Genesis 29:32 kjv
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
Genesis 29:32 nkjv
So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The LORD has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me."
Genesis 29:32 niv
Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."
Genesis 29:32 esv
And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
Genesis 29:32 nlt
So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me."
Genesis 29 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 16:13 | She called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing" | God's attribute of "seeing" affliction (El Roi) |
| Ex 2:24-25 | God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant... And God saw... | God's awareness and response to suffering |
| Ex 3:7 | The Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people in Egypt" | God's compassion for His afflicted people |
| Deut 26:7 | Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our | Israel's cry of distress heard by God |
| 1 Sam 1:11 | "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant" | Hannah's prayer mirroring Leah's situation |
| 1 Sam 1:19 | and the Lord remembered her. | God's active remembrance of the barren |
| 1 Sam 2:5 | the barren has borne seven, but she who had many children is forlorn. | God reversing barrenness and societal norms |
| Ps 9:12 | For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not forget the cry of the | God's remembrance of the oppressed |
| Ps 10:14 | You do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may recompense it | God's active observation of injustice/suffering |
| Ps 25:18 | Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. | Asking God to see and respond to personal distress |
| Ps 34:6 | This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his | God hears and saves the distressed |
| Ps 107:41 | He raises the needy out of affliction and makes their families like a flock | God lifts up the lowly and afflicted |
| Ps 119:50 | This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. | God's word bringing comfort in distress |
| Isa 63:9 | In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence | God sharing in His people's suffering |
| Rom 9:13 | "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." | God's sovereign choice despite human perceptions |
| 1 Cor 1:27 | God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is | God often chooses the lowly and despised |
| Heb 12:10 | For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he | Divine discipline bringing blessing |
| Jas 1:2-4 | Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds | Suffering as part of spiritual growth |
Genesis 29 verses
Genesis 29 32 Meaning
Genesis 29:32 details the birth of Leah's first son, Reuben, and the profound meaning she ascribed to his name. She acknowledged that the Lord (Yahweh) had "looked upon" her suffering and affliction, specifically her being unloved by her husband, Jacob. Her hope was that bearing this child would finally win Jacob's affection, signifying that even in human brokenness and partiality, God actively intervenes and extends compassion to the overlooked and distressed.
Genesis 29 32 Context
Genesis 29 recounts Jacob's journey to Paddan-Aram to escape Esau and find a wife among his mother's kin. Upon arriving, he falls deeply in love with Rachel, Laban's younger daughter. Laban, however, deceives Jacob, giving him Leah, the older daughter, as his wife after Jacob works seven years. Only after the week of marriage with Leah does Laban allow Jacob to also marry Rachel, but at the cost of another seven years of labor. This establishes a household where Jacob's profound love for Rachel overshadows his affection for Leah. Leah experiences emotional distress and feelings of neglect because she is unloved compared to her sister. Verse 32 marks a pivotal moment where, despite her human suffering, God intervenes, opening her womb and bestowing upon her the blessing of her first child, providing a source of hope and divine affirmation in her struggle.
Genesis 29 32 Word analysis
- And Leah conceived: This emphasizes divine agency, as human fertility was often understood as a gift or withholding by God in ancient Israel. It sets the stage for God's compassionate intervention.
- and bore a son: Signifies a significant blessing in a patriarchal society, securing a woman's status and providing an heir for the family line.
- and called his name Reuben (רְאוּבֵן - Re'uven): The name "Reuben" literally means "Behold a son!" or "See, a son!" It is a play on two Hebrew words that follow: ra'ah (to see) and ben (son). This onomatopoeic connection immediately links the name to the reason for his birth.
- for she said: This highlights Leah's personal interpretation and a theological reflection on God's actions. Naming was an important act of declaration and often prophetic in biblical narratives.
- 'Surely the Lord (יְהוָה - YHVH) has looked upon (רָאָה - ra'ah) my affliction (בְעָנְיִי - b'onyi)':
- The Lord (YHVH): This specific divine name emphasizes the covenant-keeping, personal God of Israel, who acts in history. It underscores that Leah perceived God's direct, compassionate involvement.
- has looked upon (ra'ah): The Hebrew word
ra'ahmeans "to see," but here it carries the connotation of not just observing, but observing with understanding, concern, and readiness to act. It echoes God's self-revelation as El Roi (God Who Sees) in Gen 16:13. - my affliction (b'onyi): The root
anah(עָנָה) speaks of humility, meekness, or distress brought about by oppression, poverty, or suffering. Leah's "affliction" here specifically refers to her being unloved and disregarded by Jacob, her marital sorrow, and perhaps the social shame of not being preferred. God saw her marginalized position.
- 'now therefore, my husband will love me.': This reveals Leah's desperate, human hope and motive. Despite experiencing divine compassion, her immediate desire remained for Jacob's love. This aspiration, rooted in her human condition, sets up future tensions in the narrative, as Jacob's favor still largely rests with Rachel. This expectation, though not fully realized in Jacob's actions, does not negate God's compassion and providence.
Genesis 29 32 Bonus section
The consistent naming pattern in Genesis, particularly with Leah's children, provides deep theological insight. Each name given by Leah, following Reuben (Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun), is accompanied by an explanation of her emotional and spiritual state, often reflecting a deeper truth about God's interaction with her life. This narrative strategy contrasts with other instances where names might simply denote an attribute. For Leah, her act of naming becomes an act of worship and testimony to God's providence, shaping the future tribes of Israel from a place of human vulnerability. Although she desired Jacob's love, her children’s names ultimately focus on the Lord's intervention. Reuben's name also carries an implicit prophetic layer, as it acknowledges God's "seeing," which foreshadows God's future vision and plans for the struggling nation of Israel descended from Leah's sons.
Genesis 29 32 Commentary
Genesis 29:32 beautifully illustrates God's compassionate nature, often extended to those who are overlooked or disadvantaged in human terms. Leah, unloved by Jacob and living in the shadow of her sister Rachel, finds validation and hope not in human affection, but in divine recognition. Her cry of "the Lord has looked upon my affliction" reveals a profound theological insight: God sees what humans do not, or what they choose to ignore. This highlights God's justice and empathy, a core theme throughout the Bible where God champions the weak, the outcasts, and the oppressed (e.g., His deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery). While Leah's personal hope for Jacob's love remains somewhat unfulfilled in the subsequent narrative, God's promise and continued blessing are evident in her bearing multiple sons, including Judah, from whom the lineage of the Messiah would eventually emerge. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that human circumstances do not limit divine grace and that true validation comes from God's attentive gaze.