Genesis 29:33

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I [was] hated, he hath therefore given me this [son] also: and she called his name Simeon.

And she conceived {H2029} again, and bare {H3205} a son {H1121}; and said {H559}, Because the LORD {H3068} hath heard {H8085} that I was hated {H8130}, he hath therefore given {H5414} me this son also: and she called {H7121} his name {H8034} Simeon {H8095}.

She conceived again, gave birth to a son and said, "It is because ADONAI has heard that I am unloved; therefore he has given me this son also." So she named him Shim'on [hearing].

Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, โ€œBecause the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.โ€ So she named him Simeon.

And she conceived again, and bare a son: and said, Because Jehovah hath heard that I am hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

Commentary

Genesis 29:33 records the birth of Leah's second son, Simeon, and her heartfelt explanation for his name. After conceiving again, Leah declares, "Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon." This verse offers a poignant glimpse into Leah's emotional state and her deep reliance on God amidst her family struggles.

Context

This verse is situated within the narrative of Jacob's marriages to Leah and Rachel. Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, but was deceived by Laban into marrying Leah first (Genesis 29:25). The Bible clearly states that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah (Genesis 29:30). Recognizing Leah's unloved status, "the LORD saw that Leah was hated" and opened her womb, while Rachel remained barren (Genesis 29:31). Leah's first son, Reuben, was named out of her hope that Jacob would now love her (Genesis 29:32). However, with the birth of Simeon, her focus shifts from Jacob's potential affection to God's direct intervention and attentiveness to her plight.

Key Themes

  • Divine Attentiveness: The central theme is God's compassion and active hearing of Leah's distress. Despite her human suffering and the perceived lack of love from her husband, God notices and responds. This highlights a fundamental biblical truth that the LORD hears the cry of the afflicted.
  • Leah's Longing for Acceptance: Leah's naming of her sons consistently reflects her emotional state and her desperate longing for love and acceptance from Jacob. While Reuben's name expressed hope for Jacob's love, Simeon's name acknowledges that God has heard her feelings of being "hated" or unloved.
  • The Significance of Names: In ancient Israel, names were often prophetic or commemorative, reflecting circumstances surrounding a birth, a parent's hopes, or a divine message. Simeon's name perfectly encapsulates Leah's experience of God's 'hearing'.
  • God's Providence in Difficulties: Even within a complex and challenging family dynamic marked by polygamy, favoritism, and personal sorrow, God is actively involved, showing favor and bringing forth a lineage that would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

Linguistic Insights

The name Simeon (Hebrew: Shim'on, ืฉึดืืžึฐืขื•ึนืŸ) is directly linked to the Hebrew verb shama' (ืฉึธืืžึทืข), meaning "to hear" or "to listen." Leah's explanation, "Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated," explicitly connects the son's name to God's action. This linguistic connection underscores the direct testimony of Leah's faith that God was attuned to her suffering.

Practical Application

Genesis 29:33 offers timeless encouragement for those who feel overlooked, unloved, or unheard. Leah's story reminds us that:

  • God Sees and Hears: Even in our most private sorrows and hidden struggles, God is attentive to our cries. He is not distant but intimately involved in the details of our lives.
  • Hope in Adversity: Leah found solace and purpose in God's intervention, even though her primary desire for Jacob's love remained largely unfulfilled. This teaches us to find hope and gratitude in God's faithfulness, regardless of our circumstances.
  • Prayer is Powerful: Leah's declarations imply a continuous dialogue with God. Her experience reinforces the biblical truth that God hears and responds to the prayers of His people, even when the answer isn't exactly what we expect.

Simeon's birth is a testament to God's compassionate nature and His readiness to acknowledge and respond to the pain of the human heart.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Genesis 34:25

    ยถ And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

  • Genesis 30:20

    And Leah said, God hath endued me [with] a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

  • Genesis 34:30

    And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I [being] few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

  • Genesis 49:5

    ยถ Simeon and Levi [are] brethren; instruments of cruelty [are in] their habitations.

  • Genesis 49:6

    O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

  • Genesis 30:6

    And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

  • Genesis 42:24

    And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.
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