Jacob's first wife, Leah, gives birth to four sons, even though it is her sister, Rachel, Jacob's second wife, that Jacob truly loves. It seems the Lord gives her these sons to comfort her, as well as to be future fathers to the tribes of Israel. Each one has a special name--most names in the Bible have special significance. Reuben sounds like the Hebrew for "he has seen my misery" and literally means, "see, a son." Simeon probably means "one who hears" and Levi sounds like and can possibly be derived from the Hebrew word for attached. Judah, who would be in the lineage of the Messiah, sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew word for "praise." (See NIV footnotes for these explanations.)

Our given names may or may not have special meaning to us or to our parents who gave them to us. Regardless, God knows our names and if we trust him with our lives and accept his Son Jesus as Lord and Savior, our names are forever written in the Book of Life. How precious is each name inscribed there!