Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Yesterday, whom he left off, Jacob had just married two sisters, Leah and Rachel.

Do you impart to some deception from his father-in-law?

And Jacob's wife Leah had just had four sons.

Today we open with Rachel being envious of Leah's ability to bear children.

She puts some weight on Jacob to get her pregnant, but Jacob gets defensive and points out

that only God can give life.

We'll see that repeatedly in this chapter.

Rachel decided to follow the ways of her grandmother-in-law slash great great aunt Sarah by offering

her maid servant Bilha to her husband.

If you recall, this did not go well for Sarah.

Stick around to see if it solves all Rachel's problems.

Bilha had two children for Jacob and Rachel.

But then Leah follows suit and gives her maid servant, Silpa to Jacob and she has two more

sons.

So now the tally is Leah, four, Leah by Silpa, two and Rachel by Bilha, two.

But this sibling rivalry is far from over.

Bitterness and jealousy have been growing in their hearts and left unattended.

A bitter heart will often resort to manipulation and retaliation, which is what Leah does next.

This Jacob probably spent most nights with Rachel, the wife he loved.

Leah trades Rachel some plants in exchange for a night with Jacob.

Interestingly, this particular plant, the Mandrake, was believed to promote fertility,

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