Reclaiming our Stories: Leah

By Sarah Locke

Read more of Leah's story: Genesis 29:14-25; 30; 31:19, 30-35; 35:16-26

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were (Lovely? Weary? Tired? Tender? Soft? Delicate? Weak?), and Rachel was graceful and beautiful (Genesis 29:16-17). 

Last week, we explored quite a bit about the younger of Laban’s daughters, and, like the preference given in the Bible, we will discuss the elder this week. 

This theme of the younger being favored seems to be repeated a few times in Genesis: we heard about Jacob being the younger but favored twin of Rebekah’s boys, and now we notice that Jacob favors the younger daughter of his uncle. The pattern will continue with Jacob’s favorite son being one of his youngest, Joseph. It seems to cause nothing but trouble for our ancestors. 

But what I want to focus on this week is the description of Leah’s eyes in Genesis 29:17. There is no consensus about what this word ועיני לאה רכות in Hebrew means for our English translation. As you saw in my translation above, it could mean anything from “lovely” to “weary.” Whatever the correct translation might be, it seems to be contrasted or compared to Rachel, who was graceful and beautiful. 

What does having “weak” or “weary eyes” even mean? Can she not see very well? Is she partially blind? This seems less likely because she is being compared to Rachel’s outward appearance. So what could it mean to have weak appearing eyes? Perhaps they are small or not as striking as her sister’s. 

I find the interpretation from the Rashi commentary to be really compelling. A Rabbinic tradition says that Leah was to marry Jacob’s older twin brother Esau. It would make sense, historically and in terms of family ties. Rebekah had two sons, and her brother Laban had two daughters. Anyone would expect them to be good matches to join the families closer together (disregarding the general squeamishness 21st century readers feel about cousins marrying). When Leah found out that she would be arranged to marry Esau, the hunter who is rough and ungodly, she spent most of her time weeping and praying to God to change her husband. And from the story we see in the canon, God allows Leah to marry Jacob even before Rachel does, changing her fate and ultimately making her the mother to many nations. 

Whether the rabbinical tradition is simply “Biblical fan fiction” as we like to call it, or if it may ring true, we know that Leah was the unfavored by Jacob, but perhaps the more favored by God. If we, like the ancient writers, equate fertility with God’s favor, she seems to be in abundance. 

Perhaps despite her weak eyes, she is able to see more clearly God’s plan for her and even her place in Jacob’s household as a mother and partner. 

When has comparison gotten you in trouble? Is comparing yourself to others ever beneficial? What does God have to say or do about rivalry?