And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, This time I will praise theLord. Therefore she called his nameJudah. This is how far I got on my own. Jacob traveled to Paddan-Aram to find a wife from among his relatives. Ive puzzled over this phrase since I was a kid. Later in the story, her words change from a piteous woe is me attitude to what good fortune! and how happy I am!. Young's Literal Translation for Genesis 29:17. Why does the Bible say Jesus was hanged on a tree?. Jacob has no money to offer Rachels father Laban a bride price, so he arranges to work for him for seven years to marry her. He knows that this is the woman he is to marry. Many of the stories about Leah in the Bible center around her turbulent relationship with her sister, Rachel, as they are both Jacobs wives. ), SUPPLEMENTAL: MODERN ENGLISH VERSIONS AND DIFFICULT GENESIS 29:17. She conceived a son,. ' but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.' (Gen 29:17, ESV) Imagine if you were the first half of this sentence, the bit that comes before the 'but'. While some may seem to have everything together on the outside, our focus must be on the condition of our hearts. In medieval Christian symbolism, Rachel was taken as a symbol of the contemplative (monastic) Christian life, and Leah as a symbol of the active (non-monastic) life. StudyLght .org . In Genesis 29, we meet Leah. This level of praise left a legacy which brought us a Savior. One day, Leah's firstborn son Reuben returned from the field with mandrakes for his mother. Security in His love, His pursuit of us, and the desire to use our lives for His glory can manifest a love story far more memorable than anything you could see on social media. Contact Us (Mailing Address for Donations). In biblical times, women had little control over their lives. Hamilton (NICOT) concluded that the phrase at issue here is a positive reference to something tender or delicate in Leahs appearance. Leah said, God has given me my wages because I gave my servant to my husband. So she called his name Issachar. Judahs representation also includes the four letters of the Divine name Havaya. - Webster's Bible Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive. She serves him and cares for him dutifully, but it never makes her good enough. Leah then turns to her children, which were seen as symbols of blessing. They are contrasted with Rachel, who is described as looking beautiful. She becomes a mother of seven, tenderly caring for and raising her children to be leaders of the tribes of Israel. But both women made the same mistake as Sarah, offering their maidservants to Jacob during times of barrenness. Sometimes it is difficult not to compare ourselves to these picture-perfect women. Unlike her younger sister Rachel, Leah was ordinary looking, what we might call a plain Jane. There were no striking features about Leahs face or appearance, with particular emphasis on her eyes. Sons and daughters could make her worthy. As we saw in the case of Rachel, the security one would expect a person to have that is seen as beautiful in form and appearance was temporary as her jealousy grew. With the birth of her next two sons, Issachar and Zebulun, Leah acknowledges the gifts the Lord has given her. They go together, but Leah is still second best despite her many children. Berean Standard Bible Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. But Jacobs willingness to labor seven years for her demonstrates feelings deeper than flattery or casual interest. Zavada, Jack. Read Genesis (YLT) Read Genesis 29:17 (YLT) in Parallel. Scripture tells us Rachel was "lovely in form, and beautiful." Through her sons Levi and Judah, she is thus the matriarch of both the priestly (Levite) and royal (Judahite) tribes in Israel. Genesis 29:17 Most of us have read the passage above about Jacob's wives as describing Leah's bad eyesight. Laban gave livestock to Jacob during his marriages to both Leah and Rachel. This is the same spring water his mother Rebekah drew from before she married Isaac. At first glance, Leahs story is full of grief. This page/post may contain affiliate links. Pursuing the Lord keeps your heart tender as you face trials and endure grief. And Id appeal back to my gut feeling as someone who loves and knows language; Id explain the text as an idiom communicating, in a delicate way, that Leah wasnt quite the looker Rachel was. Leah[a] (/le./; /li/) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Forhe has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. Focus your attention solely on Him as He gives you all that matters mostcontentment! There was a physical difference between Leah and Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Love in the Bible: From God's Love to the Most Romantic Scriptures, A Profile of Abraham of the Jewish Nation, Meet Eve: The First Woman, Wife, and Mother of All the Living, 20 Bible Verses for Your Christian Wedding Ceremony, 13 Thank You Bible Verses to Express Your Appreciation, Meet Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Modern English versions actually disagree on how to translate the Hebrew word for tender. Some translations contradict each otherlovely, nice, attractive, ordinary versus didnt sparkle, tender, delicate, weak! Behold the confusion! Biblical passages are dismissive of Leah and favorable of Rachel, with Rachel said to be beautiful and of Leah, only that she had "weary", "tired" or "tender" eyes. What the Bible indicates here is that Jacob did not love Leah at all. It is based on the word root Hodaah, connoting Give Thanks, Praise.. Why did Jesus say to throw the net on the right side? 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). What an enormous relief that is! 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. Her father doesn't want her either. Even some translators have confessed trouble with this expression. Sadly, can you imagine how that made Leah feel? Jacob arrives in Haran and meets the younger sister, Rachel, at a well. They would rather change the offensive precious words of God than insult Leah! Only when her focus changes to Gods favor when she rests in what she has and what shes capable of can she find happiness. The Bible tells us: "Leah was tender eyed." (Gen.29:17).The NIV says: "Leah had weak eyes.".Different meanings can be derived from these words. In a selfish world, contentment is not a quality that is popular in the Bible or on social media today. Rachel (Heb., the ewe) was, on the contrary, "beautiful and well favoured" (Heb., beautiful in form and beautiful in look). 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. You know that I have served your father with all my strength,yet your father has cheated me and changed my wagesten times. 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 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." English Bible readers have wondered if this is another way of saying her eyes were deformed (cross-eyed, lazy-eyed, or the like). 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. Leah continues to offer her heart to Jacob for many years. After being unloved and unwanted, Leah was blessed by God with six sons. CSB Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Why did Peter and John need to lay hands on the Samaritans for them to receive the Holy Ghost? 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. Whatever is said about you, it's not flattering. Jacob did not see, hear, or attach himself to Leah, but the Lord filled the void Jacob created Leahs life. Leah is described as having "soft (lovely) eyes" ( Gen 29:17 ). Jacob did not see, hear, or attach himself to Leah, but the Lord filled the void Jacob created in Leahs life. Genesis 29:17 ESV Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. God does not love us because we are beautiful or handsome, brilliant or successful. We meet great leaders and evil kings. Its here-I-grandstand if you dont first listen to a representative sampling of careful Bible teachers and scholars (this is what I use Logos to do all the time). And when you see them differ on an apparent figure of speech, youre probably dealing with a Hebrew idiom: A fairly fixed speech form or expression that cannot be understood grammatically from its constituents parts but whose elements function as a set with a meaning peculiar to itself (Pocket Dictionary for the Study of New Testament Greek). Why does the King James Bible say, pisseth against the wall?. In the long run, Leah was recognized by the Jewish people as an important person in their history, as this verse from the book of Ruth shows: At the end of Jacob's life, he requested to be buried beside Leah (Genesis 49:29-31), suggesting that he'd come to recognize the virtue in Leah and had grown to love her as deeply as he loved Rachel. Judah means acknowledgment (hodaah, as in modeh ani). 19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. Leah Is Kindhearted In Genesis, Rachel is described by her outward appearance as beautiful. Before we dive into some lessons we can learn from Leah in the Bible, lets review her story. - Genesis 29:17 is a Hebrew pun : The eyes of Weary () were weak. Oh, Leah in the Bible! The Bible describes Rachel as "beautiful and lovely" or similar words, depending on the English translation. lists them as being daughters of Laban, but not his wife Adinah, and another lists them as being the daughters of Rotheus, a man who was close to Laban but not related to him. Genesis 29:17 - Bible in Basic English - And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. Leah was the mother of six of Jacob's sons, including his first four (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah), and later two more (Issachar and Zebulun), and a daughter (Dinah). In a world as troubled as our own, it is no wonder that this aspect of Leah's narrative carries lasting resonance. "[11] Hearing this, Leah spent most of her time weeping and praying to God to change her destined mate. Perhaps God also has weak eyes. [17], Each woman also continually questioned whether she was doing enough in her personal efforts toward increased spirituality, and would use the other's example to spur herself on. Rachel became the mother of two other tribesJoseph and Benjamin. They send forth an uncertain sound. 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. And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. God ensures Leah a life of honor because He is her Lord. With the birth of each son, Leah acknowledged the role the Lord held in her life. English Bible readers have wondered if this is another way of saying her eyes were deformed (cross-eyed, lazy-eyed, or the like). Create an account or log in to get started. 17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. Its when there is disjunction that my true allegiance shows. Both sisters eventually bore Jacob many sons, and Jacobs twelve sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob worked for Rachel's father Laban seven years for the right to marry Rachel. The whole reason I look at commentaries is that I need help, so I tend to turn to them when Im uncertain of the meaning of a given passage. She is the sister of Rachel and the cousin of Jacob. Jacob had eyes only for Rachel and he did not care about Leah. She was not the preferred wife, often forgotten by her husband as his attention remained with Rachel, but at the end of her life, Leah was honored by Jacob as she was laid to rest with her fellow matriarchs and patriarchs of faith. 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. "Meet Leah: First Wife of Jacob." With the birth of each son, Leah acknowledged the role the Lord held in her life. Whatever Leah lacked in her marriage, the world received a gift of Savior through Gods abundant blessing. Rachel was younger and had a beautiful face and figure. Leah Unveiled: Your Best Life Later, Discovering Identity Stronger than the StrugglebyMichelle Kelso Kafe, Rachel & Leah Bible Study Book: What Two Sisters Teach Us about Combating ComparisonbyNicki Koziarz, ESVScripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. I listen to the teachers, but I have to teach the text as I see it. 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