What's in a Name?

One of the many things I love about the Bible is the fact that the people in it act like real people. They aren’t idealized, perfect, hazy-haloed saints. One manifestation of this that I’ve been noticing in my reading lately is their choice of names. An example I especially notice is in Genesis 29-30: Jacob’s kids. The twelve tribes. Some of the most often repeated names in the Bible. Were these names carefully selected with a view to impressing posterity? Unfortunately not. Leah and Rachel got into a bit of competition over who had more kids, and they were so wrapped up in it that even the names reflect their wrestling. Every time I read this story it cracks me up, as I keep a running commentary going in my head:
Reuben: “See! A son!” (How’s that for straight forward?)
Simeon: “God has heard” (She thinks God is sorry for her, because she is unloved.)
Levi: “Attached” (Jacob will be attached to her.)
Judah: “Praise” (She is happy she has so many sons.)
Now Rachel starts to get jealous and unreasonable, so she gives her maid to Jacob to have children for her. This is where the competition becomes evident.
Dan: “God has judged” (Between her and her sister.)
Naphtali: “wrestlings” (She says she has wrestled with her sister and prevailed. Her attitude is pretty plain, but I would say her math could use some help. Leah’s four kids verses her two...I’d say Leah is still prevailing.)
Now Leah gets busy again.
Gad: “A Troop Comes” (Now she’s thinking ahead!)
Asher: “Happy One” (Meaning herself, because she has so many sons.)
Issachar: “Wages” (She basically bribes Rachel to make Jacob sleep with her.)
Zebulun: “Dwell” (She thinks Jacob will dwell with her.)
Finally, Rachel has a son. This name is the funniest of all.
Joseph: “God will add another son” (How’s that for cheek? As though she can tell God what to do!)
That’s basically the end of the quarrel in stalemate; both sides think they won (by the time Benjamin comes along, Rachel has other troubles to think about). This little spat between sisters can be easily overlooked in the grand sweep Genesis, but if you take time to notice it, it adds colouring to the rest of the story of the tribes and their struggles, to remember that there has been tension between them since before their forefathers were born.