Genesis 30:14-20

The mandrake, a member of the potato and tomato family, is a plant that bears bluish flowers in winter and yellowish plum-size fruit in summer. The fruit has a strong, pleasant fragrance, and was thought to help barren women conceive. Some Arabs still use it as an aphrodisiac and call it "devil’s apple" (cf. Song of Solomon 7:13). [Note: von Rad, p. 295. See H. Moldenke and A. Moldenke, Plants of the Bible, pp. 137-39; M. Zoary, Plants of the Bible, pp. 188-89.]

"The outcome was ironical, the mandrakes doing nothing for Rachel, while Leah gained another son by parting with them." [Note: Kidner, p. 162.]

"Just as Jacob had purchased the birthright for a pot of stew (Genesis 25:29-34), so also Leah purchased the right to more children by Jacob with the mandrakes of her son Reuben (Genesis 30:14-16)." [Note: Sailhamer, "Genesis," p. 201.]

"’Sleep’ (skb), as a euphemism for sex, is never used for loving marital intercourse in this book, only for illicit or forced sex: Lot’s daughters with Lot (Genesis 19:32-35); the Philistines with Rebekah (Genesis 26:10); Shechem with Dinah (Genesis 34:2; Genesis 34:7); Reuben with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22); Potiphar’s wife with Joseph (Genesis 39:7; Genesis 39:10; Genesis 39:12; Genesis 39:14)." [Note: Waltke, Genesis, p. 413.]

Leah received her other children, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, because "God gave heed to Leah" (Genesis 30:17), not because of some magic supposedly connected with the mandrakes.

Jacob may have had daughters besides Dinah (cf. Genesis 37:35 and Genesis 46:7). She may be the only one mentioned by name because she is the only one whose experience Moses recorded later in Genesis (ch. 34).