Discovery BoxGenesis 30:39 
Context30:39 When the sheep mated 1 in front of the branches, they 2 gave birth to young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.
Genesis 30:42
Context30:42 But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. 3 So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban 4 and the stronger animals to Jacob.
1 tn The Hebrew verb used here can mean “to be in heat” (see v. 38) or “to mate; to conceive; to become pregnant.” The latter nuance makes better sense in this verse, for the next clause describes them giving birth.
2 tn Heb “the sheep.” The noun has been replaced by the pronoun (“they”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Heb “he did not put [them] in.” The referent of the [understood] direct object, “them,” has been specified as “the branches” in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “were for Laban.”
