Biblical figures
Rachel
Ancient wife of Jacob, recalled by Dante in Limbo as an image of the contemplative life. Her mention characterizes the Beatrice of the initial scene as theology and contemplation.
Profile
Rachel is the wife of the patriarch Jacob. In medieval biblical exegesis her figure is interpreted as an image of the contemplative life, while her sister Leah represents the active life. Dante cites her twice: in the second canto of the Inferno Beatrice sits beside her in Limbo, a sign of her contemplative nature; in the fourth canto he recalls her among the figures of Limbo. The exegetical tradition, recalled in the authorized notes, insists on the allegorical significance of Rachel as the contemplative life loved by Jacob, and relates her to the Beatrice-divine science that the Dantean tradition places beside her.
In the text
Linked verses
4 verses| Cantica | Canto | Verso | Testo | Open verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inferno | Canto II | 102 | che mi sedea con l’antica Rachele. | Open verse |
| Inferno | Canto IV | 60 | e con Rachele, per cui tanto fé, | Open verse |
| Purgatory | Canto XXVII | 104 | ma mia suora Rachel mai non si smaga | Open verse |
| Paradise | Canto XXXII | 8 | siede Rachel di sotto da costei | Open verse |