Leah

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

LEAH. The elder daughter of Laban, married to Jacob by stratagem (  Genesis 29:21 ff.). Jacob’s love for her was less than for Rachel (  Genesis 29:30 ); sometimes she is said to be hated (  Genesis 29:31;   Genesis 29:33 ). She was the mother of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter Dinah (  Genesis 29:31-35 ,   Genesis 30:18;   Genesis 30:20-21 ). She was buried in the cave of Machpelah before Jacob went to Egypt (  Genesis 49:31 ). She is mentioned in   Ruth 4:11 . Her name probably means ‘mistress,’ equivalent to Assyrian li’at (Haupt, GGN [Note: GN Nachrichten der konigl. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen.] , 1883, p. 100, and others). This is preferable to the view that it means ‘wild cow,’ from the Arabic, chiefly because the correspondence in form of the words is more exact.

George R. Berry.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Le'ah. (Wearied). The daughter of Laban.  Genesis 29:16 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.  Genesis 49:31. (B.C. about 1720).

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Leah ( Lç'Ah ), Wearied. The elder daughter of Laban. Her eyes were delicate and weak.  Genesis 29:16-17. By her father Laban's deceit she was married to Jacob; she bore him six sons and a daughter, but seems to have been ever painfully sensible that her husband's affections were given mainly to her sister Rachel.  Genesis 29:21-25;  Genesis 29:31-35;  Genesis 30:1-21. She willingly accompanied Jacob into Canaan,  Genesis 31:1-55; and there she died, when, is not stated, but it was before the family of Israel went down into Egypt, and she was buried in the cave of Machpelah.  Genesis 49:31.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

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.  Genesis 29:16-35;  Genesis 30:9-21;  Genesis 31:4,14,33;  Genesis 33:1,2,7;  Genesis 49:31 .

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

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,  Genesis 29:16-35;  30:1 -  21 . She is supposed to have died before the removal of the family into Egypt,  Genesis 49:31 .

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

Being the mother of six of Jacob’s twelve sons, Leah had an important role as one of the mothers of the Israelite nation ( Genesis 30:1-19;  Genesis 35:23). She was not the wife Jacob chose for himself, and the ill-feeling between her and Jacob’s chosen wife Rachel created many difficulties in Jacob’s household. (For details see Jacob ; Rachel .)

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 29:16 Genesis 29:23 Genesis 31

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

The wife of Jacob. ( Genesis 29:23) Her name, it should, seem, meant weary.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

(See Jacob ; Laban She was buried in the cave of Machpelah ( Genesis 49:31).

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Genesis 29:16

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

lē´a ( לאה , lē'āh  ; Λεία , Leı́a , "weary," "dull"(?), "wild cow"): Rachel's sister, and the elder daughter of Laban (  Genesis 29:16 ). We are told that her eyes were "tender" רכּות , rakkōth ). Gesenius renders it "weak," Septuagint ἀσθενεῖς , astheneı́s  ; accordingly, she was weak-eyed, but by no means "blear-eyed" (compare Vulgate). Her eyes were lacking that luster which always and everywhere is looked upon as a conspicuous part of female beauty. Josephus ( Ant. , I, xix, 7) says of her, τὴν ὄψιν οὐκ εὐπρεπῆ , tḗn ópsin ouk euprepḗ , which may safely be rendered, "she was of no comely countenance."

Leah became the wife of Jacob by a ruse on the part of her father, taking advantage of the oriental custom of heavily veiling the prospective bride. When taken to task by his irate son-in-law, Laban excused himself by stating it was against the rule of the place "to give the younger before the first-born" ( Genesis 29:21-26 ). Although Rachel was plainly preferred by Jacob to Leah, still the latter bore him six sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah ( Genesis 29:31 ff), Issachar, Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah (  Genesis 30:17-21 ). Up to this time Rachel had not been blessed with children of her own. Thus the lesson is brought home to us that Yahweh has a special and kindly regard for the lowly and despised, provided they learn, through their troubles and afflictions, to look to Him for help and success. It seems that homely Leah was a person of deep-rooted piety and therefore better suited to become instrumental in carrying out the plans of Yahweh than her handsome, but worldly-minded, sister Rachel.

When Jacob decided to return to the "land of his fathers," both of his wives were ready to accompany him ( Genesis 31:4 ,  Genesis 31:14 ). Before they reached the end of their journey their courage was sorely tried at the time of the meeting between Jacob and his brother Esau. Although Leah was placed between the handmaids in the front, and Rachel with her son Joseph in the rear, she still cannot have derived much comfort from her position. We may well imagine her feeling of relief when she saw Esau and his 400 men returning to Seir ( Genesis 33:2 ,  Genesis 33:16 ).

According to  Genesis 49:31 , Leah was buried at Machpelah. We cannot know for a certainty that she died before Jacob's going down to Egypt, though it is very likely. If she went down with her husband and died in Egypt, he had her body sent to the family burying-place. Rth 4:11 discloses the fact that her memory was not forgotten by future generations. When Boaz took Ruth for a wife the witnesses exclaimed, "Yahweh make the woman that is come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel."

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Leah', לֵאָה , Weary; Sept. Λεία ,Vulg. Lia ) , the eldest daughter of the Aramaean Laban, and sister of Rachel ( Genesis 29:16). Instead of the latter, for whom he had served seven years, Jacob took her through a deceit of her father, who was unwilling to give his younger daughter in marriage first, contrary to the usages of the East ( Genesis 29:22 sq.; compare Rosenm Ü ller, Morgenl. 1:138 sq.). B.C. 1920. She was less beautiful than her younger sister (comp. Josephus, Ant. 1:19, 7), having also weak eyes ( עֵינִיַם רִכּוֹת Sept. Ὀφθαλμοὶ Ἀσθενεῖς , Vulg. Lippis Oculis, Auth.Vers. "tender-eyed,"  Genesis 29:17; comp. the opposite quality as a recommendation,  1 Samuel 16:12), which probably accounts for Jacob's preference of Rachel both at first and ever afterwards, especially as he was not likely ever to love cordially one whom he did not voluntarily marry (comp.  Genesis 30:20). (See Rachel).

Leah bore to Jacob, before her sister had any children, six sons, namely, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah ( Genesis 29:32 sq.), Issachar, and Zebulon ( Genesis 30:17 sq.; compare 35:23); also one daughter, Dinah ( Genesis 30:21), besides the two sons borne by her maid Zilpah, and reckoned as hers, namely, Gad and Asher ( Genesis 30:9), all within the space of seven years, B.C. 1919-1913. (See Concubine); (See Slave).

"Leah was conscious and resentful (chap. 30) of the smaller share she possessed in her husband's affections; yet in Jacob's differences with his father-in-law his two wives appear to be attached to him with equal fidelity. In the critical moment when he expected an attack from Esau, his discriminate regard for the several members of his family was shown by his placing Rachel and her children hindermost, in the least exposed situation, Leah and her children next, and the two handmaids with their children in the front. Leah probably lived to witness the dishonor of her daughter (ch. 34), so cruelly avenged by two of her sons, and the subsequent deaths of Deborah at Bethel, and of Rachel near Bethlehem." Leah appears to have died in Canaan, since she is not mentioned in the migration to Egypt ( Genesis 46:5), and was buried in the family cemetery at Hebron ( Genesis 49:31). (See Jacob).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Le´ah (wearied), one of the two daughters of Laban who became the wives of Jacob [JACOB].