Genesis 29:31
New International Version
When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.

New Living Translation
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive.

English Standard Version
When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Berean Standard Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

King James Bible
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

New King James Version
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

New American Standard Bible
Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children.

NASB 1995
Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

NASB 1977
Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

Amplified Bible
Now when the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He made her able to bear children, but Rachel was barren.

Christian Standard Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was neglected, he opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was unable to conceive.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

Contemporary English Version
The LORD knew that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah, and so he gave children to Leah, but not to Rachel.

English Revised Version
And the LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the LORD saw Leah was unloved, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel had none.

Good News Translation
When the LORD saw that Leah was loved less than Rachel, he made it possible for her to have children, but Rachel remained childless.

International Standard Version
Later, the LORD noticed that Leah was being neglected, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

Majority Standard Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

NET Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD saw that Leah was unloved, so he made her fertile, but Rachel was barren.

Webster's Bible Translation
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he made her fruitful: but Rachel was barren.

World English Bible
Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH sees that Leah [is] the hated one, and He opens her womb, and Rachel [is] barren;

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah seeth that Leah is the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel is barren;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will see that Leah was hated, and he will open her womb: and Rachel barren.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord seeing that he despised Lia, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But the Lord, seeing that he despised Leah, opened her womb, but her sister remained barren.

New American Bible
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel was barren.

New Revised Standard Version
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH saw that Leah was despised and he opened her womb, and Rakhyl was a sterile woman.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And when the Lord God saw that Lea was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah
31When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 21:15-17
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, / when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. / Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

1 Samuel 1:5-6
But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb. / Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her.

Genesis 30:1-2
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. / Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

Genesis 16:1-2
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. / So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 21:1-2
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

Genesis 25:21
Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

Genesis 30:22
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb,

Exodus 3:7
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.

Psalm 127:3
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Luke 1:24-25
After these days, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. She declared, / “The Lord has done this for me. In these days He has shown me favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Romans 9:10-12
Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. / Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, / not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

1 Corinthians 1:27-29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. / He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, / so that no one may boast in His presence.

Galatians 4:22-23
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. / His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born through the promise.


Treasury of Scripture

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

saw.

Exodus 3:7
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

was hated.

Genesis 29:30
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

Genesis 27:41
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

Deuteronomy 21:15
If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:

he opened.

Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

Genesis 20:18
For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

Genesis 21:1,2
And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken…

Jump to Previous
Barren Child Children Fruitful Hated Leah Opened Openeth Rachel Unloved Womb
Jump to Next
Barren Child Children Fruitful Hated Leah Opened Openeth Rachel Unloved Womb
Genesis 29
1. Jacob comes to the well of Haran.
9. He becomes acquainted with Rachel.
13. Laban entertains him.
18. Jacob covenants for Rachel.
23. He is deceived by Laban with Leah.
28. He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more.
32. Leah bears Reuben;
33. Simeon;
34. Levi;
35. and Judah.














When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved
This phrase highlights God's awareness and compassion towards those who are marginalized or suffering. Leah, the elder daughter of Laban, was given to Jacob in marriage through deception, as Jacob originally loved and worked for Rachel. Leah's unloved status reflects the cultural practice of polygamy and the preference for the more beautiful or favored wife. This situation is reminiscent of God's concern for Hagar in Genesis 16:13, where God is described as the one who sees the afflicted. It underscores the biblical theme that God is attentive to the plight of the downtrodden and acts on their behalf.

He opened her womb
In the ancient Near Eastern context, fertility was often seen as a sign of divine favor, and barrenness as a curse or misfortune. By opening Leah's womb, God is actively intervening in her life, granting her the ability to bear children, which was a significant source of a woman's value and security in her society. This divine intervention is a recurring theme in the Bible, as seen with Sarah (Genesis 21:1-2) and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:19-20), where God grants children to women who were previously barren, demonstrating His power and grace.

but Rachel was barren
Rachel's barrenness sets the stage for future conflict and narrative development. It highlights the reversal of expectations, as the beloved wife is unable to conceive, while the unloved wife bears children. This situation creates tension and rivalry between Leah and Rachel, which is a recurring motif in the patriarchal narratives. Rachel's barrenness also serves as a backdrop for God's eventual intervention, as seen later in Genesis 30:22-24, where God remembers Rachel and grants her a son, Joseph. This theme of barrenness followed by divine intervention is a type that points to the miraculous births in the Bible, including the birth of Jesus Christ, emphasizing God's sovereignty and the fulfillment of His promises.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Leah
The elder daughter of Laban, Leah was given to Jacob as a wife through Laban's deception. She was unloved by Jacob, who favored her sister Rachel.

2. Rachel
The younger daughter of Laban and the beloved wife of Jacob. Despite Jacob's love for her, she was initially barren.

3. Jacob
The patriarch who worked for Laban to marry Rachel but was deceived into marrying Leah first. He is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

4. LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who intervenes in the lives of His people, showing compassion and justice.

5. Opening of the Womb
A divine act where God enables Leah to conceive, highlighting His sovereignty over fertility and His compassion for the unloved.
Teaching Points
God's Compassion for the Unloved
God sees and cares for those who are marginalized or unloved, as He did with Leah. This teaches us to trust in God's awareness and compassion in our own lives.

Divine Sovereignty Over Life
The opening and closing of the womb are under God's control, reminding us of His sovereignty over all aspects of life, including family and legacy.

The Value of Every Individual
Leah's account shows that even when humans fail to value someone, God sees their worth and has a purpose for them. We should strive to see others through God's eyes.

Patience and Trust in God's Timing
Rachel's eventual blessing teaches us to be patient and trust in God's timing, even when our desires are delayed.

God's Purpose in Adversity
Leah's situation, though difficult, was used by God to bring about the twelve tribes of Israel. Our challenges can be part of God's greater plan.BIRTH OF JACOB'S ELEVEN SONS, AND HIS DAUGHTER.

(31) Leah was hated.--We must not soften this down too much; for plainly Leah was not the object of love at all. It was her fruitfulness which gave her value in her husband's eyes, and when this ceased, Jacob utterly neglected her (Genesis 30:15).

Verse 31. - And when the Lord saw - literally, and Jehovah saw. As Eve's son was obtained from Jehovah (Genesis 4:1), and Jehovah visited Sarah (Genesis 21:1), and was entreated for Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), so here he again interposes in connection with the onward development of the holy seed by giving children to Jacob s wives. The present section (vers. 31-35) is by Davidson, Kalisch, and others assigned to the Jehovist, by Tuch left undetermined, and by Colenso in several parts ascribed to the Elohist. Kalisch thinks the contents of this section must have found a place in the earlier of the two documents - that Leah was hated, - i.e. less loved (cf. Malachi 1:3) - he opened her womb (cf. 1 Samuel 1:5, 6; Psalm 127:3): but Rachel was barren - as Sarai (Genesis 11:30) and Rebekah (Genesis 25:21) had been. The fruitfulness of Leah and the sterility of Rachel were designed not so much to equalize the conditions of the sisters, the one having beauty and the other children (Lange), or to punish Jacob for his partiality (Keil), or to discourage the admiration of mere beauty (Kalisch), but to prove that "the origin of Israel was to be a work not of nature, but of grace" (Keil).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

saw
וַיַּ֤רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Leah
לֵאָ֔ה (lê·’āh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3812: Leah -- 'weary', a wife of Jacob

was unloved,
שְׂנוּאָ֣ה (śə·nū·’āh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 8130: To hate

He opened
וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח (way·yip̄·taḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6605: To open wide, to loosen, begin, plough, carve

her womb;
רַחְמָ֑הּ (raḥ·māh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7358: The womb

but Rachel
וְרָחֵ֖ל (wə·rā·ḥêl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

[was] barren.
עֲקָרָֽה׃ (‘ă·qā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6135: Sterile


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OT Law: Genesis 29:31 Yahweh saw that Leah was hated (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 29:30
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