Leah
Who she was
Leah was the elder daughter of Laban, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's mother (Genesis 29:16). Israel (or 'Jacob') agreed to work for Laban for seven years to marry Rachel, Leah's younger sister (Genesis 29:18). However, Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah instead, requiring him to work another seven years for Rachel (Genesis 29:23–28). Leah bore Jacob six sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah (Genesis 29:32–35; 30.17-21). Despite being the less favored wife, Leah hoped to gain Jacob's affection through childbearing (Genesis 29:32). Leah accompanied Jacob when he left Laban's household and reconciled with his brother Esau (Gen.31.4,14; 33.1-2,7). She is last mentioned as being buried with Jacob in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 49:31). Leah's sons became the ancestors of six of the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:23; 46.15; 49.1-28).
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Family
Family relations: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
32 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Genesis31 mentions
Genesis 29:16Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.Genesis 29:17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.Genesis 29:23In the evening, he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to Jacob. He went in to her.Genesis 29:24Laban gave Zilpah his servant to his daughter Leah for a servant.Genesis 29:25In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?”Genesis 29:30He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years.Genesis 29:31Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.Genesis 29:32Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, “Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction; for now my husband will love me.”Genesis 30:9When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her servant, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.Genesis 30:10Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a son.Genesis 30:11Leah said, “How fortunate!” She named him Gad.Genesis 30:12Zilpah, Leah’s servant, bore Jacob a second son.Genesis 30:13Leah said, “Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy.” She named him Asher.Genesis 30:14Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”Genesis 30:16Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, “You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” He lay with her that night.Genesis 30:17God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.Genesis 30:18Leah said, “God has given me my hire, because I gave my servant to my husband.” She named him Issachar.Genesis 30:19Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.Genesis 30:20Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons.” She named him Zebulun.Genesis 31:4Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,Genesis 31:14Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?Genesis 31:33Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.Genesis 33:1Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants.Genesis 33:2He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.Genesis 33:7Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.Genesis 34:1Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.Genesis 35:23The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.Genesis 35:26The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.Genesis 46:15These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty-three.Genesis 46:18These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.Genesis 49:31There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:
What the dictionary says
Weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel (Gen. 29:16).
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain