Reference: Leah
American
The elder daughter of Laban, and the first wife of Jacob, though less beloved than her sister Rachel. She had, through life, the remembrance of the deceit by which her father had imposed her upon Jacob. She was the mother of seven children, among whom were Reuben-Jacob's firstborn-and Judah, the ancestor of the leading tribe among the Jews, of the royal line, and of our Lord, Ge 29:16-35; 30:1-21. She is supposed to have died before the removal of the family into Egypt, Ge 49:31.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. read more. Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me." So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her." So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave. When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Wasn't it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?" Laban answered, "It is not the custom in this place to give the younger [daughter in marriage] before the firstborn. Complete this week [of wedding celebration], and we will also give you this [younger] one in return for working yet another seven years for me." And Jacob did just that. He finished the week [of celebration], and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob [any children], she envied her sister. "Give me sons, or I will die!" she said to Jacob. Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld children from you?" read more. Then she said, "Here is my slave Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she'll bear [children] for me so that through her I too can build [a family]." So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, "God has vindicated me; yes, He has heard me and given me a son," and she named him Dan. Rachel's slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Rachel said, "In [my] wrestlings with God, I have wrestled with my sister and won," and she named him Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" and she named him Gad. When Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, "I am happy that the women call me happy," so she named him Asher. Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
Easton
weary, the eldest daughter of Laban, and sister of Rachel (Ge 29:16). Jacob took her to wife through a deceit of her father (Ge 29:23). She was "tender-eyed" (Ge 29:17). She bore to Jacob six sons (Ge 29:32-35), also one daughter, Dinah (Ge 30:21). She accompanied Jacob into Canaan, and died there before the time of the going down into Egypt (Ge 31), and was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Ge 49:31).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.
Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. read more. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
Fausets
(See JACOB; LABAN.) She was buried in the cave of Machpelah (Ge 49:31).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Hastings
The elder daughter of Laban, married to Jacob by stratagem (Ge 29:21 ff.). Jacob's love for her was less than for Rachel (Ge 29:30); sometimes she is said to be hated (Ge 29:31,33). She was the mother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter Dinah (Ge 29:31-35; 30:18,20-21). She was buried in the cave of Machpelah before Jacob went to Egypt (Ge 49:31). She is mentioned in Ru 4:11. Her name probably means 'mistress,' equivalent to Assyrian li'at (Haupt, GGN [Note: GN Nachrichten der konigl. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu G
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her."
Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.
When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." read more. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon.
She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. read more. And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar.
"God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there.
Morish
Le'ah
The elder daughter of Laban, given to Jacob as wife through the artifice of her father. She was 'tender eyed,' and not as beautiful as Rachel; but she was blessed of God in bearing to Jacob six sons and one daughter, and was thus the mother of the heads of the important tribes of Reuben, Levi, and Judah, as well as of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. Ge 29:16-35; 30:9-21; 31:4,14,33; 33:1-2,7; 49:31.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had delicate eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. read more. Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, "I'll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban replied, "Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me." So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with her." So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave. When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Wasn't it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?" Laban answered, "It is not the custom in this place to give the younger [daughter in marriage] before the firstborn. Complete this week [of wedding celebration], and we will also give you this [younger] one in return for working yet another seven years for me." And Jacob did just that. He finished the week [of celebration], and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, "The Lord has seen my affliction; surely my husband will love me now." She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this [son] also." So she named him Simeon. She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons." Therefore he was named Levi. And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Therefore she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her slave Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a son. read more. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" and she named him Gad. When Leah's slave Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, Leah said, "I am happy that the women call me happy," so she named him Asher. Reuben went out during the wheat harvest and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother Leah, Rachel asked, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But Leah replied to her, "Isn't it enough that you have taken my husband? Now you also want to take my son's mandrakes?" "Well," Rachel said, "you can sleep with him tonight in exchange for your son's mandrakes." When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, "You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So Jacob slept with her that night. God listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband," and she named him Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. "God has given me a good gift," Leah said. "This time my husband will honor me because I have borne him six sons," and she named him Zebulun. Later, Leah bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father's household?
So Laban went into Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent, and then the tents of the two female slaves, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's.
Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female slaves. He put the female slaves first, Leah and her sons next, and Rachel and Joseph last.
Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
Smith
Le'ah
(wearied), the daughter of Laban.
The dullness or weakness of her eyes was so notable that it is mentioned as a contrast to the beautiful form and appearance of her younger sister Rachel. Her father took advantage of the opportunity which the local marriage rite afforded to pass her off in her sister's stead on the unconscious bridegroom, and excused himself to Jacob by alleging that the custom of the country forbade the younger sister to be given first in marriage. Jacob's preference of Rachel grew into hatred of Leah after he had married both sisters. Leah, however, bore to him in quick succession Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, then Issachar, Zebulun and Dinah, before Rachel had a child. She died some time after Jacob reached the south country in which his father Isaac lived. She was buried in the family grave in Machpelah, near Hebron.
(B.C. about 1720.)