Genesis 29:32 New International Version (NIV)
32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
Today, parents may give their child a name that sounds good, or it may have sentimental appeal. In the Old Testament, there is a more dynamic use of names. Names were chosen to reflect the situation at the time of the birth, and they hoped that their child may fulfill the meaning of the name given them. Later in life, the parents could look back and see if their grown children had lived up to their names. There were times a name was changes because the character of the person changed and did not match the first name. This happened to Jacob. His name was changed to Israel. Jacob meant: he grasps the heel or he deceives. Israel meant: one who struggles with God. Jacob’s character had changed to the point where he was no longer seen as a deceiver, but he was seen as a God honoring man.
