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Rachel was the beloved wife of Jacob, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.

Rachel was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah (Gen 29:16). She became the beloved wife of Israel (or 'Jacob'), who worked for Laban for fourteen years to marry her (Gen 29:18-30). Rachel was initially unable to conceive, while Leah bore several children (Gen 29:31-35). In her distress, Rachel gave her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob, and Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali (Gen 30:1-8). Eventually, God remembered Rachel, and she gave birth to Joseph (Gen 30:22-24). When Jacob left Laban, Rachel stole her father's household idols (Gen 31:19). She later hid them and deceived her father when he came searching for them (Gen 31:34-35). As Jacob's family journeyed to Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel went into labor and gave birth to Benjamin, but she died during childbirth (Gen 35:16-20). Jacob buried her on the way to Ephrath and set up a pillar on her grave (Gen 35:20). Rachel's sons, Joseph and Benjamin, became two of the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen 46:19-22). Her tomb became a landmark (1Sa 10:2) and is mentioned in Jer 31:15, where her weeping is used as a symbol for Israel's mourning during the Babylonian exile. This passage is also quoted in Mat 2:18 in relation to Herod's massacre of the innocents.

Ewe, “the daughter”, “the somewhat petulant, peevish, and self-willed though beautiful younger daughter” of Laban, and one of Jacob’s wives (Gen. 29:6, 28). He served Laban fourteen years for her, so deep was Jacob’s affection for her. She was the mother of Joseph (Gen. 30:22-24). Afterwards, on Jacob’s departure from Mesopotamia, she took with her her father’s teraphim (31:34, 35). As they journeyed on from Bethel, Rachel died in giving birth to Benjamin (35:18, 19), and was buried “in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave”. Her sepulchre is still regarded with great veneration by the Jews. Its traditional site is about half a mile from Jerusalem.

This name is used poetically by Jeremiah (31:15-17) to denote God’s people mourning under their calamities. This passage is also quoted by Matthew as fulfilled in the lamentation at Bethlehem on account of the slaughter of the infants there at the command of Herod (Matt. 2:17, 18).