Bilhah Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali, who became ancestors of Israelite tribes.
maid of Laban given to Rachel (GEN 29:29) and wife of Jacob (GEN 30:4)
Names
-
en
Bilhah
Bilhan, who is old or confused
-
en
Bilhah
· Also called · H1090a · GEN 29:29 [perhaps] simplicity or modesty or to be without concern
-
he
בִּלְהָה
biləhah · H1090a · GEN 29:29 [perhaps] simplicity or modesty or to be without concern
- he בִּלְהָה · H1090A
- el Βαλλαν Ballan · GEN 29:29
- bg Вала
Mentioned in (10)
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
Loading book references…
Conditional birth estimate · c. 1800 BC – 1776 BC
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
Took part in (2)
- Birth of Dan · c. 1755 BC
- Birth of Naphtali · c. 1754 BC
Masters and mistresses (1)
Bilhah Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Bilhah was the maidservant of Rachel, concubine of Israel (or 'Jacob') (Gen. 29:29). When Rachel found herself unable to conceive, she gave Bilhah to Jacob as a concubine to bear children on her behalf, following the custom of the time (Gen. 30:3-4). Bilhah gave birth to two sons, Dan and Naphtali (Gen. 30:5-8), who became the ancestors of two of the twelve tribes of Israel. Later, Jacob's firstborn son, Reuben, slept with Bilhah, an act that greatly displeased Jacob (Gen. 35:22). Despite this incident, Bilhah is still mentioned among the members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt during the famine (Gen. 46:25). Her sons, Dan and Naphtali, are listed among the seventy members of Jacob's household (Gen. 46:23-25). Bilhah's story highlights the complex family dynamics in Jacob's household and the importance of childbearing in ancient Israelite society. Her sons' inclusion in the twelve tribes of Israel underscores God's providence in fulfilling His promise to make a great nation from Jacob's descendants.
Bilhah Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Faltering; bashful, Rachel’s handmaid, whom she gave to Jacob (Gen. 29:29). She was the mother of Dan and Naphtali (Gen. 30:3-8). Reuben was cursed by his father for committing adultry with her (35:22; 49:4). He was deprived of the birth-right, which was given to the sons of Joseph.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Bilhah_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Bilhah@Gen.29.29-1Ch) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, bilhah_502)