KJV ORIGINAL
And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
And Leah said, 'God has given me my reward because I gave my servant to my husband.' So she named the child Issachar.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Leah believes God has rewarded her for giving her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife, so she names her newborn son Issachar (meaning 'reward' or 'wages').
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the intense rivalry between sisters Leah and Rachel, both married to Jacob. In ancient Near Eastern culture, it was acceptable for wives to give their female servants to their husbands as secondary wives to bear children on their behalf. Leah had already given her servant Zilpah to Jacob, and now she's giving birth to another son herself.
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