创世记——第三十章

约拿

创世记第三十章： 30:1 拉结见自己不给雅各生子，就嫉妒她姐姐，对雅各说：“你给我孩子，不然我就死了。” 30:2 雅各向拉结生气说：“叫你不生育的是　神，我岂能代替他作主呢？” 30:3 拉结说：“有我的使女辟拉在这里，你可以与她同房，使她生子在我膝下，我便因她也得孩子（注：原文作“被建立”）。” 30:4 拉结就把她的使女辟拉给丈夫为妾，雅各便与她同房， 30:5 辟拉就怀孕给雅各生了一个儿子。 30:6 拉结说：“　神伸了我的冤，也听了我的声音，赐我一个儿子。”因此给他起名叫但（注：就是“伸冤”的意思）。 30:7 拉结的使女辟拉又怀孕，给雅各生了第二个儿子。 30:8 拉结说：“我与我姐姐大大相争，并且得胜。”于是给他起名叫拿弗他利（注：就是“相争”的意思）。 30:9 利亚见自己停了生育，就把使女悉帕给雅各为妾。 30:10 利亚的使女悉帕给雅各生了一个儿子。 30:11 利亚说：“万幸！”于是给他起名叫迦得（注：就是“万幸”的意思）。 30:12 利亚的使女悉帕又给雅各生了第二个儿子。 30:13 利亚说：“我有福啊，众女子都要称我是有福的！”于是给他起名叫亚设（注：就是“有福”的意思）。 30:14 割麦子的时候，吕便往田里去寻见风茄，拿来给他母亲利亚。拉结对利亚说：“请你把你儿子的风茄给我些。” 30:15 利亚说：“你夺了我的丈夫还算小事吗？你又要夺我儿子的风茄吗？”拉结说：“为你儿子的风茄，今夜他可以与你同寝。”　 30:16 到了晚上，雅各从田里回来，利亚出来迎接他说：“你要与我同寝，因为我实在用我儿子的风茄把你雇下了。”那一夜雅各就与她同寝。 30:17 神应允了利亚，她就怀孕，给雅各生了第五个儿子。 30:18 利亚说：“　神给了我价值，因为我把使女给了我丈夫。”于是给他起名叫以萨迦（注：就是“价值”的意思）。 30:19 利亚又怀孕，给雅各生了第六个儿子。 30:20 利亚说：“　神赐我厚赏，我丈夫必与我同住，因我给他生了六个儿子。”于是给他起名叫西布伦（注：就是“同住”的意思）。 30:21 后来又生了一个女儿，给她起名叫底拿。 30:22 神顾念拉结，应允了她，使她能生育。 30:23 拉结怀孕生子，说：“　神除去了我的羞耻。” 30:24 就给他起名叫约瑟（注：就是“增添”的意思），意思说：“愿耶和华再增添我一个儿子。” 30:25 拉结生约瑟之后，雅各对拉班说：“请打发我走，叫我回到我本乡本土去。 30:26 请你把我服事你所得的妻子和儿女给我，让我走；我怎样服事你，你都知道。” 30:27 拉班对他说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，请你仍与我同住，因为我已算定，耶和华赐福与我是为你的缘故。” 30:28 又说：“请你定你的工价，我就给你。” 30:29 雅各对他说：“我怎样服事你，你的牲畜在我手里怎样，是你知道的。 30:30 我未来之先，你所有的很少，现今却发大众多，耶和华随我的脚步赐福与你。如今我什么时候才为自己兴家立业呢？” 30:31 拉班说：“我当给你什么呢？”雅各说：“什么你也不必给我，只有一件事，你若应承，我便仍旧牧放你的羊群。 30:32 今天我要走遍你的羊群，把绵羊中凡有点的、有斑的和黑色的，并山羊中凡有斑的、有点的，都挑出来；将来这一等的就算我的工价。 30:33 以后你来查看我的工价，凡在我手里的山羊，不是有点有斑的，绵羊不是黑色的，那就算是我偷的；这样，便可证出我的公义来。” 30:34 拉班说：“好啊，我情愿照着你的话行。” 30:35 当日，拉班把有纹的、有斑的公山羊，有点的、有斑的、有杂白纹的母山羊，并黑色的绵羊，都挑出来，交在他儿子们的手下， 30:36 又使自己和雅各相离三天的路程。雅各就牧养拉班其余的羊。 30:37 雅各拿杨树、杏树、枫树的嫩枝，将皮剥成白纹，使枝子露出白的来， 30:38 将剥了皮的枝子，对着羊群，插在饮羊的水沟里和水槽里，羊来喝的时候，牝牡配合。 30:39 羊对着枝子配合，就生下有纹的、有点的、有斑的来。 30:40 雅各把羊羔分出来，使拉班的羊与这有纹和黑色的羊相对，把自己的羊另放一处，不叫他和拉班的羊混杂。 30:41 到羊群肥壮配合的时候，雅各就把枝子插在水沟里，使羊对着枝子配合。 30:42 只是到羊瘦弱配合的时候就不插枝子。这样，瘦弱的就归拉班，肥壮的就归雅各。　 30:43 于是雅各极其发大，得了许多的羊群、仆婢、骆驼和驴。

约拿

　　三Ｏ1～13 拉结急于膝下有孩子，就把自己的使女辟拉嫁给雅各为妾。虽然这种做法在当时十分普遍，但这是违背神的旨意。辟拉生了两子——但和拿弗他利。利亚不让拉结做的比她多，也把使女悉帕嫁给雅各，多生两子——迦得和亚设。

　　以色列人的三位伟大祖先亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的妻子都在怀孕生子的事上有困难，但他们对困境的反应各有不同：亚伯拉罕纳撒拉的使女夏甲为妾，给自己生孩子，结果为家庭带来嫉妒和苦毒；以撒祷告神，结果蒙神垂听，妻子利百加怀孕，生了双生子；雅各则效法他的祖父，从妻子的使女而得孩子，造成悲哀痛苦的后果。

　　三Ｏ14～24 流便寻见的风茄是着茄的一种，是生于巴勒斯坦地的植物(参歌七13)，其根茎形似人体下部。当地人迷信食其果后会催情，容易怀孕，故有“爱情果”之称。拉结不能生育，想要些风茄。交换的代价是拉结同意让利亚作雅各的妻子（基于没有解释的原因，利亚显然已经失去作妻子的权利。）拉结相信那些风茄可以帮助她生孩子，所以宁可让出与丈夫同寝的机会，也要得到那些风茄。但是结果，那些风茄并未帮助她生育，反倒因此让利亚多生了一个孩子(参17节)。

　　此后，利亚多生两个儿子——以萨迦和西布伦，和一个女儿——底拿。

　　拉结最终也生了第一个儿子，取名约瑟，表示她增添她一个儿子。神终于垂听拉结的祷告，使她怀孕生子。但可惜她已将使女辟拉给雅各作妾，且为他生了孩子。事不顺遂而情况又不见好转时，要信靠神并不容易，但是拉结倚靠自己的结果反而更差。在好象毫无希望的时候，我们要拿出忍耐和勇气，等候神工作。

4．雅各与拉班斗智（三Ｏ25～43）

　　三Ｏ25～36 雅各告诉拉班，他想回迦南的家乡。拉班就促请他仍住下。拉班说他凭经验算定，耶和华赐福与他是因为雅各的缘故。他若留下，就会得着他的工价。雅各答应，拉班若肯把绵羊中凡有点的、有斑的和黑色的，并山羊中凡有斑的，有点的都给了雅各，他就留下继续服事他。其余的都归给拉班。在正常情形下，中东地区的绵羊通常是纯白色，山羊是纯黑色(或纯棕色)，纯黑的绵羊和有斑点的绵、山羊均为数极少。雅各的意思是先把那些少数的纯黑色绵羊，和有斑点的绵羊、山羊，都挑出来另放一处，免得混杂；将来从纯白色的绵羊和纯黑色的山羊中，若生了纯黑色的绵羊和有斑点的绵、山羊，那些才算是他的工价。按人的常理推论，这种或然率很低。

　　拉班接受协定，说：“好啊！我情愿照着你的话行。”诡诈的拉班认为有利可图，所以非常乐于采纳雅各的建议。拉班把大部分指定要给雅各的牲畜都挑出来。交给他儿子们牧养。他深知羊群的下一代可能生有斑点，即带有归属雅各标记的。然后，把自己无斑点的羊群交托给雅各，又使自己的儿子和雅各相离三天的路程，使拉班儿子牧养有斑点的羊群跟雅各替拉班牧养无斑点的羊群无法交配。

　　三Ｏ37～43 雅各把剥了皮的枝子，对着羊群插在饮羊的水沟里和水槽里。羊在吃草时不交配，只在去喝水的地方才交配，所以雅各将剥了皮露出白纹的树枝插在这些地方。结果羊对着枝子配合，就生下有纹的、有点的、有斑的来。当然，它们通通归雅各所有。剥了皮的枝子真的能使动物身上生有斑点吗？这种方法有否科学根据还不得而知（新的基因证据显示这种方法是有可能的）。羊群何以生得如雅各所愿的有斑点的呢？首先，这可能是神迹（参看三一12）也可能是雅各想出来的妙计。文中暗示雅各晓得替羊群拣选交配的学问。只是他小心替它们交配，他不但使生出来的羊群如他所愿的有斑点，还可使归他的羊肥壮，伯拉班的瘦弱。或许，剥了皮的枝子只不过是雅各用来隐瞒配合秘方的技俩。不论解释如何，雅各在服事拉班最后六年，家财倍增。

　　尽管拉班用诡计苛待雅各，雅各仍日渐昌大，甚至可以说，雅各的昌大发达，正是拉班多年用不公正的手段欺压他的结果。雅各非常精明，极其干练。也许他的精明和干练，是基督徒的伦理所无法认可的。但我们得知拉班一再的欺诈，并未使他自己致富，反叫雅各极其发大。

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Genesis 30 The Sons of Jacob 1Now when Rachel saw that (A)she bore Jacob no children, she became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, "(B)Give me children, or else I die." 2Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has (C)withheld from you the fruit of the womb?" 3She said, "(D)Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may (E)bear on my knees, that (F)through her I too may have children." 4So (G)she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. 5Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6Then Rachel said, "God has (H)vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son." Therefore she named him Dan. 7Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8So Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed." And she named him Naphtali. 9When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11Then Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad. 12Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13Then Leah said, "Happy am I! For women (I)will call me happy." So she named him Asher. 14Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found (J)mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." 15But she said to her, "Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son's mandrakes also?" So Rachel said, "Therefore he may lie with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." 16When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he lay with her that night. 17God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18Then Leah said, "God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband." So she named him Issachar. 19Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20Then Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she named him Zebulun. 21Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah. 22Then (K)God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and (L)opened her womb. 23So she conceived and bore a son and said, "God has (M)taken away my reproach." 24She named him Joseph, saying, "(N)May the LORD give me another son." Jacob Prospers 25Now it came about when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, "(O)Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country. 26"Give me my wives and my children (P)for whom I have served you, and let me depart; for you yourself know my service which I have rendered you." 27But Laban said to him, "If now [a]it pleases you, stay with me; I have divined (Q)that the LORD has blessed me on your account." 28He continued, "(R)Name me your wages, and I will give it." 29But he said to him, "(S)You yourself know how I have served you and how your cattle have fared with me. 30"For you had little before I came and it has increased to a multitude, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I turned. But now, when shall I provide for my own household also?" 31So he said, "What shall I give you?" And Jacob said, "You shall not give me anything. If you will do this one thing for me, I will again pasture and keep your flock: 32let me pass through your entire flock today, removing from there every (T)speckled and spotted sheep and every black one among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages. 33"So my honesty will answer for me later, when you come concerning my wages. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and black among the lambs, if found with me, will be considered stolen." 34Laban said, "Good, let it be according to your word." 35So he removed on that day the striped and spotted male goats and all the speckled and spotted female goats, every one with white in it, and all the black ones among the sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons. 36And he put a distance of three days' journey between himself and Jacob, and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks. 37Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. 38He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. 39So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. 40Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban's flock. 41Moreover, whenever the stronger of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods; 42but when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. 43So (U)the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.