But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
Parallel translations
- WEB The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is so, why do I live?” She went to inquire of Yahweh.
- KJV And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
- BSB But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD,
- ESV The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
- NKJV But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
- NASB But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why am I in this condition?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The twins struggle in Rebekah's womb, and she seeks Yahweh for understanding.
Overview
The painful prenatal conflict troubles Rebekah, who rightly takes her distress to the Lord in inquiry. Her turning to God rather than mere human counsel models faith amid confusion. The struggle foreshadows the lifelong rivalry of the two nations descending from her sons.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Sam 9:9(In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)
- 1 Sam 30:8David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.”
- 1 Sam 10:22Therefore they asked of Yahweh further, “Is there yet a man to come here?” Yahweh answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
- 1 Sam 28:6When Saul inquired of Yahweh, Yahweh didn’t answer him by dreams, by Urim, or by prophets.
- Ezek 20:31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you!
- Ezek 36:37Thus says the Lord Yahweh: For this, moreover, will I be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: I will increase them with men like a flock.
- 1 Sam 22:15Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 25:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.