And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

GENESIS 30:16KJV
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Genesis 30:16 (KJV)

What does Genesis 30:16 mean?

Genesis 30:16 describes how Leah, one of Jacob’s wives, meets Jacob as he returns from working in the field and tells him he must stay with her that night because she has “hired” him with her son’s mandrakes. Jacob then spends the night with Leah as she requested.

In this scene, Leah speaks directly to Jacob, explaining that she has traded mandrakes—plants thought to help with fertility—from her son Reuben to her sister Rachel in exchange for the right to be with Jacob that night. This moment is part of a larger story about rivalry and negotiation between Leah and Rachel, both of whom want Jacob’s attention and hope to bear more children.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 30:16

  • The word “hired” comes from שָׂכַר (sakar), which means to hire or to pay wages. Leah uses this word to show she feels she has earned the right to be with Jacob by giving Rachel the mandrakes.
  • “Mandrakes” is דּוּדָאִים (dudaim), a plant often associated with fertility in ancient times. The mention of mandrakes highlights the sisters’ intense desire for children and the lengths they go to in their rivalry.
  • “Lay” is שָׁכַב (shakab), which in this context simply means that Jacob spent the night with Leah, emphasizing the transactional nature of the arrangement that night.

Why Genesis 30:16 matters

  • This verse shows the ongoing competition between Leah and Rachel for Jacob’s affection and for children, which is a recurring theme in their story.
  • The use of the word “hired” reveals how personal relationships in this family have become transactional, shaped by bargaining and rivalry rather than affection alone.
  • The mention of mandrakes connects to ancient beliefs about fertility and helps explain why the sisters are willing to negotiate so intensely over them, giving insight into the cultural context of the story.

Where else these words appear

“mandrakes” Hebrew H1736 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 30:14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
  • Genesis 30:15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.
  • Song of Solomon 7:13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

“surely” Hebrew H7936 · used in 18 verses

  • Deuteronomy 23:4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
  • 2 Kings 7:6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.
  • Nehemiah 6:12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

“Leah” Hebrew H3812 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 29:16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
  • Genesis 30:11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
  • Genesis 31:33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

“meet” Hebrew H7125 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
  • Judges 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
  • 1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.