Genesis 30:24
New International Version
She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

New Living Translation
And she named him Joseph, for she said, “May the LORD add yet another son to my family.”

English Standard Version
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”

Berean Standard Bible
She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

King James Bible
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

New King James Version
So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The LORD shall add to me another son.”

New American Standard Bible
And she named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD give me another son.”

NASB 1995
She named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD give me another son.”

NASB 1977
And she named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD give me another son.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And she named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh give me another son.”

Amplified Bible
She named him Joseph (may He add) and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Christian Standard Bible
She named him Joseph and said, “May the LORD add another son to me.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
She named him Joseph: “May the LORD add another son to me.”

American Standard Version
and she called his name Joseph, saying, Jehovah add to me another son.

Contemporary English Version
"I'll name the boy Joseph, and I'll pray that the LORD will give me another son."

English Revised Version
and she called his name Joseph, saying, The LORD add to me another son.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
She named him Joseph [May He Give Another] and said, "May the LORD give me another son."

Good News Translation
May the LORD give me another son"; so she named him Joseph.

International Standard Version
Because she had been asking, "May God give me another son," she named him Joseph.

Majority Standard Bible
She named him Joseph, and said, ?May the LORD add to me another son.?

NET Bible
She named him Joseph, saying, "May the LORD give me yet another son."

New Heart English Bible
So she named him Joseph, saying, "May God add another son to me."

Webster's Bible Translation
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD will add to me another son.

World English Bible
She named him Joseph, saying, “May Yahweh add another son to me.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and she calls his name Joseph, saying, “YHWH is adding to me another son.”

Young's Literal Translation
and she calleth his name Joseph, saying, 'Jehovah is adding to me another son.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And she will call his name Joseph, saying, God will add to me another son.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she called his name Joseph, saying: The Lord give me also another son.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And she called his name Joseph, saying, “The Lord has added to me another son.”

New American Bible
She named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add another son for me!”

New Revised Standard Version
and she named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD add to me another son!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And she called his name Yoseph, and she said, “God will add to me another son.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And she called his name Joseph, saying: 'The LORD add to me another son.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let God add to me another son.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Birth of Joseph
23and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. 24She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Cross References
Genesis 35:17-18
During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.” / And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

Genesis 41:51-52
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.” / And the second son he named Ephraim, saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

1 Samuel 1:20
So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

Genesis 21:6-7
Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.” / She added, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”

Genesis 48:16
the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall. / The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility. / Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, ...

Exodus 1:7
but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

Deuteronomy 33:13-17
Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath, / with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons, / with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills, ...

Psalm 127:3-5
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. / Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. / Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.

Psalm 128:3-4
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table. / In this way indeed shall blessing come to the man who fears the LORD.

Isaiah 49:20-21
Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’ / Then you will say in your heart, ‘Who has begotten these for me? I was bereaved and barren; I was exiled and rejected. So who has reared them? Look, I was left all alone, so where did they come from?’”

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

Luke 1:13-14
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. / He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,

Luke 1:57-60
When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a son. / Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. / On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah. ...


Treasury of Scripture

And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son.

And she.

Genesis 35:24
The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

Genesis 37:2,4
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report…

Genesis 39:1-23
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither…

Joseph.

Genesis 35:17,18
And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also…

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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.














She named him Joseph
The name "Joseph" in Hebrew is "Yosef," which means "He will add" or "May He add." This reflects Rachel's hope and prayer for God to bless her with more children. The naming of Joseph is significant as it foreshadows his future role in the narrative of Genesis, where he becomes a key figure in the preservation of his family and the nation of Israel. Joseph's life is a type of Christ, as he is a savior figure who endures suffering and rises to a position of power to save his people.

and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”
Rachel's statement is both a prayer and a prophecy. Her desire for another son is fulfilled with the birth of Benjamin, though it comes at the cost of her life (Genesis 35:16-19). This phrase highlights the cultural importance of bearing children, particularly sons, in the ancient Near Eastern context, as they were seen as a source of strength and legacy for the family. The invocation of "the LORD" (Yahweh) indicates Rachel's reliance on God's providence and blessing. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's sovereignty in granting children, as seen in other narratives such as the births of Isaac, Samuel, and John the Baptist.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Rachel
The beloved wife of Jacob, who had been barren for a long time before God opened her womb to bear Joseph.

2. Joseph
The first son of Rachel and Jacob, whose name means "May He add," reflecting Rachel's hope for more children.

3. Jacob
The patriarch, father of Joseph, who worked many years to marry Rachel and had children with her and her sister Leah.

4. God (Yahweh)
The one whom Rachel acknowledges as the source of her blessing and to whom she prays for more children.
Teaching Points
Faith in God's Timing
Rachel's long wait for a child teaches us to trust in God's perfect timing and plan for our lives.

The Power of Naming
The name "Joseph" reflects Rachel's faith and hope. Our words and names can express our faith and desires to God.

Acknowledging God's Blessings
Rachel's acknowledgment of God as the source of her blessing reminds us to give credit to God for the good things in our lives.

Hope for the Future
Rachel's desire for another son shows the importance of hope and prayer for future blessings, even when current prayers are answered.

Family Dynamics and Favoritism
Joseph's birth introduces themes of favoritism and family dynamics that have significant consequences, reminding us to seek fairness and love in our relationships.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
She named
וַתִּקְרָ֧א (wat·tiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

him Joseph,
יוֹסֵ֖ף (yō·w·sêp̄)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3130: Joseph -- 'he increases', a son of Jacob, also the name of several Israelites

and said,
לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“May the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

add
יֹסֵ֧ף (yō·sêp̄)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3254: To add, augment

to me
לִ֖י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

another
אַחֵֽר׃ (’a·ḥêr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

son.”
בֵּ֥ן (bên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Law: Genesis 30:24 She named him Joseph saying May Yahweh (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 30:23
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