The Beauty of Sarah, Rachel, Leah and Rebekah
The Fair Women of the Bible Genesis 12:1111-13) Thou Art a Fair WomanFor the word yephath, rendered “fair,” see Genesis 9:27 . Though its general meaning is beautiful, there can be no doubt that the light color of Sarai’s complexion was that which would chiefly commend her to the Egyptians; for she was now past sixty, and though vigorous enough to bear a son at ninety, yet that was by the special favor of God. As she lived to the age of 127 ( Genesis 23:1 ), she was now about middle age, and evidently had retained much of her early beauty; and this, added to the difference of tint, would make her still attractive to the swarthy descendants of Ham, especially as they were not a handsome race, but had flat foreheads, high cheek-bones, large mouths, and thick lips. Abraham Feared His Wife's Beauty Twenty years later we find Abram still haunted by fears of the effects of her personal appearance ( Genesis 20:2 ), even when living among a better-featured race. From Genesis 20:13 i...