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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Genesis 29:31

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated. From the beginning, Jacob had loved Rachel (v. Genesis 29:18). He probably found it difficult to love Leah, given the events that had brought them together. Rachel probably loathed her sister for the same reason. Yet their treatment of Leah causes the Lord to favor her with children, while Rachel is barren. As Genesis 1:1 frequently shows, the Lord is ultimately the One who creates human life.

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See also Genesis 29:31 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 29:31. _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....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Jacob’s Marriage 6. רחל _rāchēl_, Rachel, “a ewe.” 16. לאה _lê'âh_, Leah, “wearied.” 24. זלפה _zı̂lpâh_, Zilpah, “drop?” 29. בלהה _bı̂lhâh_, Bilhah, “timidity.” 32. ראוּבן

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 29 JACOB WITH LABAN _ 1. Jacob's arrival at Padan-aram (Genesis 29:1)_ 2. His service for Rachel (Genesis 29:15) 3. Laban's deception (Genesis 29:21) 4. Jacob receives Rachel ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 29:31 TO GENESIS 30:24. THE BIRTH OF JACOB'S CHILDREN. This section is from JE, with slight touches from P. Roughly Genesis 29:31; Gene

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    LORD. Jehovah used with the five sons (Genesis 29:31 and Genesis 30:24). Elohim is used with six (Genesis 30:2; Genesis 30:6;...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Genesis 29:31 to Genesis 30:24. Birth of Jacob's Children 31 35 (J); Genesis 30:1-24 (J, E and P) In this section is narrated the account of the birth of eleven sons and one daughter. Six of the son...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _hated_ By this is meant that Jacob had less affection for Leah than for Rachel. Cf. Deuteronomy 21:15, "if a man have two wives, the one beloved and the other hated." In order to prevent the evil eff...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    LEAH WAS HATED— The words in the foregoing verse explain this seemingly harsh expression, _He loved Rachel more than Leah;_ this is agreeable to the Hebrew idiom; see Malachi 1:2.Luke 14:26. The word...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    3. _Jacob's Family_ (Genesis 29:31 to Genesis 30:24). _Basic Facts:_ (1) Jacob became the father of twelve sons and one daughter. The inferior value set on a daughter is displayed in the bare announce...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED, HE OPENED HER WOMB: BUT RACHEL WAS BARREN._ When the Lord saw ... This statement is of great importance in the progressive development of the covenant. It...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB IN MESOPOTAMIA WITH LABAN The divine care and blessing promised to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:15) are illustrated in the narrative of the sojourn of the patriarch at Haran, which apparently las...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HATED] The word means no more than that Jacob preferred Rachel: see Genesis 29:30....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Some people are very sad because of trouble in their family. Perhaps their relatives do not love them. God helped Leah because he loved her. He helped her when Jacob did not love her. God can help us...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 29 JACOB MEETS RACHEL V1 Then Jacob continued his journey. He came to the land where the people in the east lived. V2 As he looked, he saw a well...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    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 he...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE TÔLDÔTH ISAAC (Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29). THE BIRTH OF ISAAC’S SONS. Abraham begat Isaac — The _Tôldôth_ in its original form gave probably a complete genealogy of Isaac, tracing up his des...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יַּ֤רְא יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי ־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה ו

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    JACOB MARRIES LEAH AND RACHEL Genesis 29:21 The chief lesson of this paragraph is its illustration of the awful nemesis which accompanies wrongdoing. No thoughtful person can watch the events of hist...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Pursuing his journey after his experience at Luz, now called Beth-el, Jacob came into "the land of the children of the east." Here the next twenty years of his life were to be spent, during which he a...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    THE CHILDREN OF JACOB The Lord opened the womb of Leah. Her firstborn son was named Reuben, or "look, a son." Her hope was that Jacob would now love her more because she had borne him a son. She named...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And when the LORD saw that Leah [was] hated, he (k) opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren. (k) This declares that often they who are despised by men are favoured by God....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Despised, or loved less; so Christ orders us to hate father, &c., Matthew x. 17. (Calmet)_...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    Having already shown the position of Isaac, I resume briefly with the remark that he stands before us clearly as the representative of the Son, and this too as dead, risen, and in heaven. All will und...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    31._And when the Lord saw_. Moses here shows that Jacob’s extravagant love was corrected by the Lord; as the affections of the faithful, when they become inordinate, are wont to be tamed by the rod. R...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 29 THROUGH 35. I have no doubt that in the two wives, as I have said, we have the Gentiles and Israel: Rachel first loved on the earth, but not possessed; but...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH [WAS] HATED,.... Not properly and simply hated by Jacob, as appears by his doing the duty of an husband to her, but comparatively; she was less loved than Rachel: and t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And when the LORD saw that Leah [was] hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel [was] barren. Ver. 31. _When the Lord saw that Leah was hated._] That is, less loved and respected. So God hated Esau; and...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _When the Lord saw that Leah was hated_ That is, loved less than Rachel, in which sense it is required that we _hate father and mother_, in comparison with Christ, Luke 14:26, then the Lord granted he...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Iacob commeth to the well of Haran. 9 He taketh acquaintance of Rachel. 13 Laban enterteineth him. 18 Iacob couenanteth for Rachel. 23 He is deceiued with Leah. 28 He marrieth also Rachel, and...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The First Sons of Leah...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, that is, that she was loved less than Rachel, HE OPENED HER WOMB and thus prepared her for bearing children, which are His blessing. BUT RACHEL WAS BARREN, a...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION _Jacob’s wives and children. Jacob and Rachel, Laban’s youngest daughter. First and second treaty with Laban. His involuntary consummation of marriage with Leah. The double marriage. L...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB MEETS RACHEL AND LABAN After many days of travel Jacob came to the land of his relatives. He could not phone to find his directions to their home, nor did he have any street and house number, bu...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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, expect...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    LEAH WAS HATED comparatively to Rachel, less loved, slighted. So that word is oft used, as DEUTERONOMY 21:15 DEUTERONOMY 6:24; DEUTERONOMY 10:37, compared with...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    These Chapter s present to us the history of Jacob at least, the principal scenes in that history. The Spirit of God here sets before us the deepest instruction, first, as to God's purpose of infinite...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 29:31 LORD H3068 saw H7200 (H8799) Leah H3812 unloved H8130 (H8803) opened H6605 (H8799) womb...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JACOB'S WIVES ARE FRUITFUL AS YAHWEH HAD PROMISED (GENESIS 29:31 TO GENESIS 30:24) Genesis 29:31 ‘And Yahweh saw that Leah was unloved and he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren.' The bearing of...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jacob and Laban, two bargain makers, meet. CHARACTERS: Jacob, Laban, Rachael, Leah, Reuben, Levi, Judah. CONCLUSION: The believer who has erred may not be forsaken of God, but he is permit...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 29:1. _Jacob went on his journey._ Our version fails here to express the lively sense of the Hebrew, as in most versions. _Levabit pedes;_ he tripped along with light feet, being now assured t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _He loved also Rachel more than Leah_ LEAH AND RACHEL: THEIR TRIMS AND COMPENSATIONS I. THEIR TRIALS. Leah was “hated “ (Genesis 29:31), i.e._, _she was loved less than Rachel By becoming a party to...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 29:31. Leah was hated.] The word is to be understood relatively, not absolutely. By the usage of the Heb. to be hated, signifies only to be loved less. GENESIS 29:32. REUBEN...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 29:31 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

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the people of the east. And he looked, behold there was a well in the field, and, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    saw. Exodus 3:7 was hated. Genesis 29:30 Genesis 27:41 Deuteronomy 21:15...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    When the Lord saw that Leah was hated — That is, loved less than Rachel, in which sense it is required that we hate father and mother, in comparison with Christ, Luke 14:26, then the Lord granted her...

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