Read Genesis 29:31-30:24 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph division
Gen 28:10-32:2 {p} God fulfills His promise to Jacob (wives + children + flocks)
Gen 29:31-30:24 chiastic structure: Jacob’s children
1a) Gen 29:31-30:2, YHVH opened Leah’s womb + bore 4 sons to Jacob/ Rachel was barren;
1a) Gen 29:31 When YHVH saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb/ Rachel was barren;
1b) Gen 29:32-35a Leah conceived and bore Jacob four sons;
1a) Gen 29:32a So Leah conceived and bore a son;
1b) Gen 29:32b And she called his name Reuben;
1c) Gen 29:32c For she said, “YHVH has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me;”
1d) Gen 29:33a Then she conceived again and bore a son;
central axis) Gen 29:33b And said, “Because YHVH has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon;
2d) Gen 29:34a She conceived again and bore a son;
2c) Gen 29:34b And said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons;”
2b) Gen 29:34c Therefore his name was called Levi;
2a) Gen 29:35a And she conceived again and bore a son;
central axis) Gen 29:35b And said, “Now I will praise YHVH.” Therefore she called his name Judah;
2b) Gen 29:35c Then she stopped bearing;
2a) Gen 30:1-2 Rachel demanded children of Jacob/ “Am I in the place of God, who has closed the womb?”
1b) Gen 30:3-13, Rachel + Leah give their maids to Jacob as wives, who bear him 4 sons: Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher;
1c) Gen 30:14a, Reuben in the days of wheat harvest brought mandrakes to his mother;
1d) Gen 30:14b, Rachel: Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes;
central axis) Gen 30:15a, Leah: Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband?
2d) Gen 30:15b, Leah: Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?
2c) Gen 30:15c-16, Leah hired a night with Jacob for her son’s mandrakes;
2b) Gen 30:17-18, Leah conceived a 5th time + bore Isaachar/ because I have given my maid to my husband;
2a) Gen 30:19-24, Leah bore Zebulun + Dinah/ YHVH opened Rachel’s womb + she bore Joseph.
How good YHVH is, to not leave Leah in an untenable situation, but gave her children to compensate her. Leah had her children’s love, and Rachel had Jacob’s love. Both women were unhappy even so, because of what they didn’t have, and what they lacked is where they kept their focus.
But Leah underwent a change. Her first three sons were named because her focus was on herself, that she did not have her husband’s love, but was trying to earn it. But when Judah was born, she did not name him because of what she lacked. She simply said, “This time I will praise YHVH (Judah means ‘praise’). She shifted her focus from herself to YHVH, and gave Him praise because He was worthy of it, regardless of what she had or did not have.
She had learned the secret to godliness with contentment. ♥
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