רָחֵל (ra.chel)
ra.chel
Rachel
N:N-F-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 44 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-F-P
Word Overview
The name Rachel, rendered in Hebrew as רָחֵל, carries the meaning "ewe." This etymology is significant because it mirrors the pastoral setting of her story, where she is first introduced tending her father Laban’s flock (Genesis 29:9). The connection between the woman and the animal underscores her identity within a shepherd’s world, linking her personal narrative to the agricultural life of the patriarchs.
As a proper noun, Rachel appears forty-four times in Scripture, primarily in Genesis but also in Ruth and Jeremiah. She is best known as the beloved wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. Her story is marked by deep affection and profound grief, particularly in Genesis 35:19, where she dies giving birth to Benjamin, an event that leaves a lasting impact on her husband’s lineage.
The name’s resonance extends beyond the patriarchal narratives. In Jeremiah 31:15, Rachel is depicted weeping for her children, a poignant image of maternal sorrow that New Testament writers later apply to the tragedy of Herod’s massacre. This usage highlights how her personal loss became a symbol for national mourning, illustrating the enduring emotional weight of her name in biblical theology.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Rachel means "ewe," a simple word that anchors her story in the daily rhythms of shepherding life. When Jacob first sees her, he does not see a distant princess but a woman working alongside her father’s flock. This detail reminds us that God often meets us in the ordinary moments of work and service. Her identity is tied to the land and the animals, showing that our faith is lived out in practical, grounded ways rather than in abstract ideals.
Her journey also reveals the depth of human longing. For years she struggled with barrenness, a source of shame and sorrow in her culture. Yet Scripture records that God remembered her and opened her womb. This narrative offers comfort to those who feel overlooked or stuck in seasons of waiting. It suggests that our current circumstances do not define our final story, and that divine attention often arrives when we least expect it.
Later, her image becomes a symbol of national grief in Jeremiah, where she weeps for her children. This connection between personal loss and collective mourning shows how individual lives ripple through history. We are reminded that our sorrows are seen by God, and that even in pain, there is a place for hope and eventual restoration.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 44 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Rachel31×
- and/ Rachel5×
- to/ Rachel3×
- for/ Rachel3×
- <to>/ Rachel2×
- on/ Rachel1×
- like/ Rachel1×
- [was] Rachel1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רָחֵ֖ל7×
- רָחֵ֔ל6×
- רָחֵל֙4×
- רָחֵ֗ל4×
- רָחֵ֑ל4×
- לְ/רָחֵ֣ל3×
- רָחֵֽל\׃2×
- רָחֵ֥ל2×
- וְ/רָחֵ֖ל2×
- רָחֵ֣ל1×
- רָחֵ֜ל1×
- רָחֵ֛ל1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 29:9
While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.
This verse introduces Rachel actively tending the flock, grounding her character in the pastoral reality of her time rather than just her beauty.
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Genesis 30:22
God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
Here the text emphasizes that God specifically remembered and listened to Rachel, highlighting divine intervention in her long struggle with infertility.
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Genesis 29:18
Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Jacob’s declaration of love here sets the stage for the decade of service that defines his relationship with her family and her.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the name Rachel mean?
Why was Rachel barren for so long?
How is Rachel connected to national grief?
Every Occurrence (44 verses across 4 books)
Genesis 41 verses
He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep.”
Genesis 29:9While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.
Genesis 29:10When Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother’s brother, Jacob…
Genesis 29:11Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice, and wept.
Genesis 29:12Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, and that he was Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.
Genesis 29:16Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Genesis 29:17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.
Genesis 29:18Jacob loved Rachel. He said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter.”
Genesis 29:20Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.
Genesis 29:25In the morning, behold, it was Leah! He said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Didn’t I serve with you for…
Genesis 29:28Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.
Genesis 29:29Laban gave Bilhah, his servant, to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.
Genesis 29:30He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him seven more years.
Genesis 29:31Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
Genesis 30:1When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or…
Genesis 30:2Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the…
Genesis 30:6Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name…
Genesis 30:7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
Genesis 30:8Rachel said, “I have wrestled with my sister with mighty wrestlings, and have prevailed.” She named him Naphtali.
Genesis 30:14Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then…
Genesis 30:15Leah said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes,…
Genesis 30:22God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
Genesis 30:25When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.
Genesis 31:4Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
Genesis 31:14Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
Genesis 31:19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
Genesis 31:32Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For…
Genesis 31:33Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them.…
Genesis 31:34Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but…
Genesis 33:1Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the…
Genesis 33:2He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
Genesis 33:7Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed…
Genesis 35:16They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
Genesis 35:19Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).
Genesis 35:20Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
Genesis 35:24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
Genesis 35:25The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali.
Genesis 46:19The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin.
Genesis 46:22These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob: all the souls were fourteen.
Genesis 46:25These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob: all the souls were…
Genesis 48:7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some…