Genesis 29:32

32 Then Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because Yahweh has noticed my misery, that I [am] unloved. Now my husband will love me."

Genesis 29:32 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 29:32

And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name
Reuben
That is, "see the son", as if she by this name called upon her husband, her friends, and all about her, to look at him, and view him; perhaps hoping and imagining he might be the famous son, the promised seed, the Messiah that was to spring to Abraham, in the line of Jacob; but if she so thought, she was greatly mistaken; for this son of hers proved unstable, and did not excel; or rather God hath seen or provided a son, as Hillerus ^F23 gives the signification of the name, which seems better to agree with what follows: for she said, surely the Lord hath looked on my affliction;
being deceived by her father, not so much loved by her husband as her sister was, and perhaps slighted by her: now therefore my husband will love me:
more than he has done, and equally as my sister, having bore him a son.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 918.

Genesis 29:32 In-Context

30 Then he also went in to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with him yet another seven years.

31 When Yahweh saw that Leah [was] unloved he opened her womb, but Rachel [was] barren.

32 Then Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because Yahweh has noticed my misery, that I [am] unloved. Now my husband will love me."

33 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. And she said, "[It is] because Yahweh has heard that I [am] unloved that he gave me this [son] also." And she called his name Simeon.

34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son. Then she said, "Now this time my husband will be joined to me, for I have borne him three sons." Therefore, she called his name Levi.