Thematic Bible: Instances of infelicity in


Thematic Bible



So lay he by Rachel also, and loved Rachel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more. When the LORD saw that Lea was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rachel was barren. And Lea conceived and bare a son, and called his name Reuben, for she said, "The LORD hath looked upon my tribulation. And now my husband will love me." read more.
And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, "The LORD hath heard that I am despised, and hath therefore given me this son also." And she called him Simeon. And she conceived yet, and bare a son, and said, "Now this once will my husband keep me company, because I have borne him three sons." And therefore she called his name Levi.

When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, she envied her sister and said unto Jacob, "Give me children, or else I am but dead." Then was Jacob wroth with Rachel saying, "Am I in God's stead which keepeth from thee the fruit of thy womb?" Then she said, "Here is my maid, Bilhah: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my lap, that I may be increased by her." read more.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife. And Jacob went in unto her: And Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son. Then said Rachel, "God hath given sentence on my side, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son." Therefore called she him Dan. And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, conceived again; and bare Jacob another son. And Rachel said, "God is turned, and I have made a change with my sister, and have gotten the upper hand." And she called his name Naphtali. When Lea saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Lea's maid bare Jacob a son. Then said Lea, "Good luck," and called his name Gad. And Zilpah, Lea's maid, bare Jacob another son. Then said Lea, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed." And called his name Asher. And Reuben went out in the wheat harvest and found mandragoras in the fields, and brought them unto his mother Lea. Then said Rachel to Lea, "Give me of thy son's mandragoras." And Lea answered, "Is it not enough, that thou hast taken away my husband, but wouldest take away my son's mandragoras also?" Then said Rachel, "Well, let him sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandragoras." And when Jacob came from the fields at even, Lea went out to meet him, and said, "Come in to me, for I have bought thee with my son's mandragoras." And he slept with her that night. And God heard Lea, that she conceived and bare unto Jacob the fifth son. Then said Lea, "God hath given me my reward, because I gave my maiden to my husband." And she called him Issachar. And Lea conceived yet again and bare Jacob the sixth son. Then said she, "God hath endued me with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." And called his name Zebulon. After that she bare a daughter, and called her Dina. And God remembered Rachel, heard her, and made her fruitful: so that she conceived and bare a son, and said, "God hath taken away my rebuke." And she called his name Joseph, saying, "The LORD give me yet another son." As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place and country;


Then said Sarai unto Abram, "Thou dost me unright, for I have given my maid into thy bosom: and now because she seeth that she hath conceived, I am despised in her sight: the LORD judge between thee and me."

Then she said unto Abraham, "Put away this bondmaid and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." But the word seemed very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son.


And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window and saw King David spring and dance before the LORD, and therefore despised him in her heart.

Then David returned to salute his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out against him, and said, "Oh how glorious was the king of Israel today, which stripped himself today before the eyes of the maidens of his servants, as a light-brained fellow is wont to strip himself." But David said again to Michal, "I thought to dance before the LORD - which chose me, rather thy father and all his kin, and commanded me to be ruler over all the people of the LORD, even over Israel. And therefore will I play before the LORD, and will yet be more vile than so, and I will be meek in mine own sight: and of the very same maidservants which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour." read more.
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.


And on the seventh day, when the king was merry of the wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas - the seven chamberlains that did service in the presence of king Ahasuerus - to fetch the queen Vashti with the crown regal, that he might show the people and princes her fairness: for she was beautiful. But the queen Vashti would not come at the king's word by his chamberlains. Then was the king very wroth, and his indignation kindled in him. read more.
And the king spake to the wise men that had understanding in the ordinances of the land - for the king's matters must be handled before all such as have knowledge of the law and judgment, and the next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of the Persians and Medes, which saw the king's face, and sat above in the kingdom. "What law," sayeth the king, "should be executed upon the queen Vashti, because she did not according to the word of the king by his chamberlains?" Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, "The queen Vashti hath not only done evil against the king but also against all the princes and all the people in all the lands of king Ahasuerus: for this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands before their eyes, and shall say, 'The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to come before him, but she would not.' And so shall the princesses in Persia and Media say likewise unto all the king's princes, when they hear of this deed of the queen, thus shall there arise dispitefulness and wrath enough. If it please the king, let there go a commandment from him, and let it be written according to the law of the Persians and Medians - and not to be transgressed - that Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus, and let the king give the kingdom unto another that is better than she. And when this commandment of the king, which shall be made, is published throughout all his empire - which is great - all women shall hold their husbands in honor; both among great and small." This pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. Then were there letters sent forth into all the king's lands, into every land according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should be lord in his own house. And this caused he to be spoken after the language of his people.


and make me meat such as I love, and bring it me and let me eat that my soul may bless thee before that I die." But Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And as soon as Esau was gone to the field to catch venison, and to bring it, she spake unto Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I have heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying, read more.
'bring me venison and make me meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the LORD yer I die.' Now therefore, my son, hear my voice in that which I command thee: get thee to the flock, and bring me thence two good kids, and I will make meat of them for thy father, such as he loveth. And thou shalt bring it to thy father and he shall eat, that he may bless thee before his death." Then said Jacob to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is rough and I am smooth. My father shall peradventure feel me, and I shall seem unto him as though I went about to beguile him, and so shall he bring a curse upon me and not a blessing." And his mother said unto him, "Upon me be thy curse, my son, only hear my voice, and go and fetch me them." And Jacob went and fetched them and brought them to his mother. And his mother made meat of them, according as his father loved. And she went and fetched goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau which she had in the house with her, and put them upon Jacob her youngest son, and she put the skins upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck. And she put the meat and bread which she had made in the hand of her son Jacob. And he went in to his father saying, "My father." And he answered, "Here am I, who art thou my son?" And Jacob said unto his father, "I am Esau, thy eldest son. I have done according as thou baddest me: up and sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me." But Isaac said unto his son, "How cometh it that thou hast found it so quickly my son?" He answered, "The LORD thy God brought it to my hand." Then said Isaac unto Jacob, "Come near and let me feel thee my son, whether thou be my son Esau or not." Then went Jacob to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said the voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. And he knew him not, because his hands were rough as his brother Esau's hands and so he blessed him. And he asked him, "Art thou my son Esau?" And he said, "That I am." Then said he, "Bring me and let me eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee." And he brought him, and he ate. And he brought him wine also, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, "Come near and kiss me my son." And he went to him and kissed him. And he smelled the savour of his raiment and blessed him, and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed. God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. People be thy servants, and nations bow unto thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and thy mother's children stoop unto thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee." As soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, then came Esau his brother from his hunting: and had made also meat, and brought it in unto his father and said unto him, "Arise my father and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me." Then his father Isaac said unto him, "Who art thou?" He answered, "I am thy eldest son Esau." And Isaac was greatly astonished out of measure, and said, "Where is he then that hath hunted venison and brought it me? And I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him, and he shall be blessed still." When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out greatly and bitterly above measure, and said unto his father, "Bless me also, my father!" And he said, "Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing." Then said he, "He may well be called Jacob, for he hath undermined me now two times - first he took away my birthright; and see, now hath he taken away my blessing also." And he said, "Hast thou kept never a blessing for me?" Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his mother's children have I made his servants. Moreover, with corn and wine have I established him. What can I do unto thee now my son?" And Esau said unto his father, "Hast thou but that one blessing my father? Bless me also, my father!" So lifted up Esau his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said unto him, "Behold, thy dwelling place shall have of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. And with thy sword shalt thou live and shalt be thy brother's servant; But the time will come, when thou shalt get the mastery, and loose his yoke from off thy neck." And Esau hated Jacob, because of the blessing that his father blessed him withal, and said in his heart, "The days of my father's sorrow are at hand, for I will slay my brother Jacob." And these words of Esau her eldest son, were told to Rebekah. And she sent and called Jacob her youngest son, and said unto him, "Behold, thy brother Esau threateneth to kill thee. Now therefore my son hear my voice, make thee ready, and flee to Laban my brother at Haran: And tarry with him a while, until thy brother's fierceness be assuaged, and until thy brother's wrath turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him. Then will I send and fetch thee away from thence. Why should I lose you both in one day?" And Rebekah spake to Isaac, "I am weary of my life, for fear of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such one as these are, or of the daughters of the land, what lust should I have to live?"


Then Zipporah took a stone and circumcised her son, and fell at his feet, and said, "A bloody husband art thou unto me." And he let him go. She said 'a bloody husband' because of the circumcision.


And it fell on a day, as Elkanah had offered, that he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions. But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren. And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren. read more.
And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not.