Leah’s ‘soft’ eyes: Unveiling envy and the evil eye in Genesis 29:17

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Leah’s ‘soft’ eyes: Unveiling envy and the evil eye in Genesis 29:17
 
Creator Kotzé, Zacharias
 
Subject History; Psychology; Sociology; Cultural Studies; Linguistics Leah; Genesis 29:17; envy; evil eye belief; beauty; fertility; sibling rivalry; irony
Description The seemingly innocuous description of Leah as having ‘soft’ eyes in Genesis 29:17 has captivated scholars and readers for centuries. This article advances an ironic interpretation, suggesting that Leah’s ‘soft’ eyes were not a sign of weakness but, rather, an indication of envy and malevolence, potentially contributing to fertility issues faced by her sister Rachel in terms of the ancient Near Eastern evil eye belief complex. In this context, the article delves into ancient belief systems that entwined beauty, fertility, and the malevolent gaze.Contribution: Drawing from biblical texts, historical sources, and contemporary scholarship, this article reveals the intricate layers of meaning within this minor detail.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2024-03-22
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v80i1.9536
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 80, No 1 (2024); 5 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9536/26656 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9536/26657 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9536/26658 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/9536/26659
 
Coverage Near East — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Zacharias Kotzé https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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