Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob, and I said, Here I am!And he said, Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, forI have seen all that Laban is doing to you.I am the God of Bethel,where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Jacob loved and desired Rachel so much that he worked for Laban an additional seven years, a total of fourteen years to marry Rachel. Ouch. Leah had not conceived for a while, and the plant, whose roots resemble the human body, was thought to be an aid to fertility. This is how far I got on my own. Jacob continues to show favoritism toward Rachel, but after Leahs third child is born, Leah seems to have a change of heart. In biblical times, women had little control over their lives. Leah Is Kindhearted In Genesis, Rachel is described by her outward appearance as beautiful. Then Rachel said to Leah, Please give me some of your sons mandrakes.But she said to her, Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Wouldnt you? After seven years, the wedding arrives, and the veiled bride finally becomes Jacobs wife. Her marriage began with scandal, but her role in her family gave her honor and respect in the community. They go together, but Leah is still second best despite her many children. Leah's name is variously said to mean "wild cow," "gazelle," "wearied," and "weary" in Hebrew. She had beautiful eyes, in other words, but Rachel had more than just good eyes: she was easy on the eyes. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,for she said, Because theLordhas looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.. I was surprised to find that several excellent commentators reading the phrase positively, as a reference to the beauty of Leah. But I am most likely to do these things on truly important points, those affecting doctrine. Her third son she named Levi (now this time my husband will be attached to me). All we have to do for his love is accept it. Until further notice, this website will not be receiving further updates. We must rejoice even when things seem difficult or impossible because we have an incredible Savior who is faithful no matter what happens. We do know that she was the lesser loved of the two wives, he loved Rachel more than Leah (Genesis 29:30 CSB). 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. Our circumstances cannot determine the level of our joy, consistency of our prayers, and abundance of our thanks. you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA . The King James Version that I grew up on has the even odder phrase, Leah was tender eyed. I sort of thought tender eyes were a good thing, not something that needs to be set in contrast to the beauty of ones sister. Learn Religions. Through no fault of her own, she was not one of the "beautiful people" and it caused her a lifetime of heartache. She said to Jacob, Give me children, or I shall die!. Jacob traveled to Paddan-Aram to find a wife from among his relatives. We first learn that she was unloved and unfavored with a tender heart versus an attractive body. For Leah, God's seeing her and granting her sons does not bring her the love she wants. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah chose to praise and be thankful for Gods role in her life. Whatever she lacked in her marriage the world received a gift of a Savior through the abundant blessing of God. Therethey buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leahthe field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last, andwas gathered to his people. While their marriage began with deception, Leah was honored at her death by Jacob. Leahs marriage was less honorable as it began with deception. God also has a calling on your life and will make all circumstances work together for your good. Leahs role as wife is one that tends to her husband, desperately trying to capture his heart. Leahs eyes, in their views, were either weak in power or color (Kidner) or in sparkle or fire (Wenham). Who Is the Beast in Revelation 13, and Have We Met Him Yet? And we know that for those who love God all things work togetherfor good, forthose who are called according to his purpose. Bilhah gave birth to two sons; Leah, no longer fertile, responds by having her maid Zilpah bear two sons (Genesis 30:913; 35:26; 46:18). [b] Jacob is eager to marry Rachel and agrees to provide seven years' labor to her father if he can marry her. This is the same spring water his mother Rebekah drew from before she married Isaac. 2. When you see translations differ this much, youre probably dealing with a genuine ambiguity or obscurity in the Hebrew. Leah (the woman nobody wants) is "disregarded" by her cousin, Jacob. King James Bible Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. Why did Jesus say to throw the net on the right side? That Leah's eyes were compared to Rachel's beauty obviously meant there was no beauty in them and that Leah herself was probably plain in face and form compared to her sister. When there is particular difficulty regarding a certain interpretation, I may offer some hedging, or I may walk listeners through some of the interpretive options. He is the author of several books and textbooks including Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption (BJU Press, 2016), Basics for a Biblical Worldview (BJU Press, 2021), and Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible (Lexham Press, 2018), which became a Faithlife infotainment documentary. Berean Standard Bible Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. PREVIOUS Genesis 29:16 NEXT Genesis 29:18. May you act worthily inEphrathah andbe renowned in Bethlehem, It is interesting to note that the name Leah in Hebrew means weary or cow while Rachel means ewe., Cows are a great symbol of fertility in Mesopotamia, partially because of the similarity between the words littu, cow, and alittu, birth giver.. The stakes are low. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, Now this time my husband will beattached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi. If we never accomplish another impressive thing, his love for us anyway will suffice as a blessed assurance. Contact Us (Mailing Address for Donations). The Hebrew word in Genesis, rakkoth, could also mean tenderhearted or kindhearted. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. Whatever the case was, Leah was unattractive, so Jacob preferred to marry her (beautiful) sister Rachel. The story of Leah's family is recorded in Genesis 2535. Of course, Laban is to blame for this situation, but most of us can agree that Leah felt rejected or less than. One of those sons was Judah who was listed in Matthew 1 in the genealogy of King. Leah becomes Jacob's wife through a deception on the part of her father, Laban. Rabbinical literature contradicts itself on whether or not Leah and Rachel were half-siblings to Zilpah and Bilhah, two sisters who would serve as mistresses to Leah's future husband, Jacob, and whose children she and Rachel would raise as their own, as one source[which?] At this point, Rachel is incredibly jealous and gives her handmade Bilhah to Jacob. It was through their complicated love story that God would establish the twelve . She lies with all of those ancestors and founders of faith in their final resting place. So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Labanfor another seven years. Leah never seems to gain the affections of Jacob, yet her life is evidence of Gods devotion to her. We could imagine Jacobs infatuation with Rachel was love at first sight, as they almost certainly would not have been granted time for deep conversation or solitary walks across the pastureland of Haran. She has three more sons, namely Simeon, Levi and Judah, but does not bear another son until Rachel offers her a night with Jacob in exchange for some mandrake root ( , dd'm ). Then she ceased bearing.. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, This time I will praise theLord. Therefore she called his nameJudah. This great honor Leah received in death illustrates Matthew 19:30: "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." And he divided the children unto Leah, and . Laban initially agrees but, on the night of what would've been Jacob and Rachel's wedding, Laban reneges; he insists Jacob marry Leah instead, as she is older. She was talking about the complex issue of headcoverings in 1 Corinthians 11: I appreciate scholarship, but it is rarely conclusive. Zavada, Jack. But in the end, after prayer and effort, I think you need to hope for and achieve some kind of interpretive resolution if at all possible. Leah first appears in the Book of Genesis, in Genesis 29, which describes her as the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, and is said to not compare to Rachel's physical beauty and that she has tender eyes. Many of the stories about Leah in the Bible center around her turbulent relationship with her sister, Rachel, as they are both Jacobs wives. Thus the Torah describes her eyes as "soft" from weeping. Fearful of his brother's wrath, Jacob flees his homeland for Haran, where he meets his maternal family, including Laban and his daughters. In the Bible, Leah is the daughter of Laban and the sister of Rachel. She is also mentioned in Ruth 4:11. Leah writes on her blog at leahlivelyblog.com and just released her second Bible study, 30 Days in Acts A Journey: Igniting the Flame of the Early Church. Laban tricked Jacob, however, substituting the heavily-veiled Leah on the dark wedding night. [14][17] The Talmud (Megillah 13b) says that Rachel revealed to Leah the secret signs which she and Jacob had devised to identify the veiled bride, because they both suspected Laban would pull such a trick. The Torah introduces Leah by describing her with the phrase, "Leah had tender eyes" (Biblical Hebrew: ) (Genesis 29:17). When he met Rachel, he fell in love with her at first sight. All rights reserved., Posted on Published: April 25, 2022- Last updated: February 2, 2023, The Tribe of Zebulun: History, Prophecy and What We Can Learn From the Little-Known Tribe, The Ultimate Guide to Fasting in the Bible. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. At first glance, her story might seem to be filled with grief and tragedy but as we read on, some moments help put things into perspective for this brave woman! You may also enjoy this sermon about the lessons we can learn from Leah in the Bible: Or one of these recommendations about Leah in the Bible and the lessons we can learn from her. Leah never seems to gain the affections of Jacob, yet her life is evidence of Gods devotion to her. If she lived today, we might imagine her as an awkward wallflower with thick glasses. (Physical appearance is irrelevant in Gods eyes. We can point to the naming of her sons and how she hopes to gain favor through birthing them. God ensures Leah a life of honor because He is her Lord. Story of Leah in the Bible But its our job as readers to whom Christ may say one day, Have you not read ? And its our job as heraldsthose of us who are heraldsto do our best to repeat the message the King wrote down for distribution in his realm. She has three more sons, namely Simeon, Levi and Judah, but does not bear another son until Rachel offers her a night with Jacob in exchange for some mandrake root (, dd'm). Bridge-Logos Publishers. It may have been, then, a delicate way of referring to something else about Leahs physical appearance entirely. ), SUPPLEMENTAL: MODERN ENGLISH VERSIONS AND DIFFICULT GENESIS 29:17. Here are 10 Lessons We Can Learn from Leah in the Bible 1. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Leah is portrayed to be the unloved wife of the biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah in the Bible by John Foster Sometimes a woman of faith can feel unloved by her husband. They are contrasted with Rachel, who is described as looking beautiful. While Leah and Rachel competed for Jacobs attention, Leah is honored in her death as the first wife of Jacob. The 66 books of the Bible list is a very handy printable when you read the Bible. The Bible says in Genesis 29:17: "Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured." What does Scripture mean that Leah was "tender eyed?" It is a difficult verse at first glance. How could anyone be so heartless? The Best Bible Translations: All You Need to Know & How to Choose, 7 of the Best Exegetical Bible Commentaries, How to Study the Bible: 9 Tips to Get More Out of Your Study. He promised to honor the love between Jacob and Rachel, but he instead led them into disaster with a treacherous plan. Weak eyes and all. In the Bible, we read early in the story that Leahs eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.(Genesis 29:17). Read the Bible; Reading Plans . Zavada, Jack. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, This time I will praise theLord. Therefore she called his nameJudah. Leah's "soft" eyes are eventually mirrored in the eyes of the earthly Jesus. Answer Leah was the daughter of Laban, the sister of Rachel, a wife of Jacob, and the mother of seven of Jacob's children. [15] Frustrated that she was not able to conceive at all, Rachel offered to trade her night with their husband with Leah in return for the mandrakes. 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