King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Leah [was] tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Le'ah's eyes were weak; but Rachel was good-looking, with beautiful features.
Berean Standard Bible:
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
American Standard Version:
And Leah’s eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Leah{H3812} was tender{H7390} eyed{H5869}; but Rachel{H7354} was beautiful{H3303}{H8389} and well{H3303} favoured{H4758}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 12:11
- And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 35:19
- And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which [is] Bethlehem.
Genesis 35:20
- And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that [is] the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
Genesis 48:7
- And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet [there was] but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same [is] Bethlehem.
Jeremiah 31:15
- Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, [and] bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they [were] not.
Proverbs 31:30
- Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Genesis 30:22
- And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 29:17
Genesis 29:17 is part of the narrative concerning Jacob, who travels to Haran to escape his brother Esau's wrath and to find a wife from his mother's family. Upon arrival, Jacob meets his cousin Rachel at a well and is immediately taken with her. The verse contrasts Rachel's beauty with her sister Leah's "tender eyes," often interpreted as Leah having weak or delicate eyes, which some suggest might indicate a lack of the striking beauty that Rachel possessed.
**Themes:**
1. **Beauty and Perception:** The verse touches on the theme of physical beauty and how it is perceived and valued. Rachel's beauty is emphasized, setting up a dynamic that will influence the ensuing narrative of sisterly rivalry and Jacob's marital relationships.
2. **Divine Providence:** The story of Jacob's marriages unfolds under the providence of God, who is guiding Jacob's life and the lineage that will become the nation of Israel.
3. **Family Dynamics:** The verse introduces the complex relationships within the family of Laban, Jacob's uncle, which will include deception, favoritism, and the consequences of these actions.
**Historical Context:**
The events in Genesis 29 occur in the broader context of the patriarchal narratives, which describe the lives of the ancestors of Israel. This period is characterized by nomadic lifestyles, family alliances through marriage, and the beginning of the Hebrew people's story. The verse reflects the cultural importance of marriage and lineage in ancient Near Eastern societies, where marriages were often arranged, and a woman's value could be closely tied to her physical appearance.
The narrative also reflects the practice of endogamy, where marriages occurred within the extended family to keep wealth and property within the clan. Jacob's marriages to both Leah and Rachel, and the subsequent birth of their children, are foundational to the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H3812
There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לֵאָה
Transliteration: Lêʼâh
Pronunciation: lay-aw'
Description: from לָאָה; weary; Leah, a wife of Jacob; Leah. - Strong's Number: H7390
There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רַךְ
Transliteration: rak
Pronunciation: rak
Description: from רָכַךְ; tender (literally or figuratively); by implication, weak; faint((-hearted), soft, tender ((-hearted), one), weak. - Strong's Number: H5869
There are 830 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַיִן
Transliteration: ʻayin
Pronunciation: ah'-yin
Description: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape); affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). - Strong's Number: H7354
There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: רָחֵל
Transliteration: Râchêl
Pronunciation: raw-khale'
Description: the same as רָחֵל; Rachel, a wife of Jacob; Rachel. - Strong's Number: H3303
There are 38 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יָפֶה
Transliteration: yâpheh
Pronunciation: yaw-feh'
Description: from יָפָה; beautiful (literally or figuratively); [phrase] beautiful, beauty, comely, fair(-est, one), [phrase] goodly, pleasant, well. - Strong's Number: H8389
There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תֹּאַר
Transliteration: tôʼar
Pronunciation: to'-ar
Description: from תָּאַר; outline, i.e. figure or appearance; [phrase] beautiful, [idiom] comely, countenance, [phrase] fair, [idiom] favoured, form, [idiom] goodly, [idiom] resemble, visage. - Strong's Number: H4758
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מַרְאֶה
Transliteration: marʼeh
Pronunciation: mar-eh'
Description: from רָאָה; a view (the act of seeing); also an appearance (the thing seen), whether (real) a shape (especially if handsome, comeliness; often plural the looks), or (mental) a vision; [idiom] apparently, appearance(-reth), [idiom] as soon as beautiful(-ly), countenance, fair, favoured, form, goodly, to look (up) on (to), look(-eth), pattern, to see, seem, sight, visage, vision.