Why Rachel Wanted Mandrakes From Leah To Bear Children For Jacob
The story about the two pictures above is at Genesis 30:14. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes (love apples) 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. And she (Leah) 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.
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. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
According to Genesis 30:14-24, Reuben (Leah's eldest son) finds mandrakes in a field and gives them to his mother Leah. This discovery sparks a tense negotiation between the two sisters, Leah and Rachel, who were competing for their husband Jacob's affection and for children. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, mandrakes were highly valued as fertility aids and aphrodisiacs to help women bear children.
Rachel was barren and desperate to have children. Rachel believed that the mandrakes would help her finally conceive. When Rachel asked Leah for the mandrakes, Leah initially responded bitterly, accusing Rachel of already having taken her husband (Jacob favored Rachel) and now wanting her son Reuben's mandrakes too. To settle the dispute, Rachel proposed a trade.
In this bargain, Rachel would receive the mandrakes from Leah. In exchange, Leah would be allowed to sleep with Jacob that night. The result of the trade was that Leah hired Jacob for the night using the mandrakes. Ironically, although Rachel got the fertility mandrake plants, it was Leah who conceived that night and gave birth to a son, whom she named Issachar (meaning "reward" or "man of hire").
Leah called Issachar man of hire, reflecting the transaction between Leah and Rachel that led to Issachar's conception. Leah also called Issachar reward, referring to Leah's belief that God rewarded her for giving her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob as a wife after she temporarily stopped having children.
The story of the mandrakes highlights a sharp contrast between human effort (Rachel) and divine favor (Leah). Leah is often portrayed as the unloved wife, but God compensates for her lack of human affection with spiritual and physical fruitfulness.
Rachel's desire for the mandrakes was a reliance on natural means to solve a spiritual or biological problem. By trading her night with Jacob for the mandrake plants, Rachel placed her hope in a superstitious fertility drug rather than prayer. Ironically, despite having the mandrakes, Rachel remained barren with no children for several more years. The mandrake plants (Rachel's "man-made" solution) failed to produce the result she bought them for.
But Leah trusted in the Lord instead of the mandrakes and obtained God's favor. God had mercy on Leah who was hated by Jacob and Rachel. Rachel was loved by Jacob but struggled with envy. Leah was overlooked by man but favored by God. Both Leah and Rachel were wives of Jacob, but Leah found her value in God, not man. Genesis 29:31 says And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. When Leah hired Jacob, she didn't use charms. Leah simply exercised her right as a wife.
Genesis 30:17 says And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son (Issachar). Even though Leah had no mandrakes, she conceived immediately. This reinforces the idea that life comes from God's will, not human bargaining or botanical remedies.
The contrast between Rachel and Leah shows that human manipulation (Rachel's trade) is secondary to divine sovereignty (God's blessing on Leah). Rachel eventually conceives Joseph only when God remembered Rachel according to Genesis 30:22, showing that Rachel's eventual motherhood was a gift from God, not a result of the mandrakes. Despite being second choice to Jacob, Leah becomes the mother of Levi (the priestly line) and Judah (the royal line leading to King David and Jesus).
Jacob's 13 children came from four women (Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah) pictured above. Leah was Jacob's first wife and bore him more children than any other woman in the family. Leah's sons and one daughter were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah. Rachel was Jacob's beloved wife, but she struggled with infertility for many years before finally conceiving. Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. When Rachel could not conceive, she gave her handmaid Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate. Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali. Leah followed Rachel's example and gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob after she temporarily stopped having children. Zilpah's sons were Gad and Asher.
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Rachel's Punishment For Trusting In Mandrakes And Teraphim
The two items that Rachel sought to secure her future-mandrakes (to gain a child) and teraphim (Laban's household idols to secure an inheritance) are both linked to Rachel's early death. By selling Jacob for a mandrake plant, Rachel diminished her standing with Jacob. Rachel's trade with Leah eventually led to Rachel being the one buried on the roadside rather than in the family tomb (Machpelah) with Jacob. Leah and not Rachel is buried in Machpelah with Jacob.
Teraphim are household idols or figurines used in the ancient Near East for religious, legal, and divinatory purposes. They appear in two major biblical narratives involving Rachel and Michal, where the idols are central to deceiving their fathers to protect their husbands. The tribe of Dan stole teraphim from the house of Micah.
Teraphim were often used as talismans for domestic protection or tools for divination seeking omens to predict the future. A talisman is an object believed to possess magical or supernatural powers that bring good fortune, health, and protection to its owner. Possessing family teraphim signified rights to inheritance or leadership within a clan. They ranged from small portable figurines (as seen with Rachel) to large, near human sized statues (as seen with Michal).
When Rachel's family fled from Laban, Rachel stole Laban's household idols (teraphim) because of her own superstitious beliefs to secure her family's inheritance rights. Rachel did not want Laban to use the teraphim for divination to find Jacob. When Laban caught up with Jacob and searched his tents, Rachel hid the teraphim in the camel's furniture (basket saddle), and sat on them pictured above. She claimed she could not rise because she was menstruating, preventing Laban from finding them.
After Laban accused Jacob of stealing his teraphim, Jacob became indignant when Laban did not find the teraphim. Unaware that his favorite wife Rachel was the thief, Jacob pronounced a death sentence. Genesis 31:32 says With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. The power of the spoken word by the patriarch Jacob was absolute. Even though Rachel successfully hid the teraphim from Laban by sitting on them, the death curse was considered active in the spiritual realm.
The curse of the mandrakes and the teraphim converged during the birth of Rachel's second son, Benjamin. The mandrakes represented Rachel's desperate, human effort to control fertility rather than relying solely on divine providence. The teraphim brought Jacob's death decree upon Rachel's head. The result was that Rachel died in childbirth to Benjamin on the way to Ephrath. Rachel sought to secure her life and status through physical objects (mandrakes and teraphim), but those very objects became the catalysts for her early departure and death.
Genesis 35:16 says And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not: thou shalt have this son also. And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, for she died that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
Michal's Punishment For Trusting In Teraphim
Michal, the daughter of Saul and wife of David, used a teraphim to help David escape her father Saul's assassins. Michal let David out through a window and then placed a large teraphim statue in his bed. Michal covered the teraphim with clothes and put goats' hair at the head to make it look like a sleeping, sick man.
1 Samuel 19:11 says Saul also sent messengers unto David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain. So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped. And Michal took an image (teraphim), and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster (head place), and covered it with a cloth. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick. And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image (teraphim) in the bed, with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster. And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee? So David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
The presence of a large teraphim idol in Michal's home is often interpreted as evidence of her lack of complete devotion to God or the lingering influence of pagan practices in Saul's household. While Michal is not punished immediately for the teraphim large idol itself, her story ends in barrenness that is linked to her spiritual state. Michal's punishment is listed at 2 Samuel 6:23 that says Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
While the immediate cause of Michal's barrenness was her contempt for David's worship to God before the maidservants, the presence of the teraphim in her home is viewed by many as evidence of her lack of devotion to God that led to her punishment of no children. Michal's childlessness served as a divine judgment that effectively ended Saul's royal line through her, ensuring the Davidic dynasty proceeded through other wives like Bathsheba.
Reuben's Punishment For Defiling His Father Jacob's Bed
And Laying With Jacob's Concubine Bilhah
While Jacob (Israel) was living in the region of Migdal Eder, his eldest son Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, who was Jacob's concubine and the handmaid of his deceased wife Rachel. Genesis 35:22 says And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
Reuben's act of defiling his father's bed had severe repercussions for Reuben's future. On his deathbed, Jacob revoked Reuben's status as the firstborn, stating he was unstable as water and would no longer excel because he went up to his father's couch. The double portion of the inheritance typically reserved for the firstborn was instead given to the sons of Joseph.
Jacob said at Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 1 Chronicles 5:1 says Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn; but, forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.
The following consequences occurred for the tribe of Reuben after Jacob cursed Reuben for defiling his bed and laying with Bilhah. 1) Loss of birthright where the double portion of inheritance went to Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim. 2) Loss of leadership where the kingly line and the scepter were given to Judah that led to King David and the Lord Jesus. 3) Loss of priesthood where the religious leadership was later assigned to the tribe of Levi. 4) Lack of prominent leaders where historically, no judge, prophet, or king of renown emerged from the tribe of Reuben. Reuben suffered a great loss for just one sinful act of defiling his father Jacob's bed.
Jacob cursed Reuben for defiling his bed because sleeping with a father's concubine was often a claim to leadership or a way to usurp the father's authority while he was still alive. Absalom tried to usurp his father David's authority by sleeping in public with David's concubines on a roof.
Jewish commentaries suggest that Reuben did not literally sleep with Bilhah. Instead Reuben displaced or rearranged his father's bed by moving it from Bilhah's tent to Leah's tent. After Rachel died, Jacob moved his primary bed into the tent of Bilhah (Rachel's handmaid). Reuben, the eldest son of Leah, saw this as a deep humiliation to his mother Leah. He argued that while it was understandable for Jacob to prefer his mother's sister (Rachel), it was intolerable for him to now prefer Rachel's servant Bilhah over Leah.
To protest this perceived slight, Reuben entered Bilhah's tent and moved Jacob's bed out of Bilhah's tent and back into Leah's tent. Some translations of the Hebrew word bilbel suggest he disarranged the sleeping arrangements rather than just neatly moving them. Reuben's interference with his father Jacob's intimate life by moving his father's bed profaned (defiled) the Divine presence that rested over his father's bed. Despite this gentle explanation, Reuben's act was a grave transgression of filial respect for his father Jacob, which is why Jacob ultimately stripped Reuben of his birthright on Jacob's deathbed.
Unlike Reuben, deny sin daily by looking with your hearts to the Lord Jesus and avoid death. Jesus said at Luke 9:23 If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again.
The reason Joseph's sons received Jacob's double portion blessing instead of Reuben was because Joseph unlike Reuben denied having an affair with an older woman pictured above who was Potiphar's wife. Let's all be like Joseph pictured above and flee from the sexual sins of adultery, incest, and fornication that usually are the worst sins that appear first in bible lists of sins. I'll prove this to you while I quote several scriptures where fornication and adultery appear first in bible lists of sins that we must avoid in order to be blessed and live with Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:9 says Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Galatians 5:19 says Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. Fornication and adultery usually top bible lists of sins and we should all daily deny these sins and look to the Lord Jesus in order to live with peace.
1 Corinthians 6:18 warns us to Flee fornication (any illicit sex including incest with close relatives, adultery, homosexuality, and lesbianism). Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. And notice how the will of God is defined at 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that says For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.
If Reuben had avoided incest with Bilhah, he would have received so many blessings as the firstborn son of Jacob. If you are tempted to sin, learn to look to the Lord Jesus and deny any small little sin that will eventually get worse and cause death. To avoid sin, daily study the Word of God and listen to anointed praise and worship music. Ephesians 5:19 says Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
If in the past you have been guilty of any sin don't be discouraged because you can be forgiven and the blood of Jesus can remove all your sins and make you clean. The Lord Jesus would say to you, Live, and go, and sin no more. 1 John 1:7 says But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Note the following scriptures that encourage us to deny the smallest sins to live a blessed life and avoid problems and death. Song Of Solomon 2:15 says Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Ecclesiastes 10:1 says Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 1 Corinthians 5:6 says Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Ephesians 4:27 says Neither give place to the devil.
Pictured above we see how blessed it is for a man and a woman (not a man and a man or a woman and a woman) to be married in the sight of God. It's wrong when any country approves and supports same sex marriage. The bible defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Mark 10:7 says For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife (called a woman bride).
Brother Bob tells everyone that same sex marriage is wrong and that God declares that marriage between a man and a woman is a blessing. Jesus wants a man and a woman to be married and have children trained up in the goodness of our Lord Jesus. Hebrews 13:4 says Marriage is honourable (called precious) in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Jesus showed Brother Bob that when Reuben committed incest with his stepmother Bilhah, the prophet Amos said that Reuben profaned the name of God. Amos 2:7 says And a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name. Just the thought of a child committing incest with his parent is wicked. It's like a man that I heard about who divorced his wife and married his mother in law. Deuteronomy 27:20 says Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 22:30 says A man shall not take his father's wife, nor discover his father's skirt.
Reuben's sin of incest with his stepmother was worse than anything that a heathen Gentile could do. The sin of incest was not even named or mentioned among the Gentiles. 1 Corinthians 5:1 says It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you.
This scripture reminds Brother Bob of modern day America where homosexuals and lesbians are puffed up and rejoice in laws approving same sex marriage. Like Paul, Brother Bob mourns about these ungodly laws approved by America and prays that America's leaders will repent and reinstate the sanctified definition of a marriage to be the union of a man and a woman.
Because of Reuben's sin of incest, his children made wrong decisions and also lost blessings because of their father's sins. I pray that parents in any country reading this can unlike Reuben, be like the parents pictured above and daily train their kids to pray and learn about the Lord Jesus and the bible. Our kids today need to learn about Jesus and the truths from the bible. What a precious picture above of the little girl praying and learning about our Lord Jesus.
Reuben's sons also sinned and tried to undo what their father had lost when they along with Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses to obtain the priesthood that Reuben had lost to Levi. Reuben's sons should have said God forgive us and let's do whatever you command, realizing that they can't go back and undo their father's prior sins. Numbers 16:1 says Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, 250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
Because Reuben's sons sinned trying to become priests, Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and Reuben's sons all went down quickly into the the pit of hell as the earth opened up and swallowed them alive. Also the 250 famous princes that unlawfully tried to be priests by offering incense were burned to death as the fire of God consumed them. This story is also found at Numbers 16. What's amazing is that after the earth swallowed up all these people, many people kept complaining to Moses that it was wrong for God to kill these sons of Reuben. As a result, a plague afflicted the people because of their murmurings and Aaron as the high priest had to pray to stop the plague. Aaron was like the Lord Jesus who continuously prays for us to repent to avoid plagues. This is proven by Hebrews 7:25 that says Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
Just a couple of more notes on how Reuben's one sin of incest caused the tribe of Reuben to suffer a great loss. Reuben was the first tribe taken as slaves to be captives to the Syrian enemy. This is proven by 1 Chronicles 5:25 that says And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
You might say after reading about all of Reuben's losses for his tribe and children, is there any hope for Reuben? Brother Bob says yes there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel for Reuben and that light is the Lord Jesus. The bible proves that the Lord Jesus forgave Reuben of his sin of incest because Reuben's name is on one of the twelve gates in the kingdom of God. The story about Reuben has a happy ending because a blessing was proclaimed for Reuben by Moses at Deuteronomy 33:6 that says Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few.
If Reuben can be forgiven for his wicked sin of incest, right now receive forgiveness for any past sin you ever did and get saved. The blood of Jesus will cleanse you from any sin. Reuben was blessed to be listed as one of 12 tribes at Revelation 7:5, but because of his sin of incest with Bilhah, Judah was listed as the first tribe before firstborn Reuben, who is listed as the second tribe at Revelation 7:5
Another thing I learned this week was that Abraham also committed more sexual sins after Sarah died that caused the birth of many Arab Muslims that to this day persecute Israel and the people of God. After Sarah died, Abraham sinned and married another wife named Keturah who had five children that started Arab Muslim nations that to this day are the enemies of Israel. This was a sin because the promised blessing was already given to Isaac, the son of Sarah, and Abraham knew that the promised blessing would not be given to any of Keturah's sons.
Genesis 25:1 says Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran (musician), and Jokshan (snarer), and Medan (contention), and Midian (strife), and Ishbak (he releases), and Shuah (wealth). Genesis 25:5 says And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country (modern day Iraq and Iran). Keturah's children became the modern day Arab Muslims in Iraq and Iran.
Remember though, if you are reading this book about the Lord Jesus in a Muslim Arab nation that is an enemy to Israel, you can be saved with the Lord Jesus today. Lord Jesus bless anyone that reads this bible study in any Muslim Arab nation, and I pray in Jesus name that these Muslims get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for them, was buried, and rose again.
Revelation 22:17 says And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Jesus said at John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Jesus receives anyone in any nation from any background that repents, confesses that Jesus is God, and believes the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for them, was buried, and rose again.
Ruth, who lived in Moab, a country that was an enemy to Israel, was blessed when she got saved and decided to leave Moab and become a citizen of Israel. Ruth told Naomi at Ruth 1:16 Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Manasseh and Ephraim were two half Egyptians that were blessed to be named among the twelve tribes of Israel. Cornelius, a Gentile who was a Roman centurion was blessed when he got saved and received the Holy Ghost from Peter, even though Rome was an enemy to Israel.
I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt. N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 746-7071. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.
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