Genesis 25:24 — Word Study
WLCוַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃
BSAWhen her timeyôwm [to be delivered, days to give birth] camemâlêʼ▸ to give birthyâlad [to beget, to bring forth] there were indeedhinnêh [behold, look] twinstâʼôwm [twin brothers, two born at once] in her wombbeṭen [belly, the seat of life]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ | and they were completed | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| יָמֶ֖יהָ | days her | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| לָלֶ֑דֶת | to give birth | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| וְהִנֵּ֥ה | and there! | Conjunction, particle |
| תוֹמִ֖ם | twins | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃ | [were] in womb her | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. |
| KJV | ¶ And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. |
| ASV | And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. |
| YLT | And her days to bear are fulfilled, and lo, twins [are] in her womb; |
| WEB | When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. |
| BBE | And when the time came for her to give birth, there were two children in her body. |
Where they part company is וְהִנֵּ֥ה — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence begins with a temporal clause setting the stage for the main action, followed by details that elaborate on the event.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
subjectתֹּואֲמִם
verbמָלֵא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 25:24
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Birth of Esau and Jacobgenerated
Genesis 25:24 describes the moment when Rebekah's pregnancy reaches its culmination. The narrative emphasizes the miraculous nature of her pregnancy, as she carries twins, Esau and Jacob. This event is significant in the larger story of the patriarchs, as these twins will grow to become the ancestors of two nations, fulfilling God's earlier promise to Rebekah.
Cross References
The Key Word — וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ, vai.yim.le.'Ugenerated
The verb מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full.' In this context, it indicates that the designated time for Rebekah to give birth has been completed. The parsing as a sequential imperfect third person masculine plural shows that this action is ongoing and relates to the fulfillment of a specific period.
This word can also imply completion in a broader sense, such as fulfilling a promise or reaching a goal. In this verse, it signifies that the days of her pregnancy are now full, leading to the moment of childbirth.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ governs the structure of the verse, indicating that the time has been completed. The subject of this verb is implied, referring to Rebekah's pregnancy. The sentence follows with a prepositional phrase that describes the state of her womb, culminating in the revelation of the twins.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on the completion of the days before introducing the significant detail of the twins' presence, highlighting the miraculous aspect of the event.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ as ἐπληρώθησαν, which conveys the idea of being filled or completed. This choice reflects a similar understanding of the fulfillment of time, aligning with the Hebrew meaning of the word.
The Greek term emphasizes the completion of the time for childbirth, paralleling the Hebrew text's focus on the arrival of the twins.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 25:24 tells us that when Rebekah's time to give birth arrived, she had twins in her womb. This verse highlights the fulfillment of her pregnancy and sets the stage for the birth of Esau and Jacob, two significant figures in the biblical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that the time period designated for Rebekah's pregnancy was completed, leading to the moment of childbirth.
The twins, Esau and Jacob, are central figures in the biblical narrative, representing two nations and fulfilling God's promise to Rebekah.
This verse marks a pivotal moment in their family story, as the birth of the twins sets in motion the events that will shape the future of Israel.
Esau and Jacob become the ancestors of two nations, with Jacob later receiving the covenant blessing, which is foundational to the Israelite identity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the fulfillment of Rebekah's pregnancy teach us about God's promises?
- How can we see the significance of twins in our own families or communities?
- In what ways does the story of Esau and Jacob reflect broader themes of conflict and blessing?
- How does this passage encourage us to trust in God's timing for our lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Origen of Alexandria comments on this verse, noting its significance in the context of holy women and the fulfillment of their days for childbirth.
“And her days were fulfilled,” the text says, “that she should give birth, and there were twins in her womb.” This statement, that is, “her days were fulfilled that she should give birth,” is almost never written except of holy women.Early Church Fathers on Genesis 25 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 25:24 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd when her days to be delivered were fulfilled,.... The nine months were up from the time of her conception; or, as the Targum of Jonathan, when the two hundred and seventy days she went with child
Read John Gill on Genesis 25 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 25 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb.Ver. 24. And when her days to be delivered.] Which fell out fifteen years before Abraham’ s death, to his great comfort, no doubt. God doth for his, his best at last. There were twins in her womb.] See Son 4:2,Isaiah 66:8.
Read John Trapp on Genesis 25 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE TΤLDΤTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac—The Tτldτth in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his descent to Shem, and showing thereby that the right of primogeniture belonged to him; but the inspired historian uses only so much of this as is necessary for tracing the development of the Divine plan of human redemption. The Syrian.—Really, the Aramean, or descendant of Aram. (See Genesis 10:22-23.) The name of the district also correctly is “Paddan-Ararn,” and so far from being identical with Aram-Naharaim, in Genesis 24:10, it is strictly the designation of the region immediately in the…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 25 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 24. There were twins] תומם thomim, from which comes Thomas, properly interpreted by the word διδυμος, Didymus, which signifies a twin; so the first person who was called Thomas or Didymus, we may take for granted, had this name from the circumstance of his being a twin.
Read AdamClarke on Genesis 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.
When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, there were twins in her womb.
Tyndale line
¶ And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Therefore when her time of deliuerance was fulfilled, behold, twinnes were in her wombe.
Strictly literal
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And her days to bear are fulfilled, and lo, twins [are] in her womb;
And her days to bear are fulfilled, and behold, twins [are] in her womb;
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
When it was time for her to give birth, behold, there were twins in her womb.
From the Latin
And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb.
Simplified
When the time came she gave birth to twins.
And when the time came for her to give birth, there were two children in her body.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states: וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃. The Septuagint matches this closely, with all six words corresponding to the Hebrew. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using תאמים (twins) instead of תוֹמִ֖ם, but the overall meaning remains consistent.
וַיִּמְלְא֥וּ יָמֶ֖יהָ לָלֶ֑דֶת וְהִנֵּ֥ה תוֹמִ֖ם בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
וימלאו ימיה ללדת והנה תאמים בבטנה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: תאמים (twins)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 25:24
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' with applications ranging from literal filling to figurative uses like accomplishing or completing something. It appears in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances such as being satisfied or confirming. Notably, it can also refer to massing against someone.
מָלֵא 249 vb. be full, fill
Qal 99
be full, usu. c. acc. material
trans. fill
Niph.
be filled
be accomplished, ended
Pi.
fill
special uses are:
fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
Pu. filled
Hithp. mass themselves against me
base
H4390 מָלֵא be full, fill .. be full, usu. c. acc. material
. trans. fill
. . be filled
. be accomplished, ended
. . fill
. special uses are:
. fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
. filled
. mass themselves against me
4390 male' maw-lay'
or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or
(intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally
and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at
an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X
draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow,
fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume,
replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have
wholly.
מָלֵא (ma.le) — to fill.
1) to fill, be full
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be full
1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle)
1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
1b2) to be accomplished, be ended
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to fill
1c2) to satisfy
1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
1c4) to confirm
1d) (Pual) to be filled
1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against
Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/Vqw3mp
יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.
יוֹם 2285 n.m. day
day, opp. night
Day as division of time
יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
Pl. days of anyone
Days
יוֹם = time
Phrases
base
H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night
. Day as division of time
. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous
. Pl. days of anyone
. Days
. יוֹם = time
. Phrases
3117 yowm yome
from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm
hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one
sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by
an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +
chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)
day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +
(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as
(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,
presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,
then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,
weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole
(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.
יוֹם (yom) — day.
: day/when/time/period
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: old.
: old/(full/many)[days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
1b2a) a working day, a day's journey
1c) days, lifetime (pl.)
1d) time, period (general)
1e) year
1f) temporal references
1f1) today
1f2) yesterday
1f3) tomorrow
יוֹם (yom) — day: year.
: year[of_days]
1) day, time, year
1a) day (as opposed to night)
1b) day (24 hour period)
1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1
1b2) as a division of time
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3fs
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.
יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget
Qal
bear, bring forth
less often beget
of both parents
Niph. be born
Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
Pu. be born
Hiph.
beget (a father a child)
bear
Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday
Hithp. declared their pedigree
base
H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth
. less often beget
. of both parents
. be born
. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
. be born
. . beget (a father a child)
. bear
. day of one's being born = birthday
. declared their pedigree
3205 yalad yaw-lad'
a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;
medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show
lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring
forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be
delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,
labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be
the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.
1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of child birth
1a1b) of distress (simile)
1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be born
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cause or help to bring forth
1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife
1c3) midwife (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be born
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to beget (a child)
1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
burth (genesis):
(1) It was said by the angel beforehand of John the Baptist, "Many shall rejoice at his birth"; and when he was born Elisabeth said, "Thus hath the Lord done unto me .... to take away my reproach among men" (Lu 1:14,25). Among the ancient Hebrews barrenness was a "reproach" and the birth of a child, of a son especially, an occasion for rejoicing.
(2) This, no doubt, was due in part to the Messianic hope inspired and sustained by prophecy (see Ge 3:15, where it was foretold that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head; and subsequent prophecies too numerous to mention). Cases in point worth studying are found in Ge 4:1, where Eve rejoices over the birth of her firstborn and cries, "I have gotten a…
Birth
As soon as a child was born it was washed, and rubbed with salt (Ezek. 16:4), and then swathed with bandages (Job 38:9; Luke 2:7, 12). A Hebrew mother remained forty days in seclusion after the birth of a son, and after the birth of a daughter double that number of days. At the close of that period she entered into the tabernacle or temple and offered up a sacrifice of purification (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:22). A son was circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, being thereby consecrated to God (Gen. 17:10-12; comp.
הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.
הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!
base
H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!
2009 hinneh hin-nay'
prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.
see HEBREW for 02005
הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.
behold, lo, see, if
Conj | Part — Conjunction · particleHC/Tj
תּוֹאָם (ta'owm) means 'twin' and is used only in the plural form. It is derived from the root word for 'to be double' and is referenced in various contexts, though specific verses are not provided in the entries.
[תּוֹאָם] n.m. twin
base
H8380 [תּוֹאָם] twin
8380 ta'owm taw-ome'
or taom {taw-ome'}; from 8382; a twin (in plural only),
literally or figuratively:--twins.
see HEBREW for 08382
תּוֹאָם (ta.om) — twin.
twin
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
→ Jacob and Esau Ge 25:24-26
→ Pharez and Zerah Ge 38:27-30
Ge 25:24; 38:27
The Hebrew word בֶּ֫טֶן (*beten*) primarily means 'belly,' 'body,' or 'womb.' It is derived from a root suggesting hollowness and encompasses various uses, including the physical abdomen and metaphorical meanings, such as the seat of hunger or mental faculties. The lexicons consistently highlight these aspects without significant disagreement.
בֶּ֫טֶן n.f. belly, body, womb
base
H990 בֶּ֫טֶן belly, body, womb
990 beten beh'-ten
from an unused root probably meaning to be hollow; the belly,
especially the womb; also the bosom or body of anything:--
belly, body, + as they be born, + within, womb.
בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: abdomen.
: abdomen
1) belly, womb, body
1a) belly, abdomen
1a1) as seat of hunger
1a2) as seat of mental faculties
1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)
1b) womb
בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: womb.
: womb/pregnancy
1) belly, womb, body
1a) belly, abdomen
1a1) as seat of hunger
1a2) as seat of mental faculties
1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)
1b) womb
בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: hump.
: hump
1) belly, womb, body
1a) belly, abdomen
1a1) as seat of hunger
1a2) as seat of mental faculties
1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)
1b) womb
בֶּ֫טֶן (be.ten) — belly: body.
: body
1) belly, womb, body
1a) belly, abdomen
1a1) as seat of hunger
1a2) as seat of mental faculties
1a3) of depth of Sheol (fig.)
1b) womb
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs