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 as H7353 (רָחֵל - ewes)]

1. Rachel, a wife of Jacob

Rachel

The same as rachel; Rachel, a wife of Jacob -- Rachel.

see HEBREW rachel

Word Origin
from the same as rachel
Definition
a wife of Jacob
NASB Translation
Rachel (41), Rachel's (5).

II. רָחֵל₄₇ proper name, feminine (ewe, RS^{K 219}); — Rachel, Ραχηλ, 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.), + ׳קְבֻרַת(ֿׅ Genesis 35:20 (JE), 1 Samuel 10:2. (compare אֶפְרָתָה

1; on site see Dr^{Hast. DB RACHEL}); ׳ר (in figurative) Jeremiah 31:15; ׳ר Ruth 4:11 (in simile).

I. רחם (√ of following; original meaning dubious; Thes be soft, so Gerber¹²⁶, compare Arabic be soft, Gentle (but original consonant?); Dl^{HWB 604 b} be wide; compare Assyrian rîmu, rêmu, Arabic , Late Hebrew רֶחֶם, Aramaic רַחֲמָא, , all womb; MI¹⁷ רחמת female captives; verbs (connection with רֶחֶם not wholly clear, compare Nö^{ZMG xi (1886), 151 f.}, see רַחֲמִים): Assyrian râmu, love, compassionate, Arabic have compassion, also be inclined toward, affectionate to ( = according to Arabic authorities, see Lane); Sabean epithet dei רחמנן Compassionate ( = Arabic ), CIS^{iv. no. 6. 3} Fell^{ZMG liv (1900), 252} who compare epithet רחֿם id.; compare Late Hebrew רָחַם Pi`el; Thes compare Ethiopic (transposed) have compassion, but see Prät^{BAS i. 21 and references}; Aramaic רְחֵם, , Palmyrene רחם, all love (common); Nabataean, Palmyrene רחם friend).

Range of Meaning and Occurrence

Strong’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 in Genesis 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 in Jeremiah 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.

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 wərāḥêlInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts