (T)
• Exodus 21:7-11 (T)
• Leviticus 18:18 (T)
• Song of Songs 7:10-13 (T)
• Ruth 4:11 (T)
• Isaiah 4:1 (T)
• Luke 1:24-25 (T)
• Leviticus 19:26 (T)
• Isaiah 27:9; Isaiah 59:20-21 (A)
• Jeremiah 31:33-34 (A)
• Isaiah 40:13 (A)
• Job 41:11 (A)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• Jubilees 25:1-23 (T)
• Testament of Naphtali (4Q215) Fragment 1 (T)
• Genesis 30:1-43 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.19.8 (T)

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

30:1 When Rachel saw that she did not bare to Jacob, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me sons, or else I will die.” 2 Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in Elohim's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I will also be built from her.” 4 She gave him Bilhah her servant to wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son. 6 Rachel said, “Elohim has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. 7 Bilhah, Rachel's servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali. 9 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob to wife. 10 Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore Jacob a son. 11 Leah said, “A troop comes!” She named him Gad. 12 Zilpah, Leah's servant, bore Jacob a second son. 13 Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher. 14 Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.” 15 Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?” Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes.” 16 Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes.” He lay with her that night. 17 Elohim listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Leah said, “Elohim has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar. 19 Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Leah said, “Elohim has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun. 21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah. 22 Elohim remembered Rachel, and [he]^(LXX) listened to her, and opened her womb. 23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, “Elohim has taken away my reproach.” 24 She named him Joseph, saying, “May [Elohim]^(mss) add another son to me.” 25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.” 27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that [Elohim]^(mss) has blessed me for your sake.” 28 He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.” 29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me. 30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. [Elohim]^(mss) has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?” 31 Laban said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and guard it. 32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire. 33 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.” 34 Laban said, “Behold, let it be according to your word.” 35 That day, he removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons. 36 He set three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. 37 Jacob took to himself rods of fresh poplar, almond, and plane tree, peeled white streaks in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 He set the rods which he had peeled opposite the flocks in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink. They conceived when they came to drink. 39 The flocks conceived before the rods, and the flocks produced streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in Laban's flock. He put his own droves apart, and didn't put them into Laban's flock. 41 Whenever the stronger of the flock conceived, Jacob laid the rods in front of the eyes of the flock in the watering troughs, that they might conceive among the rods; 42 but when the flock were feeble, he didn't put them in. So the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. 43 The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, maids and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Prophets Portion (P)

1:1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, [a Zuphite],^(LXX) of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elqanah, the son of [Jerahmeel],^(LXX) the son of Elihu, the son of [Toah],^(LXX)(mss) the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to YHWH of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to YHWH, were there. 4 When the day came that Elqanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5 but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but YHWH had shut up her womb. 6 Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because YHWH had shut up her womb. 7 So year by year, when she went up to the house of YHWH, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. 8 Elqanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, [and stood before YHWH].^(LXX) Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH. 10 She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to YHWH, weeping bitterly. 11 She vowed a vow, and said, “YHWH of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, [then I will set him before you separated until the day of his death. And he will not drink wine or strong drink,]^(DSS)(LXX) and no razor will come on his head.” (cf. Numbers 6:1-22)

Apostolic Portion (A)

11:1 I ask then, did Elohim reject his people? (cf. Psalms 94:14) May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 Elohim didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew . (cf. Psalms 94:14) Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with Elohim against Israel: 3 “YHWH, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.” (cf. 1 Kings 19:10,14) 4 But how does Elohim answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” (cf. 1 Kings 19:18) 5 Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.^(mss) 7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8 According as it is written, “Elohim gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (cf. Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10) 9 David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. 10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.” (cf. Psalms 69:22-23) 11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Nations, to provoke them to zeal. 12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Nations, how much more their fullness! 13 For I speak to you who are Nations. Since then as I am an emissary to Nations, I glorify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to zeal those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead? 16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the [rich root]^(mss) of the olive tree, 18 don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.” 20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; 21 for if Elohim didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 See then the goodness and severity of Elohim. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for Elohim is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Nations has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. 27 This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.” (cf. Isaiah 59:20-21; Isaiah 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34) 28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29 For the gifts and the calling of Elohim are irrevocable. 30 For as you in time past were disobedient to Elohim, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may [now]^(mss) also obtain mercy. 32 For Elohim has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. 33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 “For who has known the mind of YHWH? Or who has been his counselor?” (cf. Isaiah 40:13) 35 “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?” (cf. Job 41:11) 36 For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Additional Portion (ADD)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

28:11 And the Lord opened the womb of Leah, and she conceived and bare Jacob a son, and he called his name Reuben, on the fourteenth day of the ninth new moon, in the first year of the third week. [2122 A.M.] 12. But the womb of Rachel was closed, for the Lord saw that Leah was hated and Rachel loved. 13. And again Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a second son, and he called his name Shimon, on the twenty-first of the tenth new moon, and in the third year of this week. [2124 A.M.] 14. And again Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare him a third son, and he called his name Levi, in the new moon of the first new moon in the sixth year of this week. [2127 A.M.] 15. And again Jacob went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a fourth son, and he called his name Judah, on the fifteenth of the third new moon, in the first year of the fourth week. [2129 A.M.] 16. And on account of all this Rachel envied Leah, for she did not bear, and she said to Jacob: ‘Give me children’; and Jacob said: ‘Have I withheld from thee the fruits of thy womb? Have I forsaken thee?’ 17. And when Rachel saw that Leah had borne four sons to Jacob, Reuben and Shimon and Levi and Judah, she said unto him: ‘Go in unto Bilhah my handmaid, and she will conceive, and bear a son unto me.’ And she gave (him) Bilhah her handmaid to wife. 18. And he went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a son, and he called his name Dan, on the ninth of the sixth new moon, in the sixth year of the third week. [2127 A.M.] 19. And Jacob went in again unto Bilhah a second time, and she conceived, and bare Jacob another son, and Rachel called his name Napthali, on the fifth of the seventh new moon, in the second year of the fourth week. [2130 A.M.] 20. And when Leah saw that she had become sterile and did not bear, she envied Rachel, and she also gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob to wife, and she conceived, and bare a son, and Leah called his name Gad, on the twelfth of the eighth new moon, in the third year of the fourth week. [2131 A.M.] 21. And he went in again unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a second son, and Leah called his name Asher, on the second of the eleventh new moon, in the fifth year of the fourth week. [2133 A.M.] 22. And Jacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Issachar, on the fourth of the fifth new moon, in the fourth year of the fourth week, [2132 A.M.] and she gave him to a nurse. 23. And Jacob went in again unto her, and she conceived, and bare two (children), a son and a daughter, and she called the name of the son Zabulon, and the name of the daughter Dinah, in the seventh of the seventh new moon, in the sixth year of the fourth week. [2134 A.M.] 24. And the Lord was gracious to Rachel, and opened her womb, and she conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Joseph, on the new moon of the fourth new moon, in the †sixth† year in this fourth week [2134 A.M.]. 25. And in the days when Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban: “Give me my wives and sons, and let me go to my father Isaac, and let me make me an house; for I have completed the years in which I have served thee for thy two daughters, and I will go to the house of my father.” 26. And Laban said to Jacob: “†Tarry with me for thy wages†, and pasture my flock for me again, and take thy wages.” 27. And they agreed with one another that he should give him as his wages those of the lambs and kids which were born black and spotted and white, (these) were to be his wages. 28. And all the sheep brought forth spotted and speckled and black, variously marked, and they brought forth again lambs like themselves, and all that were spotted were Jacob’s and those which were not were Laban’s. 29. And Jacob’s possessions multiplied exceedingly, and he possessed oxen and sheep and donkeys and camels, and menservants and maidservants. 30. And Laban and his sons envied Jacob, and Laban took back his sheep from him, and he observed him with evil intent.

29:1 And it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Laban went to shear his sheep; for they were distant from him a three days’ journey. 2. And Jacob saw that Laban was going to shear his sheep, and Jacob called Leah and Rachel, and spake kindly unto them that they should come with him to the land of Canaan. 3. For he told them how he had seen everything in a dream, even all that He had spoken unto him that he should return to his father’s house; and they said: “To every place whither thou goest we will go with thee.” 4. And Jacob blessed the Elohim of Isaac his father, and the Elohim of Abraham his father’s father, and he arose and mounted his wives and his children, and took all his possessions and crossed the river, and came to the land of Gilead, and Jacob hid his intention from Laban and told him not. 5. And in the seventh year of the fourth week [2135 A.M.] Jacob turned (his face) toward Gilead in the first new moon, on the twenty-first thereof. And Laban pursued after him and overtook Jacob in the mountain of Gilead in the third new moon, on the thirteenth thereof. 6. And the Lord did not suffer him to injure Jacob; for He appeared to him in a dream by night. And Laban spake to Jacob, 7. And on the fifteenth of those days Jacob made a feast for Laban, and for all who came with him, and Jacob sware to Laban that day, and Laban also to Jacob, that neither should cross the mountain of Gilead to the other with evil purpose. 8. And he made there a heap for a witness; wherefore the name of that place is called: “The Heap of Witness,” after this heap. 9. But before they used to call the land of Gilead the land of the Rephaim; for it was the land of the Rephaim, and the Rephaim were born (there), giants whose height was ten, nine, eight down to seven cubits. 10. And their habitation was from the land of the children of Ammon to Mount Hermon, and the seats of their reign were Karnaim and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, and Mîsûr, and Beon. 11. And the Lord destroyed them because of the evil of their deeds; for they were very malignant, and the Amorites dwelt in their stead, wicked and sinful, and there is no people today which hath wrought to the full all their sins, and they have no longer length of life on the land. 12. And Jacob sent away Laban, and he departed into Mesopotamia, the land of the East, and Jacob returned to the land of Gilead.

Related Scriptures

127:3 Behold, sons are a heritage of YHWH. The fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the sons of youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 Sarai said to Abram, “See now, YHWH has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I am built up from her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3 Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

25:21 Isaac entreated YHWH for his wife, because she was barren. YHWH was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

14:30 The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.

2:1 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, 2 Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

Genesis 49:1-33 (T)

49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. 2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob. Listen to Israel, your father. 3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4 Boiling over like water, you will not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. 5 “Shimon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. 6 My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their will they hamstrung cattle. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. 8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse him up? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. The obedience of the peoples will be to him. 11 Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. 13 “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Sidon. 14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the saddlebags. 15 He saw a resting place, that it was good, the land, that it was pleasant. He bows his shoulder to the burden, and becomes a servant doing forced labor. 16 “Dan will judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a nachash on the trail, an adder in the path, that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward. 18 I have waited for your salvation, YHWH. 19 “A troop will press on Gad, but he will press on their heel. 20 “Asher’s food will be rich. He will produce royal dainties. 21 “Naphtali is a doe set free, who bears beautiful fawns. 22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall. 23 The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecuted him: 24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel, 25 even by the Elohim of your father, who will help you, by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. 26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors, above the boundaries of the ancient hills. They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers. 27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the plunder.” 28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them, and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his own blessing. 29 He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah: 32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33 When Jacob finished charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, breathed his last breath, and was gathered to his people.

7:8 He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

21:7 “If a man sells his daughter to be a maid, she will not go out as the male servants do. 8 If she doesn’t please her master, who has married her to himself, then he will let her be redeemed. He will have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9 If he marries her to his son, he will deal with her as a daughter. 10 If he takes another woman to himself, he will not diminish her food, her clothing, and her [remains]. 11 If he doesn’t do these three things for her, she may go free without paying any money.

18:18 You will not take a woman in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.

7:10 I am my beloved’s. His desire is toward me. 11 Come, my beloved! Let’s go out into the field. Let’s lodge in the villages. 12 Let’s go early up to the vineyards. Let’s see whether the vine has budded, its blossom is open, and the pomegranates are in flower. There I will give you my love. 13 The mandrakes produce fragrance. At our doors are all kinds of precious fruits, new and old, which I have stored up for you, my beloved.

4:11 All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May YHWH make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem.

4:1 Seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, “We will eat our own bread, and wear our own clothing. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our reproach.”

1:24 After these days Elisheva his wife conceived, and she hid herself five new moons, saying, 25 “Thus has the Lord done to me in the days in which he looked at me, to take away my reproach among men.”

19:26 You will not eat any meat with the blood still in it. You will not use enchantments, nor practice sorcery.

18:9 When you have come into the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you, you will not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. 10 There will not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to YHWH. Because of these abominations, YHWH your Elohim drives them out from before you. 13 You will be blameless with YHWH your Elohim. 14 For these nations that you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery and to diviners; but as for you, YHWH your Elohim has not allowed you so to do.

Isaiah 27:9 Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are beaten in pieces, so that the Asherah poles and the incense altars will rise no more.

Isaiah 59:20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from disobedience in Jacob,” says YHWH. 21 “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says YHWH. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth will not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your seed, nor out of the mouth of your seed’s seed,” says YHWH, “from now on and forever.”

31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says YHWH: “I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their Elohim, and they will be my people. 34 They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know YHWH;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says YHWH: “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

40:13 Who has directed the spirit of YHWH, or has taught him as his counselor?

41:Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under the heavens is mine.

Additional Readings​

Jubilees 25:1-23 (T)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

25:1 And in the second year of this week in this jubilee, [2109 A.M.] Rebecca called Jacob her son, and spake unto him, saying: “My son, do not take thee a woman of the daughters of Canaan, as Esau, thy brother, who took him two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and coveting, and there is no righteousness with them, for (their deeds) are evil. 2. And I, my son, love thee exceedingly, and my heart and my affection bless thee every hour of the day and watch of the night. 3. And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and do the will of thy mother, and do not take thee a woman of the daughters of this land, but only of the house of my father, and of my father’s kindred. Thou wilt take thee a woman of the house of my father, and the Most High Elohim will bless thee, and thy children will be a righteous generation and a holy seed.” 4. And then spake Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said unto her: “Behold, mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor have I betrothed myself to any, nor even think of taking me a woman of the daughters of Canaan. 5. For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a woman of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a woman from the seed of my father’s house and from my kindred. 6. I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, thy brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a woman from amongst them. 7. And for this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to coveting and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands. 8. And, despite all that he hath commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother hath striven with me, and spoken frequently to me and said: ‘My brother, take to wife a sister of my two wives’; but I refuse to do as he hath done. 9. I swear before thee, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a woman from the daughters of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother hath done. 10. Fear not, mother; be assured that I will do thy will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways for ever.” 11. And thereupon she lifted up her face to the heavens and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High Elohim, who had created the heavens and the land, and she gave Him thanks and praise. 12. And she said: “Blessed be the Lord Elohim, and may His holy name be blessed for ever and ever, who hath given me Jacob as a pure son and a holy seed; for He is Thine, and Thine will his seed be continually and throughout all the generations for evermore. 13. Bless him, O Lord, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.” 14. And at that hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Jacob, and said: 15. “Blessed art thou, Lord of righteousness and Elohim of the ages; And may He bless thee beyond all the generations of men. May He give thee, my son, the path of righteousness, And reveal righteousness to thy seed. 16. And may He make thy sons many during thy life, And may they arise according to the number of the new moons of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of the heavens, And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea. 17. And may He give them this goodly land–as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his seed after him always — And may they hold it as a possession for ever. 18. And may I see (born) unto thee, my son, blessed children during my life, And a blessed and holy seed may all thy seed be. 19. And as thou hast refreshed thy mother’s spirit during †my† life, The womb of her that bare thee blesseth thee, [My affection] and my breasts bless thee And my mouth and my tongue praise thee greatly. 20. Increase and spread over the land, And may thy seed be perfect in the joy of the heavens and land for ever; And may thy seed rejoice, And on the great day of peace may it have peace. 21. And may thy name and thy seed endure to all the ages, And may the Most High Elohim be their Elohim, And may the Elohim of righteousness dwell with them, And by them may His sanctuary be built unto all the ages. 22. Blessed be he that blesseth thee, And all flesh that curseth thee falsely may it be cursed.” 23. And she kissed him, and said to him “May the Lord of the world love thee As the heart of thy mother and her affection rejoice in thee and bless thee.” And she ceased from blessing.

… with the sisters(?) of (or: with Ahiyot,) the father of Bilhah, … Deborah, who suckled Reb[eccah] … And he went into captivity and Laban sent out and rescued him and gave him Hannah, one of [his] maidservants. [And she conceived and bore] a first [daughter], Zilphah, and gave her the name Zilphah after the name of the town whe[re] he was taken into captivity. She conceived and bore Bilhah, my mother, and Hannah called her name Bilhah, for when she was born, [she was in] a hurry to suck. And she said, ‘What? Is my daughter in a hurry?’ And she called her again Bilhah. vacat When my father Jacob came to Laban, fleeing from Esau, his brother, and after … the father of Bilhah my mother. And Laban led Hannah, the mother of my mother and her two daughters, [and he gave one to Lea]h and one to Rachel. And when it came to pass that Rachel did not bear sons, … [Jaco]b my father, and he gave him Bilhah my mother and she bore Dan [my] brother …

Genesis 30:1-43 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 AD). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum (translation) of the Torah (Pentateuch) from the land of Israel (as opposed to the eastern Babylonian Targum Onkelos). Its correct title was originally Targum Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Targum), which is how it was known in medieval times. But because of a printer’s mistake it was later labeled Targum Jonathan, in reference to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Some editions of the Pentateuch continue to call it Targum Jonathan to this day. Most scholars refer to the text as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This targum is more than a mere translation. It includes much Aggadic material collected from various sources as late as the Midrash Rabbah as well as earlier material from the Talmud. It is effectively a combination of a commentary and a translation. In the portions where it is pure translation, it often agrees with the Targum Onkelos. The date of its composition is disputed. It cannot have been completed before the Arabic conquest as it refers to Mohammad’s wife Fatimah, but might have been initially composed in the 4th Century AD. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 30 And Rahel saw that she bare not to Jakob, and Rahel was envious of her sister, and said to Jakob, Pray before the Lord that He give me children; and if not, my life I will reckon as the dead. And the anger of Jakob was stong against Rahel, and he said, Why do you ask of me? Ask before the Lord, from before whom are children, and who hath restrained from thee the fruit of the womb. And she said, Behold my handmaid Bilhah, enter with her, that she may bear, and I may increase and may be builded up from her. And she made her handmaid Bilhah free, and delivered her to him, and Jakob entered with her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare a son to Jakob. And Rahel said, The Lord hath judged me in His good mercies; He hath also heard the voice of my prayer, and given me a son; and so it is to be that He will judge by the hand of Shimshon bar Manovach, who will be of his seed; and hath he not delivered into his hand the people of the Philistaee? Therefore she called his name Dan. And Bilhah the handmaid of Leah conceived again and bare a second son to Jakob. And Rahel said, With affliction afflicted was I before the Lord in prayer; therefore He hath received my request that I might have a son as my sister, and hath given me two. Even so are my children to be redeemed from the hand of their enemies when they will afflict themselves in prayer before the Lord; and she called his name Naphtali.

And Leah saw that she had ceased from bearing, and she made Zilpha her handmaid free, and gave her unto Jakob to wife. And Zilpha the handmaid of Leah conceived, and bare Jakob a son; and Leah said, Good fortune cometh; his children will surely inherit their habitation on the east bide of Jardena: and she called his name Gad. [JERUSALEM. And Leah said, Good success Cometh; for the feastings of the Nations are to be cut off: and she called.] And Zilpha the handmaid of Leah bare a second son to Jakob. And Leah said, Praise will be mine: for the daughters of Israel will praise me, as his children will be praised before the Lord for the goodness of the fruit of his land; and she called his name Asher.

And Reuben went in the days of Sivan, in the time of wheat harvest, and found (Yaveruchin) mandrakes in the field; and he brought them to Leah his mother. And Rahel said to Leah, Give me now of thy son’s mandrakes. And she said to her, Is it a little thing that thou hast taken my husband, and thou seekest to take also my son’s mandrakes ? And Rahel said, Therefore will he lie with thee this night for thy son’s mandrakes. [JERUSALEM. For a week he will consort with thee.] And Jakob came from the field at evening. And Leah heard the voice of the braying of the donkey, and knew that Jakob had come, and Leah went forth to meet him, and said, Thou wilt enter with me, because hiring I have hired thee with my son’s mandrakes from Rahel my sister. And he lay with her that night. And the Lord heard the prayer of Leah, and she conceived, and bare to Jakob a fifth son. And Leah said, The Lord hath given me my reward, for that I gave my handmaid to my husband; even so will his children receive a good reward, because they will occupy themselves with the law. And she called his name Issakar.

And Leah conceived again, and bare a sixth son to Jakob; and said, The Lord hath endowed me with a good dowry by children. This time will the habitation of my husband be with me, because I have borne him six sons: and thus will his children receive a good portion. And she called his name Zebulun. And afterward she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah; for she said, Judgement is from before the Lord, that there will be from me a half of the tribes; but from Rahel my sister will go forth two tribes, even as they will proceed (in like manner) from each of the handmaids. And the prayer of Leah was heard before the Lord; and the infants were changed In their wombs; and Joseph was given to the womb of Rahel, and Dinah to the womb of Leah. And the remembrance of Rahel came before the Lord, and the voice of her prayer was heard before Him; and He said in his Word that He would give her sons.

And the remembrance of Rahel came before the Lord, and the voice of her prayer was heard before Him; and He said in his Word that He would give her sons.

[JERUSALEM. Four keys are held in the hand of the Lord of all the world, even the Lord, and He will not deliver them either to angel or to saraph; the key of the rain, the key of the provender, the key of the sepulchre, the key of barrenness. The key of rain : for thus the Scripture expoundeth, The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure, &c. The key of provender: for thus the Scripture expoundeth, Thou openest thine hand, &c. The key of the sepulchre : for thus the Scripture expoundeth, When I will open your sepulchre, &c. The key of barrenness Scripture expoundeth, And Elohim remebered Rahel, &c. And the Word of the Lord remebered Rahel in His good compassions,and the Word of the Lord heard the voice of her prayer, and He said in His Word that He would give her children.]

And she conceived and, bare a son, and said, The Lord hath gathered off my reproach, even as Jehoshua the son of Joseph will gather off the reproach of Mizraim from the sons of Israel, and will circumcise them beyond Jardena. And she called his name Joseph, saying, The Lord will add me yet another son to this one. And it was when Rahel had borne Joseph, Jakob said by the Holy Spirit concerning the house of Joseph, They are to be as a flame to consume the house of Esau; and he said, Therefore will I not be afraid of Esau and his legions. And he, said unto Laban, Send me away, and I will go to my place and to my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and I will go; for thou knowest my service with which I have served thee. But Laban said to him, If now I have found grace in thy eyes, [JERUSALEM. I have observed.] I have observed by divination that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, Appoint thy wages with me, and I will give thee.

And he said to him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have been kept by me: for the little flock which thou hadst before me hath increased greatly, and the Lord hath blessed thee at my foot, that I have been profitable to thee from (the time of) my coming into thy house. And now when will I do the work for which I am bound, to nourish the men of my house. And he said, What will I give thee ? And Jakob said, Thou shalt not give me anything else, (but) do me this thing, and I will return and pasture thy flock, and guard them. I will pass through thy whole flock to-day, and will set apart every lamb streaked and spotted, and every black lamb among the lambs, and spotted and streaked among the goats, and they will be my wages. [JERUSALEM. Every lamb spotted and streaked, and every black lamb among the lambs, and the spotted and streaked among the goats.] And my righteousness will testify for me tomorrow, when my wages will be brought before thee. Every one which is not streaked or spotted among the goats, or black among the lambs, will be as if it had been a theft of mine.

And Laban said to him, Well, let it be according to thy word. And he separated that day the goats which were marked in their feet, and the spotted, and all the goats streaked or spotted, every one which had a white place in him, and every black one among the lambs, and gave them into the hand of his sons. And he set a journey of three days between his flocks and (those of) Jakob. And Jakob tended the flock of Laban, the old and the feeble which were left.

And Jakob took to him a rod of flowering poplar, and of almond, and of the plane tree, and peeled in them white peelings to disclose the white which was in the rods. And the rods which he had peeled, he fixed in the canals, in the troughs of water; at the place to which they brought the flocks to water, there placed he them over against the flock that they might conceive when they came to drink. [JERUSALEM. In the canals.] And the sheep conceived over against the rods, and the sheep produced such as were marked in their feet, and spotted and white in their backs. And the lambs did Jakob set apart, and place in front of the flocks; all the various coloured and the black among Laban’s sheep be set for himself a flock apart, and did not mix them with the sheep of Laban. And it was that whenever the early (prime) sheep conceived, Jakob set the rods in the canals before the eyes of the sheep, that they might conceive before the rods. But with the late sheep be did not set them ; and the late sheep were Laban’s and the early ones Jakob’s. And the man increased greatly, and had a multitude of flocks, and handmaids and servants, and camels, and donkeys.

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

1.19.8. Now each of these had handmaids, by their father’s donation. Zilpha was handmaid to Lea, and Bilha to Rachel; by no means slaves, but however subject to their mistresses. Now Lea was sorely troubled at her husband’s love to her sister; and she expected she should be better esteemed if she bare him children: so she entreated Elohim perpetually; and when she had borne a son, and her husband was on that account better reconciled to her, she named her son Reubel, because Elohim had had mercy upon her, in giving her a son, for that is the signification of this name. After some time she bare three more sons; Shimon, which name signifies that Elohim had hearkened to her prayer. Then she bare Levi, the confirmer of their friendship. After him was born Judah, which denotes thanksgiving. But Rachel, fearing lest the fruitfulness of her sister should make herself enjoy a lesser share of Jacob’s affections, put to bed to him her handmaid Bilha; by whom Jacob had Dan: one may interpret that name into the Greek tongue, a divine judgment. And after him Nephthalim, as it were, unconquerable in stratagems, since Rachel tried to conquer the fruitfulness of her sister by this stratagem. Accordingly, Lea took the same method, and used a counter-stratagem to that of her sister; for she put to bed to him her own handmaid. Jacob therefore had by Zilpha a son, whose name was Gad, which may be interpreted fortune; and after him Asher, which may be called a happy man, because he added glory to Lea. Now Reubel, the eldest son of Lea, brought apples of mandrakes to his mother. When Rachel saw them, she desired that she would give her the apples, for she longed to eat them; but when she refused, and bid her be content that she had deprived her of the benevolence she ought to have had from her husband, Rachel, in order to mitigate her sister’s anger, said she would yield her husband to her; and he should lie with her that evening. She accepted of the favor, and Jacob slept with Lea, by the favor of Rachel. She bare then these sons: Issachar, denoting one born by hire: and Zabulon, one born as a pledge of benevolence towards her; and a daughter, Dina. After some time Rachel had a son, named Joseph, which signified there should be another added to him.