The Meaning of Genesis 30:13 Explained

Genesis 30:13

KJV: And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

YLT: and Leah saith, 'Because of my happiness, for daughters have pronounced me happy;' and she calleth his name Asher.

Darby: And Leah said, Happy am I; for the daughters will call me blessed! and she called his name Asher.

ASV: And Leah said, Happy am I! for the daughters will call me happy: and she called his name Asher.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Leah  said,  Happy am I,  for the daughters  will call me blessed:  and she called  his name  Asher. 

What does Genesis 30:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 30:1-24 - Sons Born To Jacob
The details of this paragraph are given with great minuteness, because they concern the twelve sons of Jacob, the forefathers of Israel. After all, history is made in the nursery, and we are very much what our mothers have made us in the formative years. An old Spanish proverb says, "An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy." Leah's influence on her boys, as judged by their subsequent life, was anything but healthy; yet with Jacob being the man he was, there was poor chance for them to realize the highest ideals. Rachel's anguish of heart led her to earnest prayer. Compare Genesis 30:1; Genesis 30:22. Wait on God, oh, anguished ones: ye shall surely have reason to praise him. Was it not worth waiting for, to bear a Joseph, whose branches were to run over the wall in blessing? There are more compensations in life than we think for. If Rachel had her husband's love, Leah had a large family of boys. In the saddest lives there are glints of sunshine. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 30

1  Rachel, in grief for her barrenness, gives Bilhah her maid unto Jacob
5  Bilhah bears Dan and Naphtali
9  Leah gives Zilpah her maid, who bears Gad and Asher
14  Reuben finds mandrakes,
15  with which Leah buys her husband's company of Rachel
17  Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah
22  Rachel bears Joseph
25  Jacob desires to depart
27  Laban detains him on a new agreement
37  Jacob's policy, whereby he becomes rich

What do the individual words in Genesis 30:13 mean?

And said Leah I am happy for will call me blessed the daughters So she called - his name Asher
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לֵאָ֔ה בְּאָשְׁרִ֕י כִּ֥י אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי בָּנ֑וֹת וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ אָשֵֽׁר

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לֵאָ֔ה  Leah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: לֵאָה  
Sense: daughter of Laban, first wife of Jacob, and mother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.
בְּאָשְׁרִ֕י  I  am  happy 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹשֶׁר  
Sense: happiness.
אִשְּׁר֖וּנִי  will  call  me  blessed 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural, first person common singular
Root: אָשַׁר 
Sense: to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress.
בָּנ֑וֹת  the  daughters 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
וַתִּקְרָ֥א  So  she  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמ֖וֹ  his  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
אָשֵֽׁר  Asher 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָשֵׁר  
Sense: son of Jacob and Zilpah.