Lux Domini
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.

What does Genesis 35:17 mean?

Rachel had passionately said, Give me children, or else I die; and now that she had children, she died! The death of the body is but the departure of the soul to the world of spirits.

Key themes

HopeAnxiety and fearCreationFall

Read with

Keep this verse inside Genesis 35:16-20 and alongside a few nearby related passages.

Commentary on Genesis 35:17

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,....

Key words

pass

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,.

labour

And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour,.

Context in Genesis 35

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Genesis 35 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the family line through Isaac and Jacob. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

creationfallcovenantpromise

Explore by topic

Bible verses about hope

A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.

Bible verses about anxiety and fear

Verses for readers searching for biblical language about fear, worry, troubled thoughts, and the call to trust God under pressure.