And Leah conceived, and bore 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.
32. Reuben ] The name is evidently here assumed to consist of two words, re’ = “behold ye,” ben = “a son.”
hath affliction ] Heb. r’ah be‘onyi. The sound of these two words forms some kind of a play on the name Reuben, and represents a popular and unscientific etymology. In some MSS. of LXX and the Syriac, and in Josephus, the name appears as “Reubel,” which has been compared with the Arabic Ri’bal, meaning “a lion”; or it may be compounded with the name of the god Bel or Baal. The tribe Reuben settled between the Jabbok and the Arnon. See Jdg 5:15-16.
“My affliction.” LXX = “low estate”; cf. 1Sa 1:11; Luk 1:48.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 32. She called his name Reuben] reuben, literally, see ye or behold a son; for Jehovah hath looked upon, raah, beheld, my affliction; behold then the consequence, I have got a son!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord hath looked upon my affliction with an eye of pity and kindness, as that general phrase is oft understood.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
32-35. son . . . his nameReubenNames were also significant; and those which Leah gaveto her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulnessor joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family.There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, asit tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and theclaims of God.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben,…. That is, “see the son”, as if she by this name called upon her husband, her friends, and all about her, to look at him, and view him; perhaps hoping and imagining he might be the famous son, the promised seed, the Messiah that was to spring to Abraham, in the line of Jacob; but if she so thought, she was greatly mistaken; for this son of hers proved unstable, and did not excel; or rather God hath seen or provided a son, as Hillerus w gives the signification of the name, which seems better to agree with what follows:
for she said, surely the Lord hath looked on my affliction; being deceived by her father, not so much loved by her husband as her sister was, and perhaps slighted by her:
now therefore my husband will love me: more than he has done, and equally as my sister, having bore him a son.
w Onomastic. Sacr. p. 918.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
32. She called his name Reuben. Moses relates that Leah was not ungrateful to God. And truly, I do not doubt, that the benefits of God were then commonly more appreciated than they are now. For a profane stupor so occupies the mind of nearly all men, that, like cattle, they swallow up whatever benefits God, in his kindness, bestows upon them. Further, Leah not only acknowledges God as the author of her fruitfulness; but also assigns as a reason, that her affliction had been looked upon by the Lord, and a son had been given her who should draw the affection of her husband to herself. Whence it appears probable, that when she saw herself despised, she had recourse to prayer, in order that she might receive more succor from heaven. For thanksgiving is a proof that persons have previously exercised themselves in prayer; since they who hope for nothing from God do, by their indolence, bury in oblivion all the favors he has conferred upon them. Therefore, Leah inscribed on the person of her son (70) a memorial whereby she might stir herself up to offer praise to God. This passage also teaches, that they who are unjustly despised by men are regarded by the Lord. Hence it affords a singularly profitable consolation to the faithful; who, as experience shows, are for the most part despised in the world. Whenever, therefore, they are treated harshly and contumeliously by men, let them take refuge in this thought, that God will be the more propitious to them. Leah followed the same course in reference to her second son; for she gave him a name which is derived from “hearing,” (71) to recall to her memory that her sighs had been heard by the Lord. Whence we conjecture (as I have just before said) that when affliction was pressing upon her, she cast her griefs into the bosom of God. Her third son she names from “joining;” (72) as if she would say, now a new link is interposed, so that she should be more loved by her husband. In her fourth son, she again declares her piety towards God, for she gives to him the name of “praise,” (73) as having been granted to her by the special kindness of God. She had, indeed, previously given thanks to the Lord; but whereas more abundant material for praise is supplied, she acknowledges not once only, nor by one single method, but frequently, that she has been assisted by the favor of God.
(70) ראובן, “See a son.”
(71) שמעון, from שמע, ( shamah,) to hear.
(72) לוי, from לוה, ( lavah,) to join.
(73) יהודה, from ידה, ( yadah,) to praise. There is something, as Calvin intimates, in the series of names given by Leah to her children, which seems to show the pious feelings of her heart. In her first-born, Reuben, she acknowledged that God had looked upon her affliction; in Simeon, that he had heard her prayer; in Levi, that he had joined her husband to her; and in Judah, she commemorates all these mercies with gratitude and praise. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(32-35) She called his name Reuben.There is something very touching in the history of these four births. When the first child is born, Leah joyfully calls him Reuben, that is, See, a son! and fondly hopes that now she is a mother her husband will love her. And the mention of her affliction shows that, while she loved Jacob tenderly, he was to her more than unloving. Her second son she calls Simeon, that is hearing, and, disappointed in her first hope, regards the child as a gift of Jehovah to compensate her for the lack of the affection for which she so longed. Her third son she calls Levi, that is, joined, still hoping that as in her tent alone there were children to play around the father, he would be more united to her. But her hope remains unfulfilled. And when her fourth son is born, she calls him Judah, that is, praise. Throughout, in the midst of her melancholy, there is a tone of fervent piety, and that not merely to God, but to the covenant Jehovah. And now slowly she parts with her hope of human affection, and finds comfort in Jehovah alone. This time, she says, I will praise Jehovah. And it was this son of the despised one, whose birth called forth from her this hymn of simple thanksgiving, who was fore-ordained to be the ancestor of the promised seed.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Reuben Which means, see ye a son .
Looked upon Rather, Jehovah looked in my affliction; that is, in my sorrow arising from love withheld, Jehovah looked; therefore will I name my first born Look ye a son! Fondly she hopes now for more of her husband’s love .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because Yahweh has looked on my affliction (raah beonyi), for now my husband will love me.” And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard (shama) that I am unloved he has therefore given me this son as well.” And she called his name Simeon (Shimeon). And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined (lavah) to me because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.’
The names given by Leah are used to express the pain in her heart by a play on words. She is afflicted, Yahweh has heard that she is unloved, and she feels that her husband is not really one with her. But now that she has borne a full complement of sons – three is the number of completeness – she is confident that he will now regard her. She knows how important sons will be to him and is aware that she has fulfilled her responsibility.
“Reuben”. As vocalised in the text it means ‘behold, a son’. But Leah also, by a play on words, reads a more bitter meaning into it. ‘Shimeon’ means ‘heard’, that is ‘God has heard.’ It initially celebrates the fact that Yahweh has heard in the giving of a son, but again Leah interprets it somewhat bitterly. The name Levi is associated with the verb ‘lavah’, to be joined. Possibly it indicated that Leah now felt joined with her husband’s God, Yahweh, but again she gives it her own bitter interpretation.
Note the reference to Yahweh. She now worships her husband’s God, for Yahweh can be worshipped anywhere.
It is possible that we are to see these three sons as triplets, born at the same time. This would explain why they are treated together and help to explain how Jacob had so many sons in seven years. But if so it is not made clear in the text. (‘Conceived and bore’ three times in succession does not exclude the possibility. Chronology was only secondary in Hebrew tenses). More probably we may see Simeon and Levi as twins. Note how they are coupled in Jacob’s blessing (Gen 49:5).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Reuben means See a son.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 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.
Ver. 32. Therefore my husband will love me. ] This was her greatest care (and is every good wife’s) – to “please her husband,” 1Co 7:14 and to win his love.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
am 2252, bc 1752
his name: Gen 35:22, Gen 37:21, Gen 37:22, Gen 37:29, Gen 42:22, Gen 42:27, Gen 46:8, Gen 46:9, Gen 49:3, Gen 49:4, 1Ch 5:1
Reuben: that is, see a son
looked: Exo 3:7, Exo 4:31, Deu 26:7, 1Sa 1:11, 1Sa 1:20, 2Sa 16:12, Psa 25:18, Psa 106:44, Luk 1:25
Reciprocal: Gen 3:20 – Adam Gen 16:11 – shalt Gen 30:6 – God Gen 31:42 – hath seen Gen 35:23 – General Gen 41:52 – called he Gen 42:13 – Thy servants Gen 46:15 – Leah Num 1:5 – Elizur Num 1:20 – General Num 26:5 – the eldest Num 32:1 – the children Deu 27:13 – Reuben Deu 33:9 – I have not Rth 4:11 – Rachel 1Ch 2:1 – Reuben 1Ch 5:18 – Reuben Isa 7:14 – shall call Eze 48:6 – Reuben Mat 1:2 – Jacob begat
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 29:32. She appears very ambitious of her husbands love; she reckoned the went of it her affliction, not upbraiding him with it as his fault, nor reproaching him for it; but laying it to heart as her grief, which she had reason to bear, because she was consenting to the fraud by which she became his wife. She called her firstborn Reuben, see a son, with this pleasant thought, Now will my husband love me. And her third son Levi, joined, with this expectation, Now will my husband be joined unto me. The Lord hath heard (that is, taken notice of it) that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son. Her fourth she called Judah, praise, saying, Now will I praise the Lord. And 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. And all our praises must centre in Christ, both as the matter of them, and as the Mediator of them. He descended from him whose name was Praise, for he is our praise. Is Christ formed in my heart? Now will I praise the Lord.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
29:32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the {l} LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will {m} love me.
(l) By this it appears that she had sought help from God in her affliction.
(m) For children are a great cause of mutual love between man and wife.