Rachel

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

(Daughter of Laban and the favorite wife of Jacob)

Meets Jacob at a well

• Genesis 29:9–12 While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, with Laban’s sheep, he went up and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Then…

Jacob serves Laban for an additional seven years to obtain her as his wife

• Genesis 29:15–30 Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.” Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answ…

Sterility of

• Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Her grief in consequence of her sterility; gives her maid, to Jacob in order to obtain children in her own name

• Genesis 30:1–8 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep…
• Genesis 30:15 But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
• Genesis 30:22–34 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.” Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on…

Later productiveness of; becomes the mother of

Joseph

• Genesis 30:22–25 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.” Now after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on…

Benjamin

• Genesis 35:16–18 Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.” And with her last breath— for she was dying— she name…
• Genesis 35:24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

Steals the household images (teraphim, legal deed) of her father

• Genesis 31:4 So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,
• Genesis 31:14–19 And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to…
• Genesis 31:33–35 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched…

Her death and burial

• Genesis 35:18–20 And with her last breath— for she was dying— she named vvv him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.
• Genesis 48:7 Now as for me, when I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way in the land of Canaan, some distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
• 1 Samuel 10:2 When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’