Genesis 29:17
New International Version
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

New Living Translation
There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.

English Standard Version
Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

Berean Standard Bible
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

King James Bible
Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

New King James Version
Leah’s eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance.

New American Standard Bible
And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance.

NASB 1995
And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.

NASB 1977
And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.

Legacy Standard Bible
And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance.

Amplified Bible
Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

Christian Standard Bible
Leah had tender eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Leah had ordinary eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

American Standard Version
And Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the eyes of Leah were tender and Rakhyl was beautiful in her appearance and her face was beautiful.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the eyes of Lea were weak. But Rachel was beautiful in appearance, and exceedingly fair in countenance.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Lia was blear eyed: Rachel was well favoured, and of a beautiful countenance.

English Revised Version
And Leah's eyes were tender; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Leah had attractive eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and beautiful features.

Good News Translation
Leah had lovely eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

International Standard Version
Leah looked rather plain, but Rachel was lovely in form and appearance.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Leah's eyes were weak; but Rachel was of beautiful form and fair to look upon.

Literal Standard Version
and the eyes of Leah [are] tender, and Rachel has been beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.

Majority Standard Bible
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

New American Bible
Leah had dull eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.

NET Bible
Leah's eyes were tender, but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)

New Revised Standard Version
Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful.

New Heart English Bible
Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.

Webster's Bible Translation
Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well-favored.

World English Bible
Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.

Young's Literal Translation
and the eyes of Leah are tender, and Rachel hath been fair of form and fair of appearance.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
16Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18Since Jacob loved Rachel, he answered, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”…

Cross References
Genesis 12:11
As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,

Genesis 12:14
So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 24:16
Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.

Genesis 26:7
But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, "She is my sister." For he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," since he thought to himself, "The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful."

Genesis 29:16
Now Laban had two daughters; the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel.

Genesis 29:30
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.

Genesis 39:6
So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph's care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,


Treasury of Scripture

Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favored.

Rachel.

Genesis 29:6-12,18
And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep…

Genesis 30:1,2,22
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die…

Genesis 35:19,20,24
And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem…

beautiful.

Genesis 12:11
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

Genesis 24:16
And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

Genesis 39:6
And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Jump to Previous
Appearance Attractive Beautiful Clouded Countenance Eyed Eyes Face Fair Favored Form Leah's Rachel Tender Weak Well-Favored
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Appearance Attractive Beautiful Clouded Countenance Eyed Eyes Face Fair Favored Form Leah's Rachel Tender Weak Well-Favored
Genesis 29
1. Jacob comes to the well of Haran.
9. He becomes acquainted with Rachel.
13. Laban entertains him.
18. Jacob covenants for Rachel.
23. He is deceived by Laban with Leah.
28. He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more.
32. Leah bears Reuben;
33. Simeon;
34. Levi;
35. and Judah.














(17) Leah was tender eyed.--Leah, whose name signifies languor, weariness, had dull bleared eyes. Probably she suffered, as so many do in that hot sandy region, from some form of ophthalmia. Rachel (Heb., the ewe) was, on the contrary, "beautiful and well favoured" (Heb., beautiful in form and beautiful in look). Leah's bleared eyes would be regarded in the East as a great defect, just as bright eyes were much admired. (See 1Samuel 16:12, where David is described as fair of eyes.) Yet it was not Rachel, with her fair face and well-proportioned figure, and her husband's lasting love, that was the mother of the progenitor of the Messiah, but the weary-eyed Leah.

Verse 17. - Leah was tender eyed. Literally, the eyes of Leah were tender, i.e. weak, dun; ἀσθενεῖς (LXX.), lippi (Vulgate); cf. 1 Samuel 16:12. Leah's face was not ugly (Bohlen), only her eyes were not clear and lustrous, dark and sparkling, as in all probability Rachel's were (Knobel). But Rachel was beautiful and well favored. Literally, beautiful in form (i.e. in outline and make of body; cf. Genesis 39:6; also 1 Samuel 16:18 - "a man of form," i.e. formosus, well made) and beautiful in appearance (i.e. of a lovely countenance). "If authentic history was not in the way, Leah, as the mother of Judah, and of the Davidic Messianic line, ought to have carried off the prize of beauty after Sarah and Rebakah (Lange).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Leah
לֵאָ֖ה (lê·’āh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3812: Leah -- 'weary', a wife of Jacob

had no sparkle
רַכּ֑וֹת (rak·kō·wṯ)
Adjective - feminine plural
Strong's 7390: Tender, delicate, soft

in her eyes,
וְעֵינֵ֥י (wə·‘ê·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

but Rachel
וְרָחֵל֙ (wə·rā·ḥêl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

was
הָֽיְתָ֔ה (hā·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

shapely
יְפַת־ (yə·p̄aṯ-)
Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful

and beautiful.
וִיפַ֥ת (wî·p̄aṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3303: Fair, beautiful


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OT Law: Genesis 29:17 Leah's eyes were weak but Rachel was (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 29:16
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