. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? What did it take for Bilhah and Zilpah to share their children with two other women? I had never heard of them before. 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell [5] On the other hand, the early rabbinical commentary Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer and other rabbinic sources (Midrash Rabba and elsewhere) state that Bilhah and Zilpah were also Laban's daughters, through his concubines, which would make them half-sisters to Rachel and Leah.[6][7][8]. It only takes a minute to sign up. Now back to Reuben. According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban. No longer are Zilpah and Bilhahs children given a shared tent (Gen 31:33) or set in the dangerous frontal position of the caravan (Gen 33:2). I have often wondered the nationality (color) of the wives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but can not find any concrete evidence. Jacob of course only wanted to marry Rachel, and worked for 7 years to do so, only to be tricked by his uncle, Laban. (What makes the menage a cinq even freakier is that some commentators believe that Bilhah and Zilpah were Leah and Rachel's sisters. Bilhah is given by Laban to Rachel as a gift when she marries Jacob. When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? Leah named the first son Gad and declared, A troop cometh. The second son Zilpah bore Leah named Asher and said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed. Like Rachel, the sons that Zilpah bore would have been considered to be Leahs and she would have raised them as her own sons. He could have opened Rachel's womb he does later but perhaps these women needed to learn these lessons first. RGG, I'll agree that this is a super interesting story. Presumably, Hagar raised Ishmael to act so badly when playing with Isaac that Sarah casts them out (Gen 21:9). They are often presented as slave-like objects in the narrative with no voice, who only act at the behest of others. Canadian of Polish descent travel to Poland with Canadian passport. This image of a woman being supported in a squat by other women is the most common image of women giving birth throughout history and around the world. They are called nashim without any qualifier functionan identification never given to Hagar. With that I think we can say Zilpah and Bilah are matriarchs. Something that sounds weird and wrong to me now might have made perfect sense in their day. Why do you think it is that both Rachel and Leah go on to have their own children. rev2023.5.1.43405. For instance, Reuben speaks and acts to dissuade the brothers from killing Joseph (Gen 37:22), Simeon and Levi speak and act after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34:30), Judah speaks and acts on behalf of Benjamin over a stolen cup (Gen 44:18), Joseph speaks and acts by telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness (Gen 37:6), and Benjamin acts to weep with Joseph upon being reunited (Gen 45:14). The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Further, Bilhah and Zilpah and their children are clearly placed closest to the danger at Jacob's meeting with Esau (Gen. 33:1, 2, 6). and Alib . In contrast, Zilpah and Bilhahs children, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, never directly speak or act within the tribal family,9Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. Just you wait. Gender was never an issue. Genesis chapters 29-30 and 35 detail the births of Jacob's many children. Nor does Sarah name the child Ishmael. Matthew - John They were considered concubines, or secondary wives of Jacob. Obviously, at some point, some Jews decided that the matriarchs needed to be acknowledged in prayer. Humane Imagination, What Does the Bible Say about Anxiety? For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. Passing negative parameters to a wolframscript, Two MacBook Pro with same model number (A1286) but different year. The story is silent about Bilhahs reaction. 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? English Standard Version Walking With the Women of the Old Testament, Walking With the Women of the New Testament, Does the Journey Seem Long? According to at least one opinion though, Bilhah came down to Egypt though as she was still alive at the time, thus fulfilling the "moon" part of Joseph's dream. Zilpah also figures in the competition between Jacob's wives to bear him sons. Bilah is cited a few verses later in verse 25 of the same genealogy. I know they were slaves, therefore deprived of a lot, even though they were the mothers of four of the tribes. Your email address will not be published. Women in labor were surrounded by female companions who encouraged them to labor upright and dance and sway during contractions (belly dancing is actually an ancient fertility dance that women were taught a young age to help with conception and labor). Unique Circular Format see more in less space. Sarah explained to me that Bilhah and Zilpah were handmaidens of Rachel and Leah who were given to the sisters by their father. Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. Jacob hears about what Reuben did and does nothing at the time. Sleeping with ones fathers wife was considered a great offense in biblical law (Lev 18:8; 20:11); perhaps that is why Bilhah is called his secondary wife (pilegesh) in this one textto diminish the gravity of the act. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. I like your take on it, but I guess it always seemed like Bilhah and Zilpah didn't have any choice. And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). Daughter of Laban the Aramean and NN ., Concubine King James Version of the Bible. May the God of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the God whose covenant is eternal, bless you and make you fruitful. Primary among them are (1) Rachel's and Leah's historical (or quasi-historical) position as progenitors of Israel; (2) patriarchy in the Hebrew Bible; (3) the place of Rachel and Leah as characters in world exegetical literature and feminist scholarship; and (4) Rachel's special role as universal mother and theological image of the feminine. Iron became a very valuable commodity and was used to produce goods. Some Bible scholars believe that Zilpah was younger than Bilhah and was given as the maidservant of Leah to contribute to the deception that surrounded the two brides. For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. Women in Scripture. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. There are some shenanigans with mandrakes (which also involve Jacob's first-born, Reuben; hold that thought), and Rachel finally gives birth! Zilpah bore two sons to Jacob, which would have been Gad and Asher. New Testament Coming to this realization was inspiring, but it also reminded me of the upsetting reality of the patriarchal nature of Judaism. While Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel used more competitive, empowered, persuasive, and often deceptive means to achieve their ends according to their privileged status, Zilpah and Bilhah wisely used cooperation and submissiveness within their less privileged status. Wife of Patriarch Jacob In the Books of Chronicles, Shimei's brothers were said to have lived in a town called Bilhah and surrounding territories prior to the reign of David. ( , ), , , . During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the CHT. with Ya'akov and his sons? New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. At the end of the narrative (Gen 49), the children of Zilpah and Bilhah received blessings from their father Jacob at his death, along with Jacobs other sons by Leah and Rachel. Nonetheless Bilhah and Zilpah would have been able to see their sons every day and their sons would have know that they were their birth mothers. Your email address will not be published. 35, Dan and Naphtali are presented as the sons of Bilhah, Rachels maid (v. 25). Jacob was all too happy to oblige, and Bilhah popped out two more boys to bring the total to six. Any children born of the union were considered to be legally the children of the mistress wife. The crux of the agreement states that Jacob will not ill-treat Labans daughters or take other wives besides his daughters (Gen 31:50). It must have been hard, really hard. Book of Mormon. For thousands of years, these three well-known names have been referenced in histories, liturgies, prayer books, and scholarly articles alike. And Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in Gods stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Though her reaction is not recorded, Bilhah gives birth to two sons, Dan and Naphtali, who are named by Rachel but referred to as the sons of Bilhah. Later in her life, Bilhah would have sex with Reuben, Jacobs eldest son. Leah and Rachel, of course! Though the Genesis narrator always identifies and categorizes the children of Jacob by their biological mother, Bilhah and Zilpah are never termed mother to their children. All the Bilhahs and the Zilpahs who still selflessly give of themselves to bring children to women who are unable to have them any other way and all the Rachels and the Leahs who will never be able to repay the gift. How old were they? [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. This act caused Reuben to lose his birthright inheritance as pointed out in Genesis 49:3-4. Tammi J. Schneider notes that a, This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the. Biblical family tree showing Jacob's line. And in every case, the mistress wife names the children born to their maid-slave, also indicating that the children are adopted by the mistress as their own. While this parallel relationship gives insight into the newly-gained procreative roles of Zilpah and Bilhah, it also highlights Zilpah and Bilhahs worth. Jewish Women's Archive. more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpah. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Interestingly, the mother is not directly named in any of the sons blessings. Zilpah and Bilhah are instead each introduced as a shiphchah (meaning maid-servant, slave-girl, or handmaid2For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. This name proved to be prophetic, as when Zilpah was toldas a young girlthat she was destined to join Leah in her marriage to the evil Esau, 9 tears would flow down her face. Can my creature spell be countered if I cast a split second spell after it? Tammi J. Schneider notes that a shiphchah or a female slave differs from male slaves by also carrying out sexual and procreative functions, as legislated in Leviticus 19:20, raising the question as to whether these same functions are inherent in the type of slavery this term conveys in the current context. What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? Rosman, Josephine. Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. This suggests that at this time, Jacob only had Labans two daughters as his legal, covenantal wives. Yet they did it and through them came the 12 tribes of Israel the covenant family of the whole earth. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Turns out that he was also shtupping Bilhah at best, his stepmother, at worst, his stepmother AND aunt. Why does the Torah seem to tolerate cheating esp. In later texts, Bilhah is remembered as one of the ancestresses of the Israelites. Bilhah was the maidservant of Rachel and mother of Dan and Naphtali. Of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, there are mentioned 2 sons, 11 grandsons, 2-great-grandsons, and 1 daughter (who is reckoned like Dinah, both here and Numbers 26:46, for some special reason, which is not particularly described); in all, 2 + 11 + 2 + 1 equals 16 souls. This was done as part of an ongoing rivalry between Leah and her sister Rachel, Jacobs second and favorite wife. While Leah and Rachel, who are also often named together, competed against each other for Jacob's attention and to accumulate sons, Zilpah and Bilhah were always accommodating, respectful, and supportive of each other and authority figures. The blessings of Dan and Naphtali as tribes of Israel can be found in Genesis 49:16-17, and 21. Neither response is more praiseworthy. when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. Was it the custom for the first wife to have more children than the 2nd wife? As I've thought about these two great women and reflected on their sacrifices I can't help but marvel at what amazing women these two handmaidens must have been. Particularly moving to hear from a young woman. Thus, we shall proclaim the following revised celebratory benediction: Praised are You, Lord our God, and the God of our ancestors. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. The Rabbis count Zilpah among the six Matriarchs. This is beautifuland thoughtful writing, Josie. While Leah and Rachel, who are also often named together, competed against each other for Jacobs attention and to accumulate sons, Zilpah and Bilhah were always accommodating, respectful, and supportive of each other and authority figures. With Bilhah and Zilpah, it wasn't a forced issue, it was more of a 'that's what they did in those days' issue. These were Jacobs sons number seven and eight respectively. She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. Bilhah and Zilpah, women in the Bible Zilpah, whose name is believed to mean "drooping", was given to Leah as a handmaiden by Laban, Leah's father, when Leah was given to Jacob as a bride. The Hebrew word sahnay does not mean hate as the term is used today, but rather conveys the idea of loving less. A better translation would be, when the Lord saw that Leah was loved less or was not as favored, he opened her womb. Of the sixty-six descendants of Jacob who journeyed to Egypt, twenty-three are accorded to Zilpah and Bilhah (Gen 46)that is more than one-third of the total. Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. In an ancient Nuzi marriage contract it stipulated that a woman whose servant bore the children of her husband should have full authority over the offspring. (Source) This adoption ceremony was often conducted by placing the son or daughter on the knees of the mistress and declaring it her child. Do you think it would be harder or easier? It really does amaze me how the Lord has different experiences planed for each of us. 27 October 2017. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob like a wife to bear him children as well. Thankfully, Rachel had a solution. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.9. I hope that for all of the sibling rivalry,the sisters at least loved each other. Old Testament The morning after the wedding, Laban explained to Jacob, "This is not done in our place, to give the younger before the older" (Genesis 29:26). One last question remains. However, Reuben, Leah's eldest, felt that this move slighted his mother, who was also a primary wife, and so he moved Jacob's bed into his mother's tent and removed or overturned Bilhah's. The Greatest Champion Of Woman And Womanhood Is Jesus Christ James E. Talmage. I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition. I have issued a standing challenge for all my readers The Women in the Scripture Challenge are you super brave and daring enough to take the challenge. . The promises of God endure from generation to generation. [3] : Ethel Reynolds Smith, Why Having a December Birthday is NOT a Bummer. Her academic work focuses on the ancient Near Eastern environment, Hebrew Bible, and the philosophy of religion. Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Though both Leah and Rachel were bought by Jacob to be his covenantal wives with his years of labor that functioned as a bride-price1cobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portrait (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 160. Bronze to Iron Age During this period making items of bronze seemed to be migrating into the Iron Age. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! Is a downhill scooter lighter than a downhill MTB with same performance? Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. She carried full term and gave birth via Cesarean section to Finnean, her first grandchild, .". You can read about Jacob, also known as Israel, blessing Gad and Asher as tribes of Israel in Genesis 49:19-20. Who is Bilhah? How hard it must have been to be an un-loved wife. When do you use in the accusative case. While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. The only other brothers who are not singled out with specific actions in the narrative are Leahs two sons Issachar and Zebulun.10. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Bilhah was later briefly mentioned in Genesis 35:22 when Jacobs firstborn son Rueben reportedly slept with her after Rachel had died. I came to realize that being a Jewish feminist means elevating women, those from our sacred texts who have been forgotten like Bilhah and Zilpah, and Jewish women today.