Who was Rachel?
Genesis 29:16-20
16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.
18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.”
20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
Rachel was Laban’s younger daughter, Jacob’s beloved wife, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was Leah’s younger sister and is described as “beautiful in form and attractive” in Genesis 29:16-17.
Jacob loved Rachel and agreed to work for Laban for seven years to marry her. Genesis 29:20 says those years “seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.” Laban then deceived Jacob by bringing Leah to him first. After completing Leah’s bridal week, Jacob also married Rachel and served Laban another seven years; Genesis 29:30 says that he loved Rachel more than Leah.
Rachel remained childless while Leah bore children, but eventually “God remembered Rachel,” and she gave birth to Joseph (Genesis 30:22-24). Later, Rachel died in hard labor while giving birth to Benjamin on the way to Ephrath, also called Bethlehem. Jacob buried her there and set up a pillar over her grave (Genesis 35:16-20).
Rachel became one of Israel’s matriarchs. Ruth 4:11 remembers Rachel and Leah together as the two who “built the house of Israel,” honoring their place in the growth of God’s covenant people.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 12, 2026
Scripture cited
- Ruth 4:11
- Genesis 29:17
- Genesis 29:21-30
- Genesis 30:22-24
- Genesis 35:16-20