Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.
Comment: Here we have mentioned 1. the birth of Jacob’s twelfth son, the second son of Rachel, a full biological brother to Joseph. Named Ben-oni by his mother as she died in childbirth, Jacob changed the newborn’s name to Ben-jamin. Hebrew isn’t always easy to translate into English but in context this seems likely, to me, ‘son of my sorrow’ (as she was dying) to ‘son of my right hand’ (as Rachel was always Jacob’s favourite). 2. Sadly we have the Death and Burial of Rachel. 3. I assume, near the time when her mistress died, maybe to comfort her, but very foolishly, Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son slept with Bilhah, the recently dead, Rachel’s Handmaid. We are told that his father heard about it but we are not told how Jacob handled the news. Which reminds us of how many things we come across in life to which there is no easy answer. What would I have done?
Prayer: Thank You for answering prayer when we are in the midst of moral situations, O Father. Teach me to seek Your wisdom.
As I read it! 