Genesis 29 · Verse 31

Genesis 29:31

And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Genesis 29:31, King James Version

Genesis 29:31 in other translations

BSBWhen the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
WEBThe LORD saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
ASVAnd Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
YLTAnd Jehovah seeth that Leah is the hated one, and He openeth her womb, and Rachel is barren;
DARBYAnd when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
BBENow the Lord, seeing that Leah was not loved, gave her a child; while Rachel had no children.
WebsterAnd when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he made her fruitful: but Rachel was barren.

What does Genesis 29:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
31. Leah ... hated--that is, not loved so much as she ought to have been. Her becoming a mother ensured her rising in the estimation both of her husband and of society.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 31 The Lord saw that Leah was hated - From this and the preceding verse we get the genuine meaning of the word שנא sane, to hate, in certain disputed places in the Scriptures. The word simply signifies a less degree of love; so it is said, Gen 29:30 : "Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah," i.e., he loved Leah less than Rachel; and this is called hating in Gen 29:31 : When the Lord saw that Leah was hated - that she had less affection shown to her than was her due, as one of the legitimate wives of Jacob, he opened her womb - he blessed her with children. Now the frequent intercourse of Jacob with Leah (see the following verses) sufficiently proves that he did not hate her in the sense in which this term is used among us; but he felt and showed less affection for her than for her sister. So Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated, simply means, I have shown a greater degree of affection for Jacob and his posterity than I have done for Esau and his descendants, by giving the former a better earthly portion than I have given to the latter, and by choosing the family of Jacob to be the progenitors of the Messiah. But not one word of all this relates to the eternal states of either of the two nations. Those who endeavor to support certain peculiarities of their creed by such scriptures as these, do greatly err, not knowing the Scripture, and not properly considering either the sovereignty or the mercy of God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 29:31-35
The names Leah gave her children, expressed her respect and regard, both to God and to her husband. Reuben, or See a son, with this thought, Now will my husband love me; Levi, or joined, expecting, Now will my husband be joined unto me. Mutual affection is both the duty and comfort of the married relation; and yoke-fellows should study to recommend themselves to each other, 1Co 7:33, 34. She thankfully acknowledges the kind providence of God in hearing her. Whatever supports and comforts us under afflictions, or tends to our deliverance from them, God must be owned in it. Her fourth son she called Judah, or praise, saying, Now will I praise the Lord. This was he, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Whatever is the matter of our rejoicing, ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. Fresh favours should quicken us to praise God for former favours; Now will I praise the Lord more and better than I have done. All our praises must centre in Christ, both as the matter of them, and as the Mediator of them. He descended after the flesh from him whose name was "Praise," and He is our praise. Is Christ formed in my heart? Now will I praise the Lord.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 29:31 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֤רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
שְׂנוּאָ֣הse.nu.'Ah[was] hatedH8130
לֵאָ֔הle.'AhLeahH3812
וַיִּפְתַּ֖חvai.yif.Tachand he openedH6605
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
רַחְמָ֑הּrach.Mahwomb herH7358
וְרָחֵ֖לve.ra.Cheland RachelH7354
עֲקָרָֽה\׃'a.ka.Rah[was] barrenH6135

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 29:31

  • 1 Samuel 2:21

    And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

  • Psalms 127:3

    Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

  • Genesis 20:18-21:2

    For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

  • 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:

  • Genesis 30:1-2

    And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

  • 1 Samuel 1:5

    But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.

  • Matthew 10:37

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

  • 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.

  • Luke 1:7

    And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

  • Judges 13:2-3

    And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

  • 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;

  • Genesis 25:21

    And Isaac intreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
saw.
Ex 3:7
was hated.
30; 27:41; De 21:15; Mal 1:3; Mt 6:24; 10:37; Lu 14:26; Joh 12:25
he opened.
16:1; 20:18; 21:1,2; 25:21; 30:1,2,22; Jud 13:2,3; 1Sa 1:5,20,27
1Sa 2:21; Ps 127:3; Lu 1:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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 29:31

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

  • Genesis 29:32

    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.

Read all of Genesis 29

Genesis 29:31 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vió Jehová que Lea era aborrecida, y abrió su matriz: pero Rachêl era estéril.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel vit que Léa était haïe, et il ouvrit sa matrice; mais Rachel était stérile.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als Jehova sah, daß Lea gehaßt war, da öffnete er ihren Mutterleib; Rahel aber war unfruchtbar.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Videns autem Dominus quod despiceret Liam, aperuit vulvam ejus, sorore sterili permanente.