Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are called the patriarchs, that is, the founding fathers of the Jewish people. In the book of Genesis, from the Old Testament, the life of each of these men, their wives and their offspring is presented. As was common at the time, Jacob had two wives and two concubines. Among them was Leah, one of Laban’s daughters. We invite you to discover who was the first Jacob’s wife and what role it played in the history of the Jewish people.
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Rachel and Leah
Leah and Rachel were the two daughters of Laban, Isaac’s brother-in-law. The Bible tells us that: “Lía had a tender look, but Raquel had a nice silhouette and was very beautiful ” (Genesis 29:17). Thus, when Jacob arrived in Haran, after having fled from the wrath of her brother Esau, he met Rachel and fell madly in love with her. In this way, his father-in-law proposed that he work for 7 years to obtain the right to marry Raquel. However, at the end of the seven years, Jacob was the victim of a deception, since Laban gave him Leah, the older sister, as his wife, instead of Rachel, as he had promised. Thus, Jacob had to work another seven years to finally marry Rachel, the woman he loved.
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Leah, wife of Jacob
Leah wasn’t the woman Jacob had fallen in love with, so he didn’t love her properly. So the Bible says that, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he made her fruitful, while Rachel remained barren” (Genesis 29:31). Thus, Leah bore Jacob six sons and one daughter, whom she named Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah.