There is something about Leah’s eyes (v.17). NIV says ‘weak‘ with a note ‘or delicate’. NRSV says ‘lovely‘ with a note ‘meaning uncertain’. KJV says she was ‘tender-eyed‘.
Does this echo Isaac’s blindness that Jacob took advantage of?
Her first son (v.32) is called Reuben which means, ‘See, a son’. And she has a child because God sees that she is unloved.
Her second son is Simeon because God has heard that she was ‘hated’ (v.33).
Her third son is Levi because she hopes to truly attached to Jacob (v.34).
Her fourth son is Judah and she praises God (v.35).
The first two sons, Reuben and Simeon are given as a direct response by God to Leah’s plight.
Levi the third is now Leah’s hope of attachment. His children will become the priests of the nation.
Judah is Leah’s praise. Her sound has now turned away from her husband to God.
The text then says she stopped having children. Possibly now that her sound is oriented around God she no longer needs to have children.
So the strange eyed Leah is
- Seen
- Heard
- Hoping for attachment
- sounding praise