Zilpah Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, bore Jacob two sons, Gad and Asher.
maid of Laban given to Leah (GEN 29:24) and wife of Jacob (GEN 30:9)
Names
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en
Zilpah
distillation from the mouth
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en
Zilpah
· Also called · H2153 · GEN 29:24 short nosed person
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he
זִלְפָּה
ziləpah · H2153 · GEN 29:24 short nosed person
- he זִלְפָּה · H2153
- el Ζελφαν Zelphan · GEN 29:24
- bg Зелфа
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
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Conditional birth estimate · c. 1798 BC – 1774 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 Gad · c. 1753 BC
- Birth of Asher · c. 1752 BC
Masters and mistresses (1)
Zilpah Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Zilpah was the maidservant of Leah, Jacob's first concubine. She played a significant role in the complex family dynamics of Jacob's household. When Leah realized that she had stopped bearing children, she gave Zilpah to Israel (or 'Jacob') as a concubine, following the custom of the time. Zilpah bore two sons, Gad and Asher, who were counted among the twelve tribes of Israel. The Bible records the births of Gad and Asher in Genesis 30, noting that Leah named them and claimed them as her own sons. Zilpah's sons are later mentioned in the lists of Jacob's descendants, highlighting their status as full members of the Israelite family. The story of Zilpah and her sons is part of the larger narrative of Jacob's family, which is marked by rivalry and conflict between his wives, Leah and Rachel. Despite her status as a maidservant, Zilpah's role in bearing two of Jacob's sons was significant in the growth and development of the Israelite nation.
Zilpah Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Drooping, Leah’s handmaid, and the mother of Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9-13).
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Zilpah_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Zilpah@Gen.29.24-) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, zilpah_3081)