30:14 At the time 1 of the wheat harvest Reuben went out and found some mandrake plants 2 in a field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” 30:15 But Leah replied, 3 “Wasn’t it enough that you’ve taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes too?” “All right,” 4 Rachel said, “he may sleep 5 with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
1 tn Heb “during the days.”
2 sn Mandrake plants were popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac in the culture of the time.
3 tn Heb “and she said to her”; the referent of the pronoun “she” (Leah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “therefore.”
5 tn Heb “lie down.” The expression “lie down with” in this context (here and in the following verse) refers to sexual intercourse. The imperfect verbal form has a permissive nuance here.