Background
She was the elder and less attractive daughter of Abraham’s nephew, Laban, living in Mesopotamia.
She was the elder and less attractive daughter of Abraham’s nephew, Laban, living in Mesopotamia.
When Jacob arrived from Canaan, he fell in love with her younger sister. Rachel, whose hand he requested from Laban. Laban consented to the match in return for seven years’ service by Jacob, but when the time came for the marriage, Laban by a ruse, substituted Leah. Jacob had to promise to work for another seven years in order to marry Rachel.
Leah, who suffered from weak eyes, was “unloved” (Gen. 29:30-31) and had to struggle for her husband’s affections. However, unlike her sister, she was immediately fertile and bore foursons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. When she ceased bearing, she gave Jacob her maid servant I Zilpah as concubine and Zilpah bore two sons, Gad and Asher. After getting the right from Rachel to again sleep with Jacob (in return for mandrakes gathered by Reuben). Leah gave birth to two more sons, Issachar and Zebulun, as well as Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah.
Despite the friction between the two wives, Leah and Rachel were united on Jacob’s side in his quarrel with Laban and they are mentioned together on a number of occasions. Leah died before Jacob went to Egypt, where he spent his latter years, and she was buried in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron. The two central institutions of the early Israelites — the priesthood and the monarch — were entrusted to her descendants, from the tribes of Levi and Judah respectively.
Children: 1. Reuben, 2. Simeon, 3. Levi, 4. Judah, 5. Issachar, 6. Zebulun, 7. Dinah