Leah and Rachel

Rachel and Leah were envious of one another, and each sister fought for her one place.

The scriptures describe Jacob as an unpleasant man, lacking patience towards his wives Leah and Rachel. It seems that he had not forgiven Leah for tricking him into marrying her and using Rachel's Mohar for herself. The text reads that Jacob hated Leah.

"When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb" (Genesis 29:31)

Jacob had been cheated and felt as such. In Ancient times, the husband could do unto his wife as he saw fit. She was considered property in the eyes of her husband and had no choice but to tolerate him. It was natural that Leah would be envious of her sister Rachel, who was pretty and loved.

But the most miserable woman in the Bible was not the hated one, but rather the barren one.

Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!" (Genesis 30:1)

Rachel's feelings of envy towards Leah developed into hatred. Why is that?

The Mohar which was given for Leah came at Rachel's expense, for Rachel should have been senior to Leah.

When the wives have different statuses in the husband's house, the birth order does not matter, like in Isaac and Ishmael's situation for example. If there are a few senior wives, then the birth order does count.

Leah's six boys were born before Joseph (Rachel's firstborn) and were also above him in the hierarchal order. If Rachel had been the Senior wife, then Joseph would have come before Leah's sons for the primacy of the first born.

This explains Rachel's hatred towards Leah. Leah married first instead of Rachel, and in doing so, she took the right of the first born with the birth of her sons.

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Leah and Rachel's Status

The 12 sons of Jacob were the 12 stations in the married life of Leah and Rachel.

They described the situation of Leah and of Rachel.

Leah gave the names to her sons and to the sons of her maidservant Zilpah, for they were for Leah.

Rachel gave the names to her sons and to those of her maidservant, Bilhah.

Leah

Despite Jacob's loathing for Leah, after she had cheated him, he did not exclude himself from her bed, and she bore him many children.

The birth of a healthy baby boy is a very happy occasion, considered to be a God's Grace. However, Leah did not give thanks to God for the birth of her children.

Furthermore, she herself named her sons, each according to the emotional state or situation she considered herself to be in at the time.

Reuben

"So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, "The Lord has surely looked on my affliction..." (Genesis 29:32)

Leah and Reuben

In Hebrew, the words "The Lord has surely looked on my affliction", are written as רָאָ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ בְּעׇנְיִ֔י (ra'ah adonai b'ani).

When translated into Modern Hebrew, עֳנִי refers to "torture". However, in the time and context of the Bible, the meaning of the word עֳנִי is actually "rape".

Leah felt tortured, and as such, she felt as one who was raped. In Ancient Law, a man could not rape his wife. There was no such thing. We understand that in using these words, Leah was conveying that she felt humiliated, even tortured.

Simeon

"...Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved..." (Genesis 29:33)

Again, we see no thanks given to God here.

Levi

With the birth of her third son, Levi, we see that Leah's defiant tone has disappeared and has been replaced with a more optimistic tone.

"Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons" (Genesis 29:34)

Judah

The name Judah derives from the word הודיה (Hodaya), which means "giving thanks". Here we see that Leah has finally given thanks to God, with the birth of Judah, her fourth son.

"And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now I will praise the Lord." Therefore she called his name Judah..." (Genesis 29:35)

After the birth of Judah, Leah's status changed and she stopped bearing children. After some time had passed, her maid servant, Zilpah, gave birth to Leah's subsequent children

Gad

"...Then Leah said, “What good fortune!” So she named him Gad." (Genesis 30:11)

In Hebrew, the word "gad" translates to "fortune"

Asher

"Then Leah said, “I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.” So she called his name Asher." (Genesis 30:13)

The word Asher comes from the Hebrew word אושר (Osher), which translates as "happiness". With the birth of her sixth son, Leah had become a happy wife.

Following the birth of Gad and Asher, Leah managed to conceive again and gave birth to another 2 sons.

Issachar

"Leah said, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband." So she called his name Issachar." (Genesis 30:18)

With the naming of Issachar, we see a change in nuance. Leah, for the first time, has referred to Jacob as her husband.

Zebulun

"And Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." So she called his name Zebulun." (Genesis 30:20)

The Hebrew word זבד (zeved) is translated here as "endowment"; however, in Biblical Hebrew, its more accurate translation would be a big gift, or a fat offering.

Leah recognized her blessing and believed that her husband would recognize it as well and would honor her, viewing her as a great gift. She would be as a queen.

Finally, after the birth of 8 sons, Leah bore Jacob a daughter named Dinah.

Through the names Leah gave, we can see how she commemorated her early bad years and then afterward her good years, as her status rose up to that of Queen of the house.

Rachel

Rachel saw how, from one pregnancy to another, her hated sister climbed up the ranks. This tormented her, and she felt that life was unbearable. She had not provided Jacob with any children, so she grew more and more envious of her older sister, in turn angering/frustrating Jacob.

"Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die!". And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?""(Genesis 30:1-2)

Rachel gave Jacob her maidservant, Bilhah, so that she could bear Jacob's children in her place. As such, Bilhah provided Rachel with 2 sons.

Dan

Then Rachel said, "God has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan..." (Genesis 30:6)

In Rachel's eyes, the Lord had judged her and found her to be infertile.

Naphtali

"And Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali." (Genesis 30:7-8)

The wrestling, the struggle, that Rachel is referring to (between her and her sister) is that of the struggle for her status in the home.

Some time later, after the birth of Leah's final child, Rachel finally gave birth to her own biological sons.

Joseph

 "...And she conceived and bore a son, and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” So she called his name Joseph, and said, “The Lord shall add to me another son.” (Genesis 30:23-24)

Yosef, יוסף, in Hebrew translates as "an additional/to add". In naming her son Joseph (Yosef), Rachel was asking the Lord for an additional son. She felt that she needed more.

Benjamin

"And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (Genesis 35:18)

During Rachel's labour, something went wrong, which resulted in her untimely death. Before her passing, Rachel granted her son the terrible name "Ben-Oni".

"Ben" (בן) translates as son and "Oni" (אוני) could be translated either to "my power ", or to sadness, suffering, death. Here it translates as "death". Hence the meaning of the name "Ben-Oni" would have been "the son that informs of my death", or "the cause of my death". Jacob had to change his son's name and so he renamed him Benjamin (Benyamin).

Ben = son

Yamin = right

In Ancient times, directions were referred to in a different way. Here, in The Land, you would look toward the east. East was straight. Left would be north. Right would be south.

All of Jacob's children were born in the North (left), except for Benjamin, who was born in The Land, meaning to the south of where the rest of his brothers were born. As such, he was a "Son of the South".

If Yamin ימין = Right = South, then Benyamin (Benjamin) = Son of the South.

His name tells a hidden story inside a revealed one.

Out of the names of the sons, we receive another side to the story and perhaps a better understanding of the change in status of the 2 wives.

Leah, the hated wife, blossomed and became loved and happy, whereas Rachel, the beloved wife, wilted as time passed, until her death.

Jacob asked to be buried alongside his wife Leah and chose to bury Rachel along the way of the road, 23 kilometers from his and Leah's tomb at the Patriarchs Cave tomb in Hebron.