Genesis 30:10–13. Bilhah is the maidservant of Rachel, and Rachel is Jacob's second wife. A parallel custom is attested in the *Nuzi Documents. According to Rashi , an 11th-century commentator, Zilpah was younger than Bilhah , and Laban's decision to give her to Leah was part of the deception he used to trick Jacob into marrying Leah, who was older than Rachel. 6) Naphtali was the next child, also through Bilhah. Genesis 29 Narrative Jacob meets Rachel at the well—He serves Laban seven years for her—Laban gives to Jacob first Leah then Rachel in marriage—Jacob serves another seven years—Leah bears Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. The Bible also tells us that Reuben, Leah’s oldest son, had an inappropriate relationship with Bilhah which caused him to lose out on his birthright as the first-born. When Bilhah conceives two sons, Leah takes up the same idea and presents Zilpah "to wife" to Jacob. Posts about Bilhah and Zilpah written by vspatz. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Yocheved was born and presumably died in Egypt. By custom the sons born to the slave women belonged to the wife, a fact underlined by the Genesis report that Rachel was the one who named each boy. 5) Dan was born to Jacob by Bilhah, his wife Rachel’s handmaid. Bilhah sons were dark skinned, both Dan and Naphtali, there is no reason to believe that Zilpah sons Gad and Asher were any different. Yes, there are some independent or renewal minyanim that include the names of Bilhah and Zilpah in their prayer services, but they are very rare. Bilhah is given to Rachel as a maid and would later serve as a surrogate mother for Rachel when she could not conceive. Rachel asked Bilhah to marry Jacob, and she bore two sons for Rachel. And he made him a coat of many colors. See more. After Rachel’s death Bilhah took her place, raising Joseph and Benjamin as if they were her own children (Gen. Rabbah). Bilhah and Zilpah – Bodies Exploited Ever since Adam and Eve fell and God told her in the Garden of Eden, “Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you”, far too many men throughout history have used this as an opportunity to dominate, exploit and use the bodies of women. ZILPAH. Leah names the two sons of Zilpah and is directly involved in their upbringing. He was the child of Jacob and Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah. Later, both Bilhah and Zilpah become wives of Yaakov Avinu along with Rachel and Leah. ZILPAH (Heb. Jacob's first wife is Rachel's sister, Leah. The entire tribe of Israel as we have established were akin to the Egyptian in color and looks. Bilhah is also the name of a town of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:29), which is perhaps the same as the town named בעלה in Joshua 15:29, בלה (Balah) in Joshua 19:3 and בעלי יהודה (Baale-judah) in 2 Samuel 6:2 Genesis 29:29 describes her as Laban's handmaid, who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob.When Rachel failed to have children, Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob as a concubine to bear him children. One she named Dan, and the other Naphtali. Genesis 30 records that, Bilhah and Zilpah's Birth Stories: The Old Testament's Form of Adoption Share Bilhah and Zilpah were the handmaidens (servants) of the patriarch Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel. See more. Period. Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali, and Zilpah gave birth to Gad and Asher. Bilhah and Zilpah were maids of Leah and Rachel and also concubines with whom Jacob had children (Midrash Raba, Gen 24). Rereading and Rethinking Exodus toward Joint Liberation plus more Torah, prayer, and Jewish miscellany Genesis 29 Narrative Jacob meets Rachel at the well—He serves Laban seven years for her—Laban gives to Jacob first Leah then Rachel in marriage—Jacob serves another seven years—Leah bears Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Zilpah was … Leah then asked Zilpah to do the same, and Zilpah bore two sons as well. King James Bible The text says: “While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard of it. Lessons from Bilhah and Zilpah While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. 7) Gad was number seven. Genesis 30:1–8. History documents that Bilhah and Zilpah… Having been given to Jacob to bear children for Leah, she gave birth to Gad and Asher. Possible meanings for the Hebrew name Bilhah are “simplicity,” “modesty,” “timid,” or “faltering.” Bilhah is also the name of … Enter Bilhah and Zilpah. Bilhah’s grandsons were Hushim, the child of Dan; and Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem, the children of Naphtali (Genesis 46:23–25). handmaiden Bilhah more than Zilpah, Leah’s handmaiden (Gen. Rabbati). Sharing history about Bilhah and Zilpah and their children who are numbered among the twelve tribes of Yisrael "sisters" ). Many of the other old Semitic languages include verbs that are written similar, as does Late Hebrew. Bilhah (בִּלְהָה ‎ "unworried", Standard Hebrew Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew Bilhâ) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. [7] For an exceptionally insightful analysis of the treatment of Reuben’s sin in the Testament of Reuben, which downplays the exegetical and theological aspects of the portrayal, and highlights the socio-religious and ideological significance, see: Ishay Rosen-Zvi “Bilhah the Temptress: The Testament of Reuben and ‘The Birth of Sexuality,'” Jewish Quarterly Review 96.1, pp. Bilhah definition, the mother of Dan and Naphtali. Bilhah and Zilpah were “handmaidens” to Rachel and Leah and were “given” to Jacob in order to bear children for their mistresses. The name Zilpah comes from the verb זלף (zalaph).This verb does not occur in the Bible but evidence exists that this verb did belong to the ancient Hebrew language. When Bilhah had produced two sons for Jacob, Leah felt compelled to respond. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.” Bilhah was the handmaid of Rachel, the servant whom Laban, Rachel’s father, gave… Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. zil'-pa (zilpah, meaning uncertain; Zelpha): The ancestress of Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:10, 12; Genesis 35:26; Genesis 46:18), a slave girl of Leah's, given her by Laban (Genesis 29:24; Genesis 30:9).In Ezekiel 48 the Zilpah tribes have the 5th division toward the South of Palestine and the 6th to the North, a slightly more favorable position than that of the Bilhah tribes. Its meaning is to drip, drop, sprinkle, pour. Bilhah and Zilpah were maids of Leah and Rachel and also concubines with whom Jacob had children (Midrash Raba, Gen 24). Four of the Twelve Tribes thus descend from Bilhah and Zilpah. Bilhah and Zilpah most likely died in Israel (Genesis 46 sounds like they didn't come down to Egypt), but hadn't they been living in the South part of the country, not anywhere near Tiberias? Bilhah gave birth to two sons, Dan and Naphtali, who grew to be large tribes in Israel. These are the generations of Jacob. Zilpah was the mother of two of the patriarchs of Israel, maidservant to Leah and concubine to Jacob. The newborn Benjamin needed a wet nurse and Bilhah’s breasts miraculously filled with milk, even though she had ceased giving birth several years *Laban gave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a handmaid on the occasion of Leah's marriage to Jacob (Gen. 29:24; 46:18). זִלְפָּה), handmaid of *Leah and concubine of *Jacob. The maids of Leah and Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah (respectively) served their mistresses faithfully. Jacob’s Marriage to Leah, Rachel, Bilhah & Zilpah November 15, 2017 Chuck McKnight Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! The number of Jacob’s descendants through Bilhah was seven. By including Bilhah and Zilpah in the Amidah and Misheberakh prayers along with their better known mistresses, Leah and Rachel, I give prominent expression to a concept of 6 matriarchs that is already present, albeit as a minority articulation, in classic rabbinic literature. Genesis 46:18 | View whole chapter | See verse in context Bilhah obeyed. In the Book of Genesis, Bilhah (בִּלְהָה "Faltering; bashful", Standard Hebrew Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew Bilhāh) is Rachel's handmaid who becomes a wife of Jacob and bears him two sons, Dan and Naphtali.1 The Testament of Naftali, part of the Dead Sea Scrolls, says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Ahiyot ( lit. (As a further irony, it is only in the last 25 years that the names of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah have made their way into the liturgy, appearing in versions of the Amidah prayer in the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative siddurim.) 8) Asher was next. Joseph, at 17 years old, had been tending the sheep with his brothers, and he was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought a bad report of them to their fathers. עֲקֹֽב׃ Rachel’s maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. English Standard Version These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all. Mentioned only in the book of Genesis, she is recorded as having contributed to sixteen offspring in total, including the descendants of Gad and Asher. Berean Study Bible These are the sons of Jacob born to Bilhah, whom Laban gave to his daughter Rachel—seven in all. The birth of Zilpah's son Gad is described (Genesis 30:10): A sad and demoralizing story about Jacob’s family occurs in Genesis 35:22. I usually don’t tell people I’m a convert because my understanding is that I’m supposed to be a Jew. I’ve been self-conscious about being a Jew because I’m a convert. Zilpah P. Grant Banister - Zilpah Polly Grant Banister (May 30, 1794 – December 3, 1874) was an American educator known primarily for founding Ipswich Female Seminary in … It was common practice in that day for a barren wife to give her servant to her husband to bear children in her name. Though the story records none of Bilhah’s thoughts or words, she gives birth to two of Jacob’s sons for Rachel, Dan and Naphtali, and is remembered as one of … The Torah tells us that Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali and Zilpah gave birth to Gad and Asher. Zilpah definition, the mother of Gad and Asher.