In flight from his brother, Esau, Jacob met her when Rachel brought the sheep to water. She immediately become the object of his attention. See Jacob .

Two Old Testament passages outside Genesis name Rachel. Ruth 4:11 calls her one who built up the house of Israel. Jeremiah 31:15 refers to her weeping over children being taken in Exile. Matthew ( Jeremiah 2:18 ) cited Jeremiah's reference of weeping in connection with Herod's order to kill male children under two.