Jacob had two legally wedded wives, Leah and Rachel, according to the biblical narrative. However, he also had two concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah, who were given to him by his wives Leah and Rachel, respectively, to bear children on their behalf. While Leah and Rachel are explicitly referred to as wives, Bilhah and Zilpah are consistently called “maidservants” in the text, indicating they were not considered wives in the same legal or social status. Thus, Jacob had two wives and two concubines, with the latter playing a significant role in the family’s lineage.
Jacob, Rachel, and Leah: A Story of Deception and Preference
Jacob had intended to marry only Rachel, the woman he loved dearly and for whom he worked seven years. Instead, he was outmaneuvered by Laban, who deceived Jacob by substituting Leah for Rachel on the wedding night. Genesis 29:25 captures the surprise: “And in the morning, behold, it was Leah!”
The Meaning of “Hated” in the Story
The devotion today examines the Hebrew verb sane (שׂנא, pronounced sah-NEY), often translated as “hate.” This word appears in Genesis 29:31: “When the LORD saw that Leah was hated [sane], he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.”
Does “hate” in this context mean that Jacob intensely disliked, abhorred, or loathed Leah? Did he treat her as an enemy? The evidence suggests otherwise. While there is certainly an emotional aspect, the situation is more nuanced.
Legal and Emotional Dimensions
A useful parallel is found in Deuteronomy, where the same Hebrew term is used to distinguish between a loved and an unloved wife:
“If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his” (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).
This law makes it clear that if the less-favored wife bears the firstborn son, the husband is not permitted to favor the son of the preferred wife when assigning the inheritance. In this case, legal obligations override personal feelings and choices.
Understanding “Unloved” and Its Implications
As Hebrew scholar Robert Alter notes, the term translated as “despised” or “hated” has emotional undertones, as seen in Leah’s words in Genesis 29:33. However, it also serves as a technical or legal term for the unfavored co-wife. Jewish scholar Nahum Sarna further explains that the word conveys a relative degree of preference.
Although Leah was the unfavored or unchosen wife—an unfair situation—interpreting her as a “hated” wife in English can imply more than is intended in the Hebrew context, especially within marriage. Jacob continued his marital relationship with Leah and fathered children with her, but she always remained secondary to Rachel as long as Rachel was alive.
Lasting Legacies of Leah and Jacob
Despite Leah’s status, two important truths emerge from her relationship with Jacob:
- When Jacob was buried, he was laid to rest beside Leah, not Rachel (see Genesis 35:19; 49:29-32). Their bodies were together in a tomb-cave, while Rachel’s grave was near Bethlehem.
- The lineage of the promised Messiah did not continue through Rachel’s sons, Joseph and Benjamin, but rather through Leah’s son, Judah. From Judah’s tribe, the Messiah would eventually come.
Conclusion
Ultimately, God’s perfect love, realized in Jesus the Messiah, is delivered to us through Leah—the wife who was unloved in her time, yet chosen as the mother of the line of promise.
