The story of Leah is an Old Testament love triangle. She was caught in conflict with her sister for the man she loved. The story is found in Genesis chapter 29.

As described in the Bible, Leah was homely, with weak eyes. This could mean that she had poor eyesight or that her eyes lacked beauty and sparkle. Her younger sister, Rachel, on the other hand was beautiful and physically attractive.

When the young man, Jacob, came to town and saw Rachel, it was love at first site. After a month of working for her father, Laban, he asked for Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban consented if Jacob would work for him for seven years as payment or dowry first. Jacob was smitten with her. He completed the seven years of work and anticipated the long awaited marriage.

A great wedding feast was held and when evening came, as was the custom, the veiled bride was led into the bridal chamber. There, in the dark, Jacob spent the first night with his bride, but the light of day brought an unwelcome surprise. The untrustworthy Laban had secretly substituted Leah for Rachel.

Jacob was understandably upset at being deceived and confronted Laban, who hedged, saying that the older daughter must always marry before the younger. So, if Jacob would just finish the marriage week with Leah, he could marry Rachel too and then work another seven years for her. Jacob accepted the terms. He must have been very much in love to agree to another seven years work for the man who so cruelly deceived him.

(Jacob may have considered this God’s method of payback, for in Genesis 27 we read that Jacob had deceived his own father to win his brother’s birthright.)

We aren’t told whether Leah was a willing participant in the deceitful wedding. If she was, it is possible that she saw it as a way to win Jacob from her sister or she may have thought this was the only way that she would ever marry.

Thus, the stage was set for an unhappy home. Jacob loved his wife Rachel but the Bible says that Leah was despised. She embarked on the unfruitful occupation of working to win her husband’s affection. There followed many years of jealousy and competition between the sisters.

Why is this story in the Bible? As I see it, the story of Jacob, Rachel and Leah shows that Bible characters were real people who made real mistakes like you and I. But, also like you and I, they were loved by God.

Continue Leah’s story on the next page.


Bad Girls of the Bible
and What We Can Learn From Them
at Amazon.com