Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Lewis Reich" <lewreich AT javanet.com>]

On 3 Mar 01, at 10:58, Jim West wrote:

> >Gen 29:17  Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well
> >favoured.

> literally she brought "tears to the eyes". 

How you can derive that from the Hebrew?  I'd think that you'd have to have 
a hif'il verb form to express "bringing tears to the eyes"...

>  in other words, this is a euphemism for *ugly*.  

By contrast with the second half of the verse, which describes Rachel as 
attractive with the conventional phrase "y'fat to'ar v'y'fat mar'eh" It seems 
likely that the verse intends to convey that Leah is less attractive. 

> she brought tears to the eyes-- but Rachel was a babe!  

 But I don't see understand how you derive that from the words "einei Leah 
rakot"...

Lewis Reich
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