What does the name Leah mean in the Bible?

Answer 1

AnswerIn Hebrew, the name Leah means 'wild cow', although it can also mean 'weary'. Clearly, 'wild cow' is the more probable meaning here: Leah was described as 'tender eyed', or cow-eyed, and her sister's name, Rachel, means 'Ewe'. And Weary seems such an improbable name for a daughter. Some modern translations imply that Leah means 'antelope', which is perhaps more graceful to our ears, but the Hebrew word is different.

Of course, Ewe and Wild Cow are also improbable names in the modern context This begins to make sense when we learn that several ancient hymns to the Sumerian goddess Inanna describe her as a splendid wild cow. Strange as it is to modern thinking, Innana, or Asherah as she was known to the Hebrews, was depicted as both a wild cow and the Morning Star, Venus. There is some evidence that Jacob was a moon god in early Hebrew belief. The moon god was often depicted as a bull with crescent horns, like Asherah a symbol of fertility, and the biblical passage celebrates his marriage to the goddess Asherah. This supports the translation of Leah as 'wild cow'.