Each of the figures in michelangelos painting is a known character in the genesis story, as anyone who knows the bible story of jacob, rachel and leah can tell you. Leah and her sister rachel, whose names mean cow and ewe, give jacob many sons. Served laban 7 years for rachel but was given leah instead genesis 29. We see what leah went through and how she felt about it all. One week later jacob was give rachel on the condition he serve. Leah in the bible is the older daughter of laban and jacobs first wife. The bible does not say when she died, but leah is buried in the cave of machpelah, along with her husband jacob genesis 49. Meanwhile leah was yoked to a man who didnt choose her, love her, or want her. Reuben, simeon, levi, issachar, zebulun, and judah. But when jacob wanted to leave laban, both rachel and leah answered jacob together in unison, indicating that they thought alike. Jacob and leahs marriage lasted longer, but eventually leah, too, died in canaan and was buried in the same tomb as abraham and sarah and isaac and rebekah genesis 49. And leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name reuben, for she said, because the lord has looked upon my affliction. Leah was the daughter of laban, the sister of rachel, a wife of jacob, and the mother of seven of jacobs children.
Leah was the elder daughter of laban who, by deception, married her to jacob, to whom she bore six sons and a daughter. As an epilogue to this story, how did leah s life turn out in the end. Leah was uncomely when compared to her lovely sister, but what she lacked in beauty she made up for in loyalty to jacob as a wife, and as a good mother to his children. Leah s children accompanied jacob into egypt, but the bible account does not say that she did so. The upshot is that leah eventually bears a total of six sons and a daughter for jacob. Leah was not noted for her beauty as her sister rachel was, but for her weak, or delicate, eyes. Sometimes a woman of faith can feel unloved by her husband.
According to the old testament she was the younger daughter of laban, sister to leah, and second wife of jacob. The younger daughter of laban and wife of jacob, rachel is the mother of joseph and benjamin, who become two of the twelve tribes of israel gen 35. Through no fault of her own, she was not one of the beautiful people and it caused her a lifetime of heartache. According to the old testament leah was the elder daughter of laban, the sister to rachel, and the first wife of. Jacob after reaching haran found laban, his mothers brother. The bible says that sarah was very beautiful but also had a leah in the inside, calling abraham her lord a sign of humility regardless of having the same predicament like rachel, all the same god makes. Today we look at the other side of the jacob, rachel, and leah. Rachel was the daughter of laban and the younger sister of leah, both of whom were married by jacob. Jacob worked seven years for laban in order to marry rachel, but laban tricked him and. When the lord saw that leah was hated, he opened her womb, but rachel was barren. Leah and rachels story in the bible what they can teach us.
The definition and outline of rachel is as follows. Leah s first mention in the bible comes in the story of jacob. Leah, in the old testament primarily in genesis, first wife of jacob later israel and. Leah is a young unmarried girl, rather plain in appearance. The bible does not say how the switch was accomplished, but, in any case, jacob slept with leah and was shocked the next morning to find leah.
Jacobs lack of love for leah is even clearer in todays passage. Lessons from a love story lessons we can learn from rachel in the bible plus facts about her life and significance in bible. Leah was the oldest daughter of laban, rebekahs brother. We read in verse 31 that she was hated, a word that in context means loved less v. Barnes bible charts n nebuchadnezzar was the son of nabopolassar. Leah in the bible, jacobs first wife, second in his heart. She was also the sister of rachel and the wife of jacob. Leah is the elder daughter of laban and the wife of jacob, father of twelve sons who will become the twelve tribes of israel. He never loves her as much as he loves rachel, but then her dignity and status rest on what god has done for her, not on her husbands love or lack of it. Isaac and rebekah, jacob and esau rebekah becomes pregnant with twins and the two babies struggle together in her womb.
In the old testament leah was the first wife of jacob and the mother of seven of his children. Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the bible attractive. After rachels death, leah carried on as the wife of jacob, and the mother of his many children, living in canaan. Why jacob was an important old testament patriarch. According to the old testament leah was the elder daughter of laban, the sister to rachel, and the first wife of jacob, the hebrew patriarch. She and her younger sister rachel became the two concurrent wives of hebrew patriarch. Leah was jacobs first wife, but rachel gets most of the attention. Leah was married to jacob as a result of labans trickery in substituting her for her sister rachel on the night of the. Today we look at the other side of the jacob, rachel, and leah triangle. Childrens bible lessons, leah unloved wife of jacob, for elementry and middle school students. Unloved but not unseen for all the hurting leahs among usthose of us who are ignored by the men in our life, who. The scriptures points out, that during this time of emotional hardship for leah, rachel was found to be barren and could not have kids of her own at this time.
Rachel, biblical figure amazing bible timeline with. Before we look at the lessons from rachel in the bible and some interesting facts about her, lets recap who rachel in the bible. Looking at leahs life, we see there is much more to her than meets the eye. She can be found on the bible timeline poster around 1704 b.
Leah in the bible, the eldest daughter of laban and sister of rachel, who by a trick became the first wife of jacob. She can be found in the bible timeline between 17541704 bc. Bible study online article jacob agrees to another seven years leah is treated unfairly by jacob leah gains divine favor from the lord god blesses her with jacobs first four sons. Rachel, biblical figure rachel was most wellknown as the favorite wife of jacob. Leah was plain but had many children for her husband jacob. Leah was the oldest daughter of laban, rebekah s brother. Forced to serve rachels father, laban, for seven years to win her, jacob was tricked at the end. Leah is described in the hebrew bible as the daughter of laban. She had six sons, whose descendants became some of the twelve tribes of israel. We are first introduced to miriam as she and her younger brother, aaron. Knowing well that jacobs heart was too cramped a space to harbor both rachel and leah, he made leah a mother, not once, but seven times, extending her influence in jacobs household.
She and her younger sister rachel became the two concurrent wives of hebrew patriarch jacob. Name leah is very popular in scandinavia, france, uk, canada. There are many lessons we can learn from this bible story, but to me, its the. Contrary to what leah may have felt, god had taken note of her sorrow. Judah was the ancestor of king david and, according to the new testament, of jesus. The story of leah, rachel, and jacob is quite a dramatic love triangle. Outraged, jacob demanded to know why laban had given him leah in spite of the fact that he had worked seven years for rachels hand. Fun online educational games and worksheets are provided free for each bible story.
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