Genesis 29:32
in Genesis 29And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Because Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.
KJV
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.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 29
Commentary
10 notes on this verseShe called his name Reuben - ראובן reuben, literally, see ye or behold a son; for Jehovah hath looked upon, ראה raah, beheld, my affliction; behold then the consequence, I have got a son!
This site's exposition
she named him Reuben
on Genesis 29:32-33
Reuben carries the sound of see, a son, and Simeon the sound of hearing. Leah names the LORD in both, saying He has seen her affliction and heard that she is unloved. Reuben is the firstborn of Israel, and 49:3 and 4 take the first place from him.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(Verse 32.) And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Reuben. I desire to also mention the etymologies of the names of all the patriarchs for the sake of brevity in reading. And he called, he said, his name is Ruben, saying: Because the Lord has seen my humility. Ruben () is interpreted as the son of vision.
Reuben was the firstborn of those born after him, and their resemblance to him bore witness to their relationship to him, so that their brotherhood was not unrecognized, being testified to by the similarity of appearance. Therefore, if through the same rebirth "by water and the spirit," we also have become brothers of the Lord, he having become for us "the firstborn among the many brothers," it follows that our nearness to him will show in the character of our life, because "the firstborn of every creature" has informed our life. But what have we learned from the Scripture about the character of his life? What we have said many times: that "he committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth." Therefore, if we are going to act as brothers of the One who gave us birth, the sinlessness of our life will be a pledge of our relationship to him, and no filth will nullify our union with his purity. But the firstborn is also justice and holiness and love and redemption and such things. So if our life is characterized by such qualities, we furnish clear tokens of our noble birth, and anyone, seeing these qualities in our life, will bear witness to our brotherhood with Christ.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
. " The Lord hath heard, that is, taken notice of it, that I was hated (for our afflictions, as they are before God's eyes, so they have a cry in his ears), he has therefore given me this son. " Note, Whatever we have that contributes either to our support and comfort under our afflictions or to our deliverance from them, God must be owned in it, especially his pity and tender mercy.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
And all our praises must center 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?
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The affairs of princes and mighty nations that were then in being are not recorded in the book of God, but are left to be buried in oblivion; while these small domestic concerns of holy Jacob are particularly recorded with their minute circumstances, that they may be in everlasting remembrance. For "the memory of the just is blessed." Jacob's Arrival at Padan-aram.
She promised herself that the children she bore him would gain her the interest she desired in his affections. She called her first-born 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 by joined unto me,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
son . . . his name Reuben--Names were also significant; and those which Leah gave to her sons were expressive of her varying feelings of thankfulness or joy, or allusive to circumstances in the history of the family. There was piety and wisdom in attaching a signification to names, as it tended to keep the bearer in remembrance of his duty and the claims of God.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתַּ֤הַר | vatahar | and she conceived | H2029 → | 43 times |
| לֵאָה֙ | leah | Leah | H3812 → | 34 times |
| וַתֵּ֣לֶד | vateled | and she bore | H3205 → | 496 times |
| בֵּ֔ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַתִּקְרָ֥א | vatikra' | and she called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| רְאוּבֵ֑ן | reuven | Reuben | H7205 → | 72 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָֽמְרָ֗ה | ʾamerah | she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| רָאָ֤ה | raah | he has looked | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| בְּעָנְיִ֔י | beonyi | on affliction my | H6040 → | 36 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִי | yeehavani | he will love me | H157 → | 211 times |
| אִישִֽׁי׃ | ʾishi | husband my | H376 → | 1663 times |
וַתַּ֤הַרand she conceived
vataharH2029 →43 times
לֵאָה֙Leah
leahH3812 →34 times
וַתֵּ֣לֶדand she bore
vateledH3205 →496 times
בֵּ֔ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
וַתִּקְרָ֥אand she called
vatikra'H7121 →733 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
רְאוּבֵ֑ןReuben
reuvenH7205 →72 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָֽמְרָ֗הshe said
ʾamerahH559 →5305 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
רָאָ֤הhe has looked
raahH7200 →1300 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
בְּעָנְיִ֔יon affliction my
beonyiH6040 →36 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַתָּ֖הnow
ʾatahH6258 →433 times
יֶאֱהָבַ֥נִיhe will love me
yeehavaniH157 →211 times
אִישִֽׁי׃husband my
ʾishiH376 →1663 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 3:7The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.
- Psalms 106:44
Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress.
- Exodus 2:23–25
After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.
- Psalms 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
- Nehemiah 9:9
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.
- Psalms 145:19
Through
1 Samuel 1:20So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
it leads to
- Genesis 41:51–52
Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh, saying, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s household.”
- Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
- Genesis 41:51–52
Through
Exodus 4:31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.
it leads to
- Exodus 3:18
The elders of Israel will listen to what you say, and you must go with them to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with…
- Exodus 3:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies10
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Gregory of Nyssa, ON PERFECTION; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.