And she conceived again, and bore a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
35. praise ] From the Heb. hdah.
Judah ] Heb. Jehudah. This is the regular form of the name in the O.T. The origin of the name is uncertain; but its sound resembles that of the word for “praise.” On Judah, see notes on chap. 38 and Gen 49:8-12.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 35. She called his name Judah] yehudah, a confessor; one who acknowledges God, and acknowledges that all good comes from his hands, and gives him the praise due to his grace and mercy. From this patriarch the Jews have their name, and could it be now rightly applied to them, it would intimate that they were a people that confess God, acknowledge his bounty, and praise him for his grace.
Left bearing.] That is, for a time; for she had several children afterwards. Literally translated, the original taamod milledeth – she stood still from bearing, certainly does not convey the same meaning as that in our translation; the one appearing to signify that she ceased entirely from having children; the other, that she only desisted for a time, which was probably occasioned by a temporary suspension of Jacob’s company, who appears to have deserted the tent of Leah through the jealous management of Rachel.
The intelligent and pious care of the original inhabitants of the world to call their children by those names which were descriptive of some remarkable event in providence, circumstance of their birth, or domestic occurrence, is worthy, not only of respect, but of imitation. As the name itself continually called to the mind, both of the parents and the child, the circumstance from which it originated, it could not fail to be a lasting blessing to both. How widely different is our custom! Unthinking and ungodly, we impose names upon our offspring as we do upon our cattle; and often the dog, the horse, the monkey, and the parrot, share in common with our children the names which are called Christian! Some of our Christian names, so called, are absurd, others are ridiculous, and a third class impious; these last being taken from the demon gods and goddesses of heathenism. May we hope that the rational and pious custom recommended in the Scriptures shall ever be restored, even among those who profess to believe in, fear, and love God!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Now will I praise the Lord more solemnly and continually; for otherwise she did praise and acknowledge God for the former mercies. cir. 1749
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And she conceived again, and bare a son,…. A fourth son, a son in whose line, and from whose tribe, the Messiah was to spring:
and she said, now will I praise the Lord; she had praised him before for looking on her affliction, and hearing her cries, and giving her one son after another; but now she determines to praise him more than ever, having a fresh instance of his goodness to her: the Targum of Jonathan adds this as a reason,
“because from this my son shall come forth kings, and from him shall come forth David the king, who shall praise the Lord.”
And why may it not be as well supposed that she had knowledge of the Messiah springing from him, which would greatly heighten and increase her joy and praise?
and therefore she called his name Judah; which signifies “praise”. A further improvement is made of this name, and the signification of it, in Ge 49:8. According to the Jewish writers y, these four sons of Jacob were born, Reuben on the fourteenth day of Chisleu, or November, and lived one hundred and twenty four years; Simeon on the twenty first of Tebeth, or December, and lived one hundred and twenty years; Levi on the sixteenth of Nisan, or March, and lived one hundred and thirty seven years; and Judah on the fifteenth of Sivan, or May, and lived one hundred and nineteen years. And all these names being of the Hebrew language, and derived from words in it, show that this language, or what was much the same with it, was spoken in Laban’s family, and had been continued from Nahor, as it had been in Isaac’s family from Abraham:
and left bearing; that is, for a while, for after this she bore two sons and a daughter; see Ge 30:17.
y Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 3. 2. & 4. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
35. Judah Which means, one to be praised . Compare Gen 49:8. Thus, in naming these first four sons, Leah breathes the spirit of a pure and noble longing, which fitted her to be the mother of the chosen tribe from which the Christ should spring.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And she conceived again and bore a son, and she said, “This time will I praise (hodah) Yahweh.” Therefore she called his name Judah (Yehudah), and she ceased bearing.’
With three sons her confidence had returned. Everyone would be congratulating her. So when a fourth is born she can express praise to Yahweh. Her husband’s God has been good to her and she acknowledges His goodness in the name of her son. The cessation of bearing is temporary (Gen 30:17), although lasting for some fair period, so that she seeks to maintain her position by bearing children through her handmaid.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 29:35. And left bearing Heb. stood from bearing. So the LXX u949? . She ceased from bearing for a time; not wholly left off bearing, as our version seems to express; for she had children afterwards. See ch. Gen 30:17, &c.
REFLECTIONS.A forced match must needs be unhappy. It is shocking to be obliged to call her “wife” who is the object of our dislike. God, however, relieved Leah’s affliction in giving her four sons. Note; 1. God usually so disposes his gifts, that what is denied in one thing is made up in anotherRachel’s barrenness in Jacob’s love, and Jacob’s dislike by Leah’s fruitfulness. 2. The greatest affliction of a wife is to have her husband’s love estranged from her. 3. Judah is Leah’s son, and therein she hath peculiar honour.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
It was common among the Patriarchs, to give names to their children, such as might be expressive of somewhat remarkable. 1Sa 1:20 . Judah signifies praise.
REFLECTIONS
Reader! remark in this Chapter, how the Lord conducts the steps of his people, when he graciously brings them into the bond of the covenant. Though he leads them into the wilderness, he will not leave them there, but will speak comfortably to them; and as, in all their ways they desire to acknowledge him, he will direct their steps. What a simplicity marked the primitive ages! A few flocks and herds, and the produce of the field, constituted, for the most part, the riches of the Patriarchs. And even now, is not food and raiment with Jesus, all that the believer wants below! Lord! grant me the sure possession of Jesus, and keep my heart always with wise indifference to the things of time and sense; for having him, I shall in him possess all things.
I cannot pass over, in this place, what is said respecting the names of Jacob’s children, without calling upon the Reader to observe with me, what a gracious practice it was, in the church of old, thus to minute down in the several providences they met with, the Lord’s gracious dealings with them. When godly parents perpetuate God’s mercies, in the names they give their children, every view of the child, and every renewed mention of the name, tends to refresh the recollection of those mercies. I venture to think, that the mother, or sister of Moses (though the name was given him by another, as the name signified drawn out of the water) yet never heard his name spoken of, but it brought again to mind his wonderful deliverance. And was not Samuel’s name always refreshing to Hannah, when she herself gave it him, on this express account, in that it meant, what she too well knew ever to forget, that he was asked of God? Reader! pause over this, and let you and I enquire of our own hearts, how many Samuels we might name mercies by, if we were to number all that we have received, and which have been asked of God? Blessed Lord! revive in my forgetful heart continual remembrances of thy unnumbered mercies: and though I have neglected to mark them down by name, yet may the Holy Ghost, who acts in the sweet character of Remembrancer to his people, continually bring all things (and all mercies too) of my God and Saviour to my remembrance, whatsoever he hath shown me.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 29:35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.
Ver. 35. Now will I praise the Lord. ] So she had done before, at the birth of her other children: but now she would do it anew, upon the receipt of a new mercy: according to that, “Sing unto the Lord a new song.” Isa 42:10 A good woman she seems to have been; and the better, because not so well beloved of her husband; which she could not but see to be just upon her, for her consenting (with her father) to the sin of deceiving Jacob. Gen 30:1
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
praise. Hebrew. ‘odeh (I shall, or. Let me praise); ye hudah (he shall be praised). Compare Gen 49:8. Figure of speech Paronomasia.
left: i.e. for a time.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
am 2255, bc 1749
called: Gen 35:26, Gen 38:1-30, Gen 43:8, Gen 43:9, Gen 44:18-34, Gen 46:12, Gen 49:8-12, Deu 33:7, 1Ch 5:2, Mat 1:2
Judah: that is, Praise
left bearing: Heb. stood from bearing, Gen 49:8, That is, for a time; for she had several children afterwards. – See note on Gen 30:17, and following.
Reciprocal: Gen 30:9 – left Num 1:26 – General Rth 4:14 – Blessed Eze 48:7 – Judah Hos 12:12 – Jacob Luk 3:33 – of Juda