Lexical Summary
Rachel: Rachel
Original Word:רָחֵל
Part of Speech:Proper Name Feminine
Transliteration:Rachel
Pronunciation:rah-KHALE
Phonetic Spelling:(raw-khale')
KJV: Rachel
NASB:Rachel, Rachel's
Word Origin:[the same asH7353 (רָחֵל - ewes)]
1. Rachel, a wife of Jacob
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Rachel
The same asrachel; Rachel, a wife of Jacob -- Rachel.
see HEBREWrachel
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
rachelDefinitiona wife of Jacob
NASB TranslationRachel (41), Rachel's (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II.
47 (
ewe, RS
K 219); — , , daughter of Laban and wife of Jacob:
Genesis 29:6,9,10,11,28,29,30 36t. Genesis (J E 37 t., P 6 t.), +
Genesis 35:20 (JE),
1 Samuel 10:2. (compare
; on site see DrHast. DB RACHEL); (in figurative)Jeremiah 31:15;Ruth 4:11 (in simile).
I. (√ of following; original meaning dubious; Thesbe soft, so Gerber126, compare Arabic
be soft, Gentle (but
original consonant?); DlHWB 604 bbe wide; compare Assyrianrîmu, rêmu, Arabic
, Late Hebrew , Aramaic ,
, allwomb; MI17female captives; verbs (connection with not wholly clear, compare NöZMG xi (1886), 151 f., see ): Assyrianrâmu, love,compassionate, Arabic
have compassion, also
be inclined toward, affectionate to ( =
according to Arabic authorities, see Lane); Sabean epithet deiCompassionate ( = Arabic
), CISiv. no. 6. 3 FellZMG liv (1900), 252 who compare epithetid.; compare Late Hebrew Pi`el; Thes compare Ethiopic
(transposed)have compassion, but see PrätBAS i. 21 and references; Aramaic ,
, Palmyrene , alllove (common); Nabataean, Palmyrenefriend).
Topical Lexicon
Range of Meaning and OccurrenceStrong’s Hebrew 7354 appears roughly forty-seven times. Most refer to Rachel, daughter of Laban and beloved wife of Jacob; the rest denote a female sheep (an ewe). The two senses meet in the gentle, fruitful imagery attached to the matriarch’s name.
Rachel inGenesis 29–35
Rachel first meets Jacob at a well outside Haran (Genesis 29:9-12). Scripture highlights Jacob’s affection—“Jacob loved Rachel” (29:18)—but also her barrenness, rivalry with Leah, the surrogacy arrangement through Bilhah (30:3-8), and the theft of Laban’s household idols (31:19). God “remembered Rachel… and opened her womb” (30:22), bringing forth Joseph and later Benjamin, during whose birth she dies on the way to Bethlehem (35:19). Jacob erects a pillar over her grave (35:20), a landmark noted centuries later (1 Samuel 10:2).
Character Portrait and Spiritual Lessons
• Persistent yearning: “Give me children, or I will die!” (Genesis 30:1) reveals intense desire tempered only when God answers.
• Errant methods: the resort to surrogacy and idols warns against human schemes.
• Costly fruitfulness: Rachel’s death in childbirth illustrates sacrificial love that ultimately blesses the nation.
Legacy among the Tribes
Joseph inherits the birth-right blessing (1 Chronicles 5:1-2); Benjamin becomes the tribe of the first king and later the apostle Paul.Ruth 4:11 honors Rachel alongside Leah as “builders of the house of Israel.”
Rachel’s Tomb and Messianic Hope
The burial site near Bethlehem becomes symbolic inJeremiah 31:15:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:18 applies the verse to Herod’s massacre, linking Rachel’s sorrow to the birth of Christ and God’s redemptive plan.
The Ewe in Israelite Life and Worship
As a common noun, rachel describes ewes that multiply patriarchal wealth (e.g.,Genesis 31:38; 32:14), serve in offerings (cf.Numbers 15:27), and appear among valuable spoil (1 Samuel 15:9). The ewe’s submissive nature informs prophetic and messianic imagery: “like a lamb led to slaughter, and like a sheep silent before her shearers” (Isaiah 53:7), fulfilled in Jesus (John 1:29).
Pastoral and Theological Threads
1. God’s compassion—He “gathers the lambs in His arms” (Isaiah 40:11).
2. Fruitfulness from barrenness—Rachel joins Sarah, Rebekah, and Hannah as testimonies of divine intervention.
3. Memorial of faithfulness—Rachel’s pillar anchors the promise of land and lineage.
4. Grief transformed—Jeremiah’s prophecy turns mourning into hope (31:16-17), echoed in resurrection assurance.
Ministry Applications
• Comfort the bereaved: Rachel’s tears validate sorrow yet point to future joy (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).
• Expose hidden idols: her teraphim warn against secret sin (1 John 5:21).
• Encourage perseverance: long-delayed answers may yield unexpected blessing.
• Model nurturing service: as ewes nurture lambs, believers are called to “feed My lambs” (John 21:15).
Summary
Strong’s 7354 intertwines pastoral life with patriarchal history. The gentle ewe sustains Israel’s flocks; Rachel the matriarch sustains Israel’s lineage. Her story—from barren longing to prophetic lament—unfolds beside Bethlehem, the very place where the Good Shepherd would enter the world, turning mourning into everlasting joy.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּרָחֵ֑ל בְּרָחֵ֖ל בְּרָחֵ֥ל בְרָחֵל֙ ברחל וְרָחֵ֖ל וְרָחֵ֞ל וְרָחֵ֣ל ׀ וְרָחֵל֙ ורחל כְּרָחֵ֤ל ׀ כרחל לְרָחֵ֑ל לְרָחֵ֗ל לְרָחֵ֣ל לרחל רָחֵ֑ל רָחֵ֔ל רָחֵ֖ל רָחֵ֗ל רָחֵ֛ל רָחֵ֜ל רָחֵ֣ל רָחֵ֥ל רָחֵֽל׃ רָחֵל֙ רחל רחל׃ bə·rā·ḥêl ḇə·rā·ḥêl beraChel bərāḥêl ḇərāḥêl kə·rā·ḥêl keraChel kərāḥêl lə·rā·ḥêl leraChel lərāḥêl rā·ḥêl raChel rāḥêl veraChel wə·rā·ḥêl wərāḥêl
Links
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Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
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