And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

GENESIS 29:35KJV
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Genesis 29:35 (KJV)

What does Genesis 29:35 mean?

Genesis 29:35 describes how Leah gave birth to another son and named him Judah, saying that now she would praise the LORD. After this, she stopped having children for a time. The verse highlights Leah’s response of gratitude and worship toward God at the birth of Judah.

In this scene, Leah is speaking after giving birth to her fourth son with Jacob. Feeling overlooked by her husband, Leah expresses a turning point by focusing on praising the LORD (the personal name for God in the Hebrew Bible) rather than seeking her husband’s affection. The name Judah is linked to the Hebrew word for “praise,” showing that Leah’s choice of name reflects her thankfulness to God.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 29:35

  • The word for “praise” is יָדָה (yadah), which means to give thanks or confess praise. Leah’s statement, “Now will I praise the LORD,” uses this word, and it directly connects to the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, Yehudah), making the naming deeply meaningful.
  • The word for “LORD” is יְהוָה (YHWH, often pronounced Yahweh), the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible. Leah’s use of this name shows a personal relationship and recognition of God’s involvement in her life.
  • The phrase “left bearing” uses the word עָמַד (amad), often understood as “to stand” or “to stop.” Here, it means Leah ceased having children for a period, marking a pause in her story.

Why Genesis 29:35 matters

  • This verse shows a shift in Leah’s focus from seeking approval from others to finding her value in praising God, which is a key moment in her story.
  • The naming of Judah is significant because Judah becomes the ancestor of the tribe from which King David and, according to Christian tradition, Jesus come.
  • The verse highlights how personal experiences and emotions shaped the names and stories of the tribes of Israel, connecting individual lives to the larger biblical narrative.

Where else these words appear

“conceived” Hebrew H2029 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
  • Genesis 30:19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
  • 1 Chronicles 7:23 And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

“Now” Hebrew H6471 · used in 108 verses

  • Genesis 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
  • Deuteronomy 10:10 And I stayed in the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.
  • 2 Kings 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

“praise” Hebrew H3034 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
  • Psalms 9:1 To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
  • Psalms 107:15 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!