Rachel in the Bible

Meaning: sheep

Thematic Bible



And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form.


Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame. And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son.


Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile.


While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them.


And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.

So they went on from Beth-el; and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, the pains of birth came on Rachel and she had a hard time. And when her pain was very great, the woman who was helping her said, Have no fear; for now you will have another son. And in the hour when her life went from her (for death came to her), she gave the child the name Ben-oni: but his father gave him the name of Benjamin. read more.
So Rachel came to her end and was put to rest on the road to Ephrath (which is Beth-lehem).


Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living.


And as for me, when I came from Paddan, death overtook Rachel on the way, when we were still some distance from Ephrath; and I put her to rest there on the road to Ephrath, which is Beth-lehem.

When you have gone away from me today, you will see two men by the resting-place of Rachel's body, in the land of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, The asses which you went in search of have come back, and now your father, caring no longer for the asses, is troubled about you, saying, What am I to do about my son?

And in the hour when her life went from her (for death came to her), she gave the child the name Ben-oni: but his father gave him the name of Benjamin. So Rachel came to her end and was put to rest on the road to Ephrath (which is Beth-lehem). And Jacob put up a pillar on her resting-place; which is named, The Pillar of the resting-place of Rachel, to this day.


And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.

Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us in our father's house? Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up. For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do. read more.
Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels; And sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.

So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them. And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.


Now Rachel, because she had no children, was full of envy of her sister; and she said to Jacob, If you do not give me children I will not go on living. But Jacob was angry with Rachel, and said, Am I in the place of God, who has kept your body from having fruit? Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her. read more.
So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah became with child, and gave birth to a son. Then Rachel said, God has been my judge, and has given ear to my voice, and has given me a son; so he was named Dan. And again Bilhah, Rachel's servant, was with child, and gave birth to a second son. And Rachel said, I have had a great fight with my sister, and I have overcome her: and she gave the child the name Naphtali.

But Leah said to her, Is it a small thing that you have taken my husband from me? and now would you take my son's love-fruits? Then Rachel said, You may have him tonight in exchange for your son's love-fruits.

Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame. And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son. read more.
Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country. Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have been your servant, and let me go: for you have knowledge of all the work I have done for you. And Laban said, If you will let me say so, do not go away; for I have seen by the signs that the Lord has been good to me because of you. Say then what your payment is to be and I will give it. Then Jacob said, You have seen what I have done for you, and how your cattle have done well under my care. For before I came you had little, and it has been greatly increased; and the Lord has given you a blessing in everything I have done; but when am I to do something for my family? And Laban said, What am I to give you? And Jacob said, Do not give me anything; but I will again take up the care of your flock if you will only do this for me: Let me go through all your flock today, taking out from among them all the sheep which are marked or coloured or black, and all the marked or coloured goats: these will be my payment. And so you will be able to put my honour to the test in time to come; if you see among my flocks any goats which are not marked or coloured, or any sheep which is not black, you may take me for a thief. And Laban said, Let it be as you say.


The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;

So they went on from Beth-el; and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, the pains of birth came on Rachel and she had a hard time. And when her pain was very great, the woman who was helping her said, Have no fear; for now you will have another son. And in the hour when her life went from her (for death came to her), she gave the child the name Ben-oni: but his father gave him the name of Benjamin.


Then God gave thought to Rachel, and hearing her prayer he made her fertile. And she was with child, and gave birth to a son: and she said, God has taken away my shame. And she gave him the name Joseph, saying, May the Lord give me another son. read more.
Now after the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, Let me go away to my place and my country.


Then Laban said to Jacob, Because you are my brother are you to be my servant for nothing? say now, what is your payment to be? Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leah's eyes were clouded, but Rachel was fair in face and form. read more.
And Jacob was in love with Rachel; and he said, I will be your servant seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter. And Laban said, It is better for you to have her than another man: go on living here with me. And Jacob did seven years' work for Rachel; and because of his love for her it seemed to him only a very little time. Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife so that I may have her, for the days are ended. And Laban got together all the men of the place and gave a feast. And in the evening he took Leah, his daughter, and gave her to him, and he went in to her. And Laban gave Zilpah, his servant-girl, to Leah, to be her waiting-woman. And in the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What have you done to me? was I not working for you so that I might have Rachel? why have you been false to me? And Laban said, In our country we do not let the younger daughter be married before the older. Let the week of the bride-feast come to its end and then we will give you the other in addition, if you will be my servant for another seven years. And Jacob did so; and when the week was ended, Laban gave him his daughter Rachel for his wife. And Laban gave Rachel his servant-girl Bilhah to be her waiting-woman. Then Jacob took Rachel as his wife, and his love for her was greater than his love for Leah; and he went on working for Laban for another seven years.


While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them. Then when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, coming with Laban's sheep, he came near, and rolling the stone away from the mouth of the hole, he got water for Laban's flock. And weeping for joy, Jacob gave Rachel a kiss. read more.
And Rachel, hearing from Jacob that he was her father's relation and that he was the son of Rebekah, went running to give her father news of it.


Now the Lord, seeing that Leah was not loved, gave her a child; while Rachel had no children.


While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she took care of them.


Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.

And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods? And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force. As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them. read more.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's. Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them. And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.


Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.


References

Hastings

Easton

American

Fausets

Morish

Smith

Watsons

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain