Genesis 30:11

Genesis 30:11

And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

a. NASB 1995: Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]

b. YLT: And Leah saith, 'A troop is coming;' and she calleth his name Gad. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Then Leah said, Victory and good fortune have come; and she named him Gad [fortune]. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. ESV: And Leah said, “Good fortune has come!” so she called his name Gad. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: And Leah declared, “Good luck  has come! So she called his name Gad.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE CHUMASH Copyright 1998, 2000 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ldt.]

1. “And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.”

a. [And] Leah [Strong: 3812 Lêʼâh, lay-aw'; from H3811; weary; Leah, a wife of Jacob:—Leah.]

b. said [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

c. [A] troop [Strong: 1409 gâd, gawd; from H1464 (in the sense of distributing); fortune:—troop.]

d. cometh [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

e. [and she] called [Strong: 7121 qârâʼ, kaw-raw'; a primitive root (rather identical with H7122 through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications):—bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.]

f. [his] name [Strong: 8034 shêm, shame; a primitive word [perhaps rather from H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare H8064]; an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character:—+ base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.]

g. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

h. Gad [Strong: 1410 Gâd, gawd; from H1464; Gad, a son of Jacob, including his tribe and its territory; also a prophet:—Gad.]

1). How do we know that the first 11 sons were born in just seven years? 

a). Genesis 31:41 tells us that Jacob had been with Laban in Paddan-aram for 20 years.  He had served 14 years to pay for his two wives and 6 years to take over the best of Laban’s flocks.

b). The first seven years paid for his first wife, Leah, then one week later he was given her sister Rachel as well.  This was based on an agreement that he would work another seven years for her. During those seven extra years of work, the first 11 sons were born.  We know this because Genesis 30:25-28 tells us that Jacob began to be paid after the birth of Joseph, who was the 11th son.

c). So the twenty years were split in three: Seven years of work for Leah before marrying both Leah and Rachel (one week apart). Seven years of work to pay for Rachel, during which 11 sons were born, concluding with Joseph. Six years of working for payment in the form of flocks and herds. From this we conclude that Joseph was born at the end of Jacob’s initial 14 years of service, probably just before he asked Laban for permission to return home.  At Laban’s request, Jacob subsequently stayed another 6 years, during which he acquired much of Laban’s livestock.  Thus, Joseph was 6 years old and his 10 older brothers were between 6 and 13 years old when they left.

2). 11 sons? From time to time I am asked how the birth of Jacob’s first 11 sons could fit into seven years.  Here is my answer.

a). For a start, we must acknowledge that these 11 sons came from four women: Laban’s two daughters, Leah and Rachel, and their two servant girls, Bilhah and Zilpah.  Sadly, both sisters believed that having children was essential to winning or keeping Jacob’s love.  The description of their machinations begins in Genesis 29:31 and continues through to Genesis 30:24.

3). Here is one way in which the birth of the 11 sons could fit in those 7 years (84 months):

a). Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah were all born consecutively from Leah.  They came in a hurry: probably within 36 to 40 months of marriage.

b). At some stage, Rachel decided that she was not able to have children.  This probably happened within a year of marriage, since there seems to have been a general expectation that women would become pregnant immediately after marriage.  She gave her servant girl Bilhah to Jacob as a wife/concubine, and I guess that Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali at around the same times as Levi and Judah were born.

c). Leah understood that she was not having any more children.  This probably happened within a few months of the birth of Judah.  She gave her servant girl Zilpah to Jacob as a wife/concubine and I guess that Zilpah bore Gad about 9 months later.

d). Zilpah then had another son, Asher, so I assume that Leah was still not becoming pregnant when Asher was conceived.  The two servant girls appear to have been wives to Jacob solely for the purpose of producing children in the competition between Rachel and Leah.

e). Leah then has Issachar and Zebulun.  I would guess that Issachar was not much younger than Asher.

f). Rachel finally became pregnant after a little more than 6 years of marriage. I would guess that Joseph was very little younger than Zebulun.

https://www.bibletales.online/birth-of-jacobs-sons/