![]() Still, Leah shows us how God often compassionately blesses us even when we act manipulatively to get our way. By these two facts, the Lord shows His people that their superstitions are worthless, for He is sovereign over procreation. The plants from which the root is obtained are also called 'mandrakes'. Ironically, the blessing of fertility comes not to the one who ate the “magical” fruit, but to the one who gave it away. A mandrake is the root of a plant, historically derived either from plants of the genus Mandragora found in the Mediterranean region, or from other species, such as Bryonia alba, the English mandrake, which have similar properties. Moses tells us God listened to Leah and gave her a son even though her prayer is not recorded (vv. Fragrances are difficult to convey, but to my nose the fruit smells like a delicately spiced custard, scented with vanilla. While they look much like cherry tomatoes, their scent is entirely different. Both women are willing to barter for relational and sexual intimacy, things that should never be so grossly traded. The round fruits of Mandragora, once known as love apples, ripen to a pale yellow in May, and develop a bewitching fragrance. 30:15) and is plainly more concerned to bear children of her own than she is for her sister’s welfare. Rachel, in a sense, prostitutes Jacob by offering him to Leah for the desired fruit (Gen. 7:1–5) is evident in her willingness to trade the rare mandrakes for just one night with him. Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum L.): flowering plant with separate fruit, seed and sectioned fruit. It is part of mandrakes fame that the roots contain dangerous nightshade alkaloids so do not. It is no wonder that Leah accuses Rachel of stealing her husband since Jacob’s profound and sinful neglect of Leah (1 Cor. Deep pots are OK, but it is unlikely to bloom and set fruit. The mandrake root is part of the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshades. Rachel and Leah are both showing superstition by putting their hope in a plant without asking God’s blessing on the potential medicine (Ps. Rachel herself has not borne any children, Leah has become temporarily infertile (29:31–30:13), and both are seeking a cure in the mandrake.Īgain, the primary players in the chapter do not come off all that positively. 28:5), explains why both Leah and Rachel desired the plant. These qualities, coupled with the fact it was only rarely found in Paddan-aram where they lived (Gen. The root of this plant bifurcates resembling a pair of legs. The plant has a chubby root resembling that of a parsnip. It has been desired in many cultures because of a belief that it is an aphrodisiac and promotes fertility. Mandrake is a large leaved plant with a stout root that may grow offshoots. Mandragora officinarum popularly known as Satan’s apple or mandrake is a perennial plant belonging to Solanaceae Potato family. ![]() ![]() The mandrake is a Mediterranean plant with blue flowers in the winter and yellow, plum-like fruit in the summer. ![]() Verse 14 begins with a record of the time Rachel requested the mandrakes Reuben found for his mother Leah during the wheat harvest. Though doubtlessly well-known, the unspoken hostility between Rachel and her sister finds expression publicly in today’s passage. The tension that has been present for years in Jacob’s family due to the manner in which his wives envied each other comes to a boiling point after the birth of Asher to Leah’s maidservant (Gen. ![]()
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