31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children. 32 Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.”

33 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Genesis 29:31-35 (NASB)

The Lord sees

Leah was substituted for Rachel in the grand “bait and switch” of yesterday. Jacob preferred and outwardly loved Rachel, but didn’t care much for Leah. Leah cries out for love and the Lord sees and responds.  We saw this earlier with Hagar, Abraham’s servant woman. She was cast out of the home due to internal strife (Genesis 16:13-16). She also called the Lord, “the God who sees”.

“Unloved” could also be understood to mean, “loved less”. The fact that she was getting pregnant shows that he was showing some kind of love toward her. But Jacob loved Rachel more. This is the same sense as Jesus used in Luke 14:26 where He told His disciples to love Him and, in comparison, to “hate” our mother and father. Check this link for more on that topic.

What’s in a name?

Leah named her sons based on her emotions in relation to longing for the love of her husband and how God favored her:

• Reuben – behold a son. This brought such joy and satisfaction to Leah. As he grew up, every time someone called his name, they would be reminded of God’s care for Leah in providing a son.
• Simeon – “שמעון shimon, hearing; i.e., God had blessed her with another son, because he had heard that she was hated-loved less than Rachel was.” (Clarke’s commentary)
• Levi – joined. She expected Jacob would become increasingly attached to her. “From Levi sprang the tribe of Levites, who instead of the first-born, were joined unto the priests in the service of the sanctuary. See Nu 18:2,4.” (Clarke’s commentary)
• Judah – praise. “Apparently, Leah stopped naming her children to reflect the pain and longing in her heart. At this point, she focused on God and could praise Him” (enduringword.com) The Messiah, Jesus, was chosen to come through Judah.

RЯeflection

• We should never forget that the Lord is always watching our lives. And He’s not just watching like it’s a documentary, He’s engaged and actively working to shape us into the image of Christ. He meets our deepest needs. He guides us, protects us, fills us, empowers us. Mostly, He loves us.
• Continuing this thought, we should also remember that life comes from Him. As here, He opens wombs to give birth. In that time and culture, having no kids was a curse. Though it’s not so much the same today, He clearly tells us children are a blessing from the Lord. (Psalm 127:3)