Thematic Bible: Domestic unhappiness
Thematic Bible
Polygamy » Domestic unhappiness » In jacob's family
Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." read more.
She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi.
She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi.
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children], she envied her sister. "Give me sons, or I will die!" she said to Jacob. Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld children from you?" Then she said, "Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she'll bear [children] for me so that through her I too can build [a family]." read more.
So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son," and she named him Dan. Rachel's slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, "In [my] wrestlings with God, I have wrestled with my sister and won," and she named him Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" and she named him Gad. When Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, "I am happy that the women call me happy," so she named him Asher. Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my shame."
So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son," and she named him Dan. Rachel's slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, "In [my] wrestlings with God, I have wrestled with my sister and won," and she named him Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" and she named him Gad. When Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, "I am happy that the women call me happy," so she named him Asher. Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah. Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my shame."
Polygamy » Domestic unhappiness » In abraham's family
But Sarah saw the son mocking-the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham. So she said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a co-heir with my son Isaac!" Now this was a very difficult thing for Abraham because of his son. read more.
But God said to Abraham, "Do not be concerned about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac. But I will also make a nation of the slave's son because he is your offspring." Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, [put them] on Hagar's shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, "I can't [bear to] watch the boy die!" So as she sat nearby, she wept loudly.
But God said to Abraham, "Do not be concerned about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac. But I will also make a nation of the slave's son because he is your offspring." Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, [put them] on Hagar's shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, "I can't [bear to] watch the boy die!" So as she sat nearby, she wept loudly.
Polygamy » Domestic unhappiness » In elkanah's family
Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. read more.
Whenever she went up to the Lord's house, her rival taunted her in this way every year. Hannah wept and would not eat.
Whenever she went up to the Lord's house, her rival taunted her in this way every year. Hannah wept and would not eat.