Genesis 29:33 · Bible study
Genesis 29:33 Commentary: God Hears the Hated
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Leah names Simeon as a testimony that God heard her affliction. This passage shows God's care for the despised and invites us to name our pain in faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Leah names Simeon as a testimony that God heard her affliction and gave her a son.
- Key words: שָׁמַע (shama‘, 'hear'), שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim‘on, 'Simeon'), שְׂנוּאָה (senu'ah, 'hated')
- Main debate: Whether the name's original meaning was 'hearing' or 'hyaena,' though the narrative wordplay on shama‘ is clear.
- Theological theme: God hears the cries of the despised and responds with grace.
- Best use: A model of faith that names God's faithfulness in the midst of personal pain.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon.
WEB World English Bible 2000
She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and saith, `Because Jehovah hath heard that I am the hated one, He also giveth to me even this one ;' and she calleth his name Simeon.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And she again conceived, and bore a son, and said, Because Jehovah has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this one also; and she called his name Simeon.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And again she conceived and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I was despised, he hath given this also to me: and she called his name Simeon.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y concibió otra vez, y parió un hijo, y dijo: Por cuanto oyó Jehová que yo era aborrecida, me ha dado también éste. Y llamó su nombre Simeón.
E concebeu outra vez, e deu à luz um filho, e disse: Porquanto ouviu o SENHOR que eu era mal-amada, me deu também este. E chamou seu nome Simeão.
Elle devint encore enceinte, et enfanta un fils, et elle dit: L’ Éternel a entendu que je n’ étais pas aimée, et il m’ a aussi accordé celui-ci. Et elle lui donna le nom de Siméon.
Und ward abermals schwanger und gebar einen Sohn und sprach: Der HERR hat gehört, daß ich unwert bin, und hat mir diesen auch gegeben. Und sie hieß ihn Simeon.
En zij werd wederom bevrucht, en baarde een zoon, en zeide: Dewijl de HEERE gehoord heeft, dat ik gehaat was, zo heeft Hij mij ook dezen gegeven; en zij noemde zijn naam Simeon.
Poi concepì di nuovo e partorì un figliuolo, e disse: “L’Eterno ha udito ch’io ero odiata, e però m’ha dato anche questo figliuolo”. E lo chiamò Simeone.
I zasię poczęła, i porodziła syna, a rzekła: Zaiste usłyszał Pan, żem ja była w nienawiści, przetoż dał mi też i tego; i nazwała imię jego Symeon.
И зачала [Лия] опять и родила [Иакову второго] сына, и сказала: Господь услышал, что я нелюбима, и дал мне и сего. И нарекла ему имя: Симеон.
她又 懷孕 生 子，就說：「耶和華 因為 聽見 我失寵，所以又 賜 給我 這個兒子」，於是給他起名 叫 西緬（就是聽見的意思）。
Then she became with child again, and gave birth to a son; and said, Because it has come to the Lord's ears that I am not loved, he has given me this son in addition: and she gave him the name Simeon.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 29:33
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Leah named Simeon as a testimony to God hearing her distress. The name שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim‘on) sounds like the verb שָׁמַע (shama‘, 'to hear'). Adam Clarke and John Gill both note the wordplay. Keil and Delitzsch state plainly that the name means 'hearing,' because 'Jehovah had heard, i.e., observed that she was hated.' The Cambridge Bible raises a possible alternative: the name may originally have meant 'hyaena,' related to an Arabic root. But the narrative itself makes the hearing connection explicit. Matthew Henry sees here a pattern of God hearing the lowly. Regardless of the word's prehistory, the biblical author frames Leah's faith: God listens to the despised. That truth remains the verse's clear anchor.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Leah named Simeon as a declaration that Yahweh heard her affliction and gave her a son, making the name a permanent testimony of God's attentive grace.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of Simeon's name | The narrative connects the name to 'hearing' (shama‘). Most interpreters agree this is the intended wordplay. | Some scholars (e.g., Cambridge Bible) suggest an original meaning of 'hyaena' from Arabic, but this does not affect the biblical author's intended etymology. |
| Leah's 'hated' status | 'Hated' is comparative, meaning loved less (cf. Genesis 29:30, Deuteronomy 21:15). Both Leah and Rachel are in a painful rivalry. | Some emphasize Jacob's sinfulness in favoritism (Keil); others focus on God's sovereign equalizing (Lange, Matthew Henry). No disagreement on the term's meaning. |
| God's response to affliction | God sees and hears Leah's affliction and responds with children, demonstrating divine care for the lowly. | The extent to which this reflects a general principle or a specific theocratic purpose in Israel's foundation is emphasized differently across traditions. |
| The role of naming in the narrative | Naming is an act of faith and theological reflection. Each name reveals the mother's understanding of God's action. | No significant debate; it is a shared observation across commentaries. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events of Genesis 29 take place in the household of Jacob, who had been deceived by Laban into marrying Leah first, then Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel more (v. 30), and the text uses strong language: Leah was 'hated' (שְׂנוּאָה). In the context, this is a comparative term meaning 'loved less', the same usage appears in Deuteronomy 21:15 and Luke 14:26. Leah lived in her sister's shadow, her value measured by her husband's affection.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, bearing sons was a woman's primary source of honor and security. Leah's repeated pregnancies were not just biological; they were theological events. Each birth prompted her to name the child with a statement about God. This reflects the belief that God oversees conception and responds to human suffering.
Matthew Henry notes that God's providence balances crosses and comforts: Rachel had love but not children; Leah had children but not love. The opening of Leah's womb is directly attributed to Yahweh seeing her affliction (v. 31). The Hebrew wording for 'Yahweh has heard' (כִּי־שָׁמַע יְהוָה) echoes the language of prayer. Lange comments that Leah names Simeon from 'her faith in God as a prayer-answering God.' The name becomes a permanent memorial of God's attentiveness.
This sequence also reveals a progression in Leah's faith. Reuben expressed hope that Jacob would love her. For Simeon, she focuses on God's hearing. By Levi (v. 34), hope shifts to attachment. By Judah (v. 35), she turns to praise. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the births display God's grace in founding Israel not by human preference but by divine choice.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 29:33. The verse is consistent across the major manuscript traditions, and the Masoretic Text is clear. The name Simeon is spelled uniformly (שִׁמְעוֹן).
Reception History
Christian interpreters have read Simeon's naming as an example of prayer answered. Matthew Henry (1710) saw it as a comfort for the despised, reflecting God's equitable providence. Reformation-era commentators emphasized Leah's personal faith in the covenant God. In later devotional literature, the verse has been cited to encourage those who feel overlooked or unloved. The name Simeon also appears in the New Testament (e.g., the prophet Simeon in Luke 2), though not directly connected to this passage. Overall, the verse has been valued as a testimony to God's attentiveness to the lowly and His willingness to hear the cry of the afflicted.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God sees the scorned. Leah was unloved, but Yahweh saw her affliction (v. 31). He notices what others overlook.
- God hears the cry. Leah’s declaration: 'Yahweh has heard that I am hated.' The verb shama‘ implies attentive listening that leads to action.
- God gives a name that remembers. Simeon means 'hearing.' Every time the name was spoken, it recalled that God heard the despised.
Five-point outline
- Affliction is real, Leah’s hated status shaped her daily experience.
- God pays attention, Yahweh both saw and heard her misery.
- God responds with grace, He gave her a son as evidence of His care.
- The response prompts faith, Leah interprets the birth theologically, not just biologically.
- The name becomes a testimony, Simeon’s name carries the memory of God’s faithfulness into future generations.
Illustration hooks
- The feeling of being the overlooked sibling, the second-choice spouse, or the employee passed over for recognition.
- A parent whose child bears a name with a story, a reminder of how God brought them through a hard season.
- Someone praying for a sign that God cares about a specific hurt, then receiving an unexpected provision or encouragement.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can God really hear me in my specific pain, or is He too distant?
- Does my unloved status, at work, in my family, in my marriage, matter to God?
- How do I know if God has heard my prayers when the answer doesn't come the way I expect?
- What do I do when my hope for change in my situation keeps getting disappointed?
Leading a Discussion
Leah's story invites us to consider how we name our own experiences in light of God's attention. She didn't just have a child, she saw a divine response and gave the moment a name that would endure. As you discuss this passage, let it open honest conversation about where you feel overlooked and where you need to hear that God is listening.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Leah's situation from the words 'hated' and 'affliction' in verses 31-33? How does the surrounding context (vv. 30-35) fill out her experience?
- Why does Leah connect God's hearing with the birth of Simeon? What does she believe happened when God 'heard'?
- How does the naming of Simeon differ from the naming of Reuben in verse 32? What does that shift reveal about Leah's faith journey?
- The Cambridge Bible notes a possible different meaning for the name (hyaena). Why might the biblical author still present the 'hearing' meaning as the significant one?
- In what ways do we try to find meaning in our hardships by naming or narrating them, either to ourselves or to others?
- How can this passage encourage someone who feels overlooked or unloved in their current situation?
- Leah's focus moved from her husband's love to God's attention. What would it look like for us to make that same shift?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 30:6 | Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. |
| Genesis 30:8 | Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali. |
| Genesis 30:18 | Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar. |
| Genesis 30:20 | Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun. |
| Genesis 34:25 | On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. |
| Genesis 34:30 | Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.” |
| Genesis 35:23 | The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. |
| Genesis 42:24 | He turned himself away from them, and wept. Then he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that Leah named her son Simeon, meaning "hearing," because she saw this child as proof that God had heard her grief. The name itself became a testimony: God had noticed that she was loved less than Rachel and answered her pain with another son.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools notes that the Hebrew name Simeon (Shimeon) likely does not mean "hearing" as commonly assumed. Instead, it points to the Arabic word sim‘, the hybrid offspring of a hyena and a female wolf, making the name that of an animal.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible highlights Leah’s belief that God noticed her unloved state and responded by giving her another son. She interprets this birth as divine intervention on her behalf, leading her to name him Simeon because she feels heard by the Lord after enduring rejection from her husband.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasises that Leah named her son Simeon, meaning "hearing," because she believed God had heard her sorrow at being less loved than her sister. This second son was given to comfort her under that trial and to draw her husband's affection closer to her.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch highlight that God blessed Leah, the unloved wife, to demonstrate that Israel
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights a spiritual progression in Leah’s naming of her sons: with Reuben she hopes for Jacob’s love, with Simeon for equality, with Levi for constant affection, but with Judah she looks entirely away from herself and praises Jehovah
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that God balances life's joys and sorrows by a careful proportion, giving children to the less-loved Leah while withholding them from the favored Rachel. This divine economy keeps no one too elevated or too depressed, honoring the one who lacks what another possesses.