‘And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and she said to Jacob, “Give me children or I die.”
Rachel's great distress at the way things have turned out is apparent. She feels she has failed Jacob and is conscious of the congratulations being heaped on Leah. Her words here probably reflect a continual period of nagging, which to someone who loved her so much became exasperating.
“Give me children or I die.” Rachel sees little point in life and is suffering mild depression. And she seek partly to put the blame on Jacob. He too is aware of a feeling of guilt. But he feels he has proved his ability to have children. The fault must be Rachel's. The account smacks of an eyewitness account.