Jacob's Household With Rachel, Leah and Their MaidsBible World
29:31Genesis 29:31
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Jacob had set his heart on marrying Rachel, yet Laban deceived him by bringing Leah to him instead. When Jacob realized Leah had taken part in that deception he could not love her, so the word hated means she was loved much less than Rachel. The contrast between Leah's opened womb and Rachel's barrenness belongs to this troubled marriage that Laban's deceit had created.
Jacob had set his heart on marrying Rachel, yet Laban deceived him by bringing Leah to him instead. When Jacob realized Leah had taken part in that deception he could not love her, so the word hated means she was loved much less than Rachel. The contrast between Leah's opened womb and Rachel's barrenness belongs to this troubled marriage that Laban's deceit had created.