Question
Gramps,
In Genesis it says, Leah (Jacob’s wife), was hated and tender eyed. What does that mean? If Leah was hated, does that mean Jacob didn’t love her? I’m just curious. My name is Leah and I am forming a complex about my name. Thanks
Leah
Answer
Leah,
Lets summarize the story of Leah as it is told in the Old Testament. Leah is living at home with her father Laban and younger sister Rachel. One day a stranger visits their home. It turns out his name is Jacob and he is looking for a worthy wife. He had seen Rachel and had been impressed that she was the one. He negotiates with Laban to serve him 7 years for Rachel’s hand in marriage. He serves faithfully for seven years and when the time came Laban tricks him into marrying Leah instead.
Laban gave the reason for his trickery that it was not right that the youngest daughter be married first, but that Rachel could still be his, for another 7 years of service. While the scripture give the reason Laban stated for his actions, I think Laban’s action at the end of the second 7 years shows that he had greater interest in the blessing and prosperity that having Jacob as a servant brought him, then possibly the well being of his daughters.
So here is Leah, married to a good man, but a man that she knows loves someone else. That someone else being her younger sister who was also married to that same man. Which means a sibling rivalry of major scale. A rivalry that she loses more often then not.
If you put yourself in her place you can easily see why she might feel that she was hated.. Hated by a father that used her, hated by a sister that felt threatened by her. While we can be sure that Leah had her faults like everyone does, a large measure of her difficulties were not because of her own actions, but because of the actions of other.
Leah did what we are all encouraged to do when we are faced with the injustices that life can offer. She lived faithfully to the best of her abilities even though her life was hard and unfair.
To me it seems that having the name Leah and knowing the story of the biblical Leah, I would take my name as an honor to have. A goal to follow her example in the face of trial and hardships.
Gramps
