Rachel רָחֵל
Wife of Jacob; mother of Joseph and Benjamin
Biography
Rachel was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah (Gen.29.16). She became the beloved wife of Israel (or 'Jacob'), who worked for Laban for fourteen years to marry her (Gen.29.18-30). Rachel was initially unable to conceive, while Leah bore several children (Gen.29.31-35). In her distress, Rachel gave her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob, and Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali (Gen.30.1-8). Eventually, God remembered Rachel, and she gave birth to Joseph (Gen.30.22-24). When Jacob left Laban, Rachel stole her father's household idols (Gen.31.19). She later hid them and deceived her father when he came searching for them (Gen.31.34-35). As Jacob's family journeyed to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel went into labor and gave birth to Benjamin, but she died during childbirth (Gen.35.16-20). Jacob buried her on the way to Ephrath and set up a pillar on her grave (Gen.35.20). Rachel's sons, Joseph and Benjamin, became two of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen.46.19-22). Her tomb became a landmark (1Sa.10.2) and is mentioned in Jer.31.15, where her weeping is used as a symbol for Israel's mourning during the Babylonian exile. This passage is also quoted in Mat.2.18 in relation to Herod's massacre of the innocents.
Family
In Scripture
5 biblical books ; 3 with study contentGenesis 5 verses
- Genesis 29:6
"He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.”"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 29:9
"While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 29:10
"When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 29:11
"Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 29:12
"Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father."
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Ruth 1 verse
- Ruth 4:11
"All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May Yahweh make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem."
1 Samuel 1 verse
- 1 Samuel 10:2
"When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is anxious for..."
Jeremiah 1 verse
- Jeremiah 31:15
"Yahweh says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”"
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Matthew 1 verse
- Matthew 2:18
"“A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she wouldn’t be comforted, because they are no more.”"
Study Matthew →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | רָחֵל | H7354 |
| (same form as previous) | Hebrew | רָחֵל | H7354 |
| Greek | Greek | Ῥαχήλ | G4478 |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Rachel
f Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban, the Aramean, the brother of Jacob's mother; so Rachel and Jacob were cousins. They met for the first time upon the arrival of Jacob at Haran, when attracted by her beauty he immediately fell in love with her, winning her love by his chivalrous act related in Ge 29:10 ff. According to the custom of the times Jacob contracted with Laban for her possession, agreeing to serve him 7 years as the stipulated price (29:17-20). But when the time had passed, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah instead of Rachel. When Jacob protested, Laban gave him Rachel also, on condition that Jacob serve 7 years more (29:21-29). To her great dismay "Rachel was barren" (Ge 29:30,31), while Leah had children. Rachel, envious of her sister, complained to Jacob, who reminded her that children are the gift of God. Then Rachel resorted to the expedient once employed by Sarah under similar circumstances (16:2 ff); she bade Jacob take her handmaid Bilhah, as a concubine, to "obtain children by her" (30:3). Da and Naphtali were the offspring of this union. The evil of polygamy is apparent from the dismal rivalry arising between the two sisters, each seeking by means of children to win the heart of Jacob. In her eagerness to become a mother of children, Rachel bargained with Leah for the mandrakes, or love-apples of her son Reuben, but all to no avail (Ge 30:14). Finally God heard her prayer and granted her her heart's desire, and she gave birth to her firstborn whom she named Joseph (Ge 30:22-24).
Some years after this, when Jacob fled from Laban with his wives, the episode of theft of the teraphim of Laban by Rachel, related in Ge 31:19,34,35, occurred. She hoped by securing the household gods of her father to bring prosperity to her own new household. Though she succeeded by her cunning in concealing them from Laban, Jacob later, upon discovering them, had them put away (35:2-4). In spite of all, she continued to be the favorite of Jacob, as is clearly evidenced by 33:2, where we are told that he assigned to her the place of greatest safety, and by his preference for Joseph, her son. After the arrival in Canaan, while they were on the way from Beth-el to Ephrath, i.e. Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to her second son, Benjamin, and died (35:16 ff).
2Character
In a marked manner Rachel's character shows the traits of her family, cunning and covetousness, so evident in Laban, Rebekah and Jacob. Though a believer in the true God (Ge 30:6,8,22), she was yet given to the superstitions of her country, the worshipping of the teraphim, etc. (Ge 31:19). The futility of her efforts in resorting to self-help and superstitious expedients, the love and stronger faith of her husband (Ge 35:2-4), were the providential means of purifying her character. Her memory lived on in Israel long after she died. In Ru 4:11, the names of Rachel and Leah occur in the nuptial benediction as the foundresses of the house of Israel.
(matstsebheth qebhurath rachel): In Ge 35:20 we read: "Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave: the same is the Pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day," i.e. the time of the wri