Study Desk

To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you."

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.

But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

So Sarai said to Abram, "Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her." Abram did what Sarai told him.

I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then the Lord will give to Abraham what he promised him."

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

She went on to say, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!"

Now swear to me right here in God's name that you will not deceive me, my children, or my descendants. Show me, and the land where you are staying, the same loyalty that I have shown you."

After these things Abraham was told, "Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor—

His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore him children—Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

But the children struggled inside her, and she said, "If it is going to be like this, I'm not so sure I want to be pregnant!" So she asked the Lord ,

She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, "This time I will praise the Lord ." That is why she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

When Rachel saw that she could not give Jacob children, she became jealous of her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children or I'll die!"

Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

She replied, "Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with her so that she can bear children for me and I can have a family through her."

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

Let me take my wives and my children whom I have acquired by working for you. Then I'll depart, because you know how hard I've worked for you."

Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you."

So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels.