Genesis 29:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

NIV: Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

NASB: And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance.

CSB: Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

NLT: There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

KJV: Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

NKJV: Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.

Prior verses described how Jacob came to find the family of his uncle, Laban (Genesis 29:1–12), in search of a wife (Genesis 28:1–2). Laban welcomed Jacob warmly, and after a month of work, asked Jacob what wages he would be expecting (Genesis 29:15). Shifting to provide background information, Scripture then introduced Laban's two daughters, Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:16).

We now learn that the older daughter, Leah, was not as attractive as her younger sister. The text indicates that she had "weak" or "soft" eyes. The suggestion is that her eyes didn't have much liveliness, especially as compared to her sister. According to that era's standards of beauty, it was ideal to have sharp, dark, expressive eyes. Leah, it seems, had a plainer face than what Jacob would have preferred. Rachel, on the other hand, is described as being "beautiful in both form and appearance," which seems to be a reference to both the shape of her body and the look of her face.

As the rest of the chapter will reveal, these differences between Leah and Rachel—and Jacob's response to them—will drive the events of his life for many years to come.

Genesis 29:1–30 describes Jacob's arrival at his uncle's household. Laban is happy to see his nephew, likely for the first time. Jacob falls in love with Laban's more attractive daughter, Rachel, and agrees to work for Laban seven years to marry her. On the wedding night, however, Laban treacherously switches Rachel for her older sister Leah. Jacob agrees to marry Rachel the next week, but now must work another seven years.

Jacob's journey from his home brings him to his uncle's household in Haran. He falls in love with Laban's younger daughter Rachel and agrees to work for Laban for seven years to marry her. When the time comes, Laban switches out Rachel for her older, less attractive sister Leah. Jacob is surprised to find he has consummated the marriage with the wrong sister. Manipulative Laban assures Jacob he can still marry Rachel the next week, as long as he will work another seven years. Jacob loves Rachel more than Leah, but with the Lord's help, unloved Leah bears Jacob his first four sons.

The previous chapter described Jacob fleeing from home to seek his uncle in Mesopotamia. This was both to escape the rage of his brother, Esau, and to look for a suitable wife. Now Jacob arrives and falls in love with his uncle's daughter Rachel. After working seven years to marry her, Jacob is tricked by his uncle into marrying the older daughter, Leah, instead. Laban allows Jacob to marry Rachel, as well, in exchange for another seven years' work. Though she is unloved by Jacob, the Lord notices Leah's heartbreak and allows her to bear four sons. In the next chapter, Rachel's jealousy sets off something of a birth war, as she and Leah compete to obtain children.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.