and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.
Parallel translations
- WEB She conceived, bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
- KJV And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
- NKJV And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.”
- NASB So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”
- NLT She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said.
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
Rachel conceives and bears a son, declaring that God has taken away her reproach. Her long shame of childlessness is removed.
Overview
In that culture barrenness was felt as a deep disgrace, so Rachel's joy at God removing her reproach is profound. Her words give glory to God as the one who ended her shame. This foreshadows the gospel pattern in which God lifts reproach and shame from his people, supremely through Christ who bears our disgrace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Luke 1:25“The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
- Luke 1:27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.
- Gen 29:31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
- 1 Sam 1:5–6But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
- Isa 4:1In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own bread and provide our own clothes. Just let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
- Luke 1:21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he took so long in the temple.
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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 30:23 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
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