See Schneiders Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 103105.3. I had always thought of Jewish spaces as empowering ones; most of the people who bolstered my Jewish education were women, including my rabbi. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. ( , ), , , . For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. Yocheved was born and presumably died in Egypt. Zilpah and Bilhah were always cooperative with their mistresses, unlike Hagar. She gives Jacob two more, and then a girl to boot! Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. avot-patriarch-fathers. Thus, Zilpah and Bilhah stand in the shadows of their mistresses Leah and Rachel and have been undeservedly unremembered. Leah started popping out kids left and right, four boys to be exact. Thus, they have been forgotten as unworthy or ignored as unremarkable. Furthermore, in the listing of Jacobs twelve sons in chap. Anyway, Rachel said that Jacob would go to Leah if Rachel could have the mandrakes that Reuben brought back. Zilpah's background is unknown, other than the fact that Zilpah had been one of Laban's servants before Leah's marriage to Jacob. Bilhah is given by Laban to Rachel as a gift when she marries Jacob. 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. The first son Rachel named Dan saying, "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son." I like your take on it, but I guess it always seemed like Bilhah and Zilpah didn't have any choice. 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. In this instance, no functional role is in view. All four of those women had to have had crazy patience and understanding to make it in that situation. And freakier. Bilhah bears another son to Jacob under this arrangement, with Rachel again naming the child. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Not exactly. Wow, and what a crazy story about a 61 year old woman giving birth to her grandson that is really strange! Their children did not become jews. When do you use in the accusative case. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. In midrashic texts, Rabbis have long given Zilpah and Bilhah matriarchal status, alongside Leah and Rachel. This invasion of Jacob's privacy was viewed so gravely that the Bible equates it with adultery, and lost Reuben his first-born right to a double inheritance. 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? For Rashi's commentary on this, with English translation, see Rashi's notes on 30:10: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zilpah&oldid=1112462359, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 12:45. As Ive thought about these two great women and reflected on their sacrifices I cant help but marvel at what amazing women these two handmaidens must have been. What is the meaning of AD, BC, BCE and CE? I agree too that these women had an understanding in the bigger picture and what was important, Your email address will not be published. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. The God of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Bilhah and Zilpah were slaves, not wives of a patriarch, but their descendants eventually became the Jewish people. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. [1] Genesis 29:29 describes her as Laban's handmaiden (), who was given to Rachel to be her handmaid on Rachel's marriage to Jacob. When Bilhah conceives two sons, Leah takes up the same idea and presents Zilpah to Jacob so she can have children through her. Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. I guess God works in mysterious ways. How old were they? In later texts, Bilhah is remembered as one of the ancestresses of the Israelites. Nothing is said about Bilhahs fate, but she continued to be remembered as the ancestress of major clans in Israel (1 Chr 7:13). In general it's a big question what it means when various places in the north of Eretz Yisrael are identified as the kevarim of famous tzaddikim or tzidkaniyos - especially when those seem to contradict information given elsewhere. Folder's list view has different sized fonts in different folders. We will examine the compelling evidence regarding Zilpah and Bilhahs wifely and motherly roles, which are fulfilled by the end of their story and elevate them to a well-deserved matriarchal status. Gender was never an issue. Thankfully, Rachel had a solution. With Bilhah and Zilpah, it wasn't a forced issue, it was more of a 'that's what they did in those days' issue. How Long In Prison? Zilpah bore Leah two sons. I hope that for all of the sibling rivalry,the sisters at least loved each other. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. The apocryphal Testament of Naftali says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Rotheus. Just you wait. Instead, Bilhah is gaining a new, elevated role, much as Hagar did with barren Sarah (Gen 16:3). Read the latest from JWA from your inbox. These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachelseven in all. . If shaimos are buried in the same grave as a person, where should they be placed? And Jacobs anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Bilhah (.mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. 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). At the same time, two other named figures stand out for their undeserved absence among the honored Matriarchs. (Bereishit 31:43), Said R. Avin, 'They were all his daughters: "The girls are my daughters" gives two, "And as for my daughters, what should I do?" Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Despite their sons being adopted by Rachel and Leah, the sons are associated with their birth mothers. Called Balah in Joshua 19:3, the town was allotted to the tribe of Simeon. Let us know. I recently taught this to my seminary students. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Probably all three maid-slaves desired to have children, as women were primarily valued for their reproductive capacities in the culture. Bilhah was first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:29. Walking with the Women Books Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Nevertheless, when the danger from Esau has passed, Bilhah again is called Jacobs wife; and her sons are not disadvantaged, for Rachels biological son Joseph becomes a shepherd, a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his fathers wives (Gen 37:2). 35, Dan and Naphtali are presented as the sons of Bilhah, Rachels maid (v. 25). In this context, it is better to translate the term as woman, because Rachel still retained full rights over Bilhah.4Louis Katzoff, Nuzi Tablets, Bible and Spade vol 1:2 (Spring 1988): 27. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. why not correct the list to include the two maid-slave mothers? Click here to find out more about this unique and fun Bible study tool! The few times the story tells of their actions (bearing sons and bowing before Esau),11Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128. it is at the behest of others. Leah started popping out kids left and right, four boys to be exact. She carried full term and gave birth via Cesarean section to Finnean, her first grandchild, .". Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Book of Mormon. What does 'They're at four. This is really an interesting conflict in the bible. Wow,what an interesting post. (Gen 30:3). Heather M. Burrow (PhD Candidate, Claremont Graduate University) is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Pacific Christian College of Ministry and Biblical Studies at Hope International University in Fullerton, California. Yet they did it and through them came the 12 tribes of Israel the covenant family of the whole earth. How do you think that this story might be valuable to women making the choice to adopt a child or to put a child up for adoption? She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. Yet in the potentially dangerous situation with Esau, she reverts to being called a maid (Hebrew shifhah). It's Joseph, child #12, son #11, Jacob's favorite. Just you wait. The only other time Zilpah and Bilhah are termed wife/woman is when their mistresses give them to Jacob to fulfill the procreative, wifely role in their mistresses place. 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. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? My first reactions was: Who were they? 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. One last question remains. New York: 2000. In the novel The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, Zilpah and Bilhah are represented as half-sisters of Leah and Rachel by different mothers. 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. Since Josephs story happens after Rachels death (and possibly Leahs death, since we do not know when she died in Canaan), this may indicate a real change of status for the two maid-slaves. Zilpah and Bilhahs status was at many times unclear and was one of transition as the narrative unfolded, adding to the complexities. Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. When the Israelites finally reached Canaan, they conquered it under the leadership of Joshua. So, for those keeping count: Leah 6 (+1 daughter), Bilhah 2, Zilpah 2, Rachel 2. However, Hagar is termed mother at the end of her story when she becomes free (Gen 21:21).7Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166. On the other hand, I know the scriptures don't always give us the whole story and maybe the two servants agreed to this whole thing. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Thus, we shall proclaim the following revised celebratory benediction: Praised are You, Lord our God, and the God of our ancestors. Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. He also rips off an arm to use as a sword. Most havent. Leah stops conceiving after the birth of her fourth son, at which point [4] Rachel, who had not yet borne children, offers her handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob like a wife in order to have children through her. Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. Avigayil is certainly possible as King David could have had her buried in Tiberias (though why I don't know). 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. The rabbis fill in details about her life, her relationship with Jacob, and the confusing incident between Bilhah and Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. Redirecting the Fear of Death, Teaching Genesis Beautiful Vision in an Incarcerated Context, A Pentecostals Biblical Reflections on the Asbury Revival. Through the wombs of Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah, Israel's people were birthed by choice and by force. This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.6. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? The text says nothing to suggest that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of Bilhah and Zilpah. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! I have often wondered the nationality (color) of the wives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but can not find any concrete evidence. But the son's that were the most important were the ones that had the birthright, which was Reuben, Leah's firstborn, until he slept with Bilhahthen lost that birthright and then it went to Joseph, Rachel's firstborn. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Required fields are marked *. I've been involved in far, far left politics for a very long time. 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. "Lower status" is a trigger for me. Dinah, if you are wondering.). And my goal, at least for now, is to continue the act of reclaiming these women, and making them known. I now discuss these two amazing biblical women every chance I get, including here, because their story resonates with so many who are voiceless or powerless. Have an update or correction? It must have been hard, really hard. (The poor girl is always forgotten. Bilhah is given by Laban to Rachel as a gift when she marries Jacob. Bilhah is also considered a minor Bible character but was also used to bring two of the twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel onto the earth. 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). Now, I try to keep Bilhah and Zilpah in mind in my daily life. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? Still without a child! 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. Bilhah was named so because of her stunning beauty. I know they were slaves, therefore deprived of a lot, even though they were the mothers of four of the tribes. 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). Their children were considered Leah's and Rachel's. This lack of any qualifier title leaves the question of their status open ended. As long as Rachel was alive, say these commentators, Jacob kept his bed in her tent and visited the other wives in theirs. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. These maid-slaves children are owned by the mistress, because the mothers were also owned, even after being given as an ishah to Jacob. Leah then offered her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. Its a story of the quiet humility of marginalized women whose children have better lives as a result. Wife of Patriarch Jacob And that is the mindset at the core of any matriarch. Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. Do you think it would be harder or easier? Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. Bilhah is said to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. This brought about art, literature, and building projects reappearing on the Egyptian scene. What is significant about the names Rachel and Leah give their sons? 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. Why are Mordechai and Esther buried in Hamedan, considering it is distant from Shushan? Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. Leah and Rachel, of course! Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bible Charts and Maps, PO Box 171053, Austin, TX 78717 In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Once again we can see Zilpah and Bilhahs worth in this scene. Bilhah was named so because of her stunning beauty. 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.[3]. As such, Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali as detailed in Genesis 30:1-8. Like Rachel, the sons that Zilpah bore would have been considered to be Leah's and she would have raised them as her own sons. "[10] As a result of this adultery, he lost the respect of his father, who said: "Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; For when you mounted your fathers bed, You brought disgracemy couch he mounted! rev2023.5.1.43405. Walking With the Women of the Old Testament, Walking With the Women of the New Testament, Does the Journey Seem Long? Image Source. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. English Standard Version In a similar way, when I omit Bilhah and Zilpah, the mothers of 4 of the 12 Israelite tribes, missing in the liturgy due to their subordinate status, I collude in the marginalization of those whom society has assigned a lower status. And they are not buried in the cave of Machpelah where Leah and other honored family are buried, including Sarah and Rebekah 10Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 7475, 137. According to Bereishit Rabbah 74:13 Bilhah and Zilpah were also daughters of Lavan. Zilpah bore two sons to Jacob, which would have been Gad and Asher. What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? . Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. It's all in there! Was it the custom for the first wife to have more children than the 2nd wife? Elizabeth Wyner Mark, The Four Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and Unseen,. Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual position in which she would give birth. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? There are some shenanigans with mandrakes (which also involve Jacob's first-born, Reuben; hold that thought), and Rachel finally gives birth! The maid-slaves would not only serve the daughters, but they could also bear children for their mistress-owner as a surrogate if the mistress were barren. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. 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. It is to Zilpah and Bilhahs credit, because of their honorable actions given their slave status, that their sons inherited alongside their mistresses children, when Hagars son, Ishmael, did not. The Rabbis brought it from here: "If you afflict my daughters" (Bereishit 31:50) gives two. Leah names the two sons of Zilpah and is directly involved in their upbringing. Bilhahs own status in the household is somewhat ambiguous. The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. The Rabbis count Zilpah among the six Matriarchs. When the Israelites enter Egypt at Josephs invitation, the children of Zilpah and Bilhah are listed among the children of Israel with the qualifier that Laban had given Zilpah and Bilhah to his daughters (Gen 46:18, 25). What about Rachel, the hapless, unfortunate, super-hot Rachel?! 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Oil on canvas by Jan Victors (1619 1679) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Victors_Esau_and_the_mess_of_pottage.jpg. How is the difference to be accounted for? Tammi J. Schneider notes that a, This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the. @CashCow Do you happen to know the source for this opinion? These women may not have had legal claim to their children but they still played a large part in their upbringing and in their daily lives. No matter what the circumstances in which they had the children, they had to have had incredible strength to raise those children in those circumstances. The point is that these women acted prudently in each given situation with the best interests of their children in mind. Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:1013). At the start of Josephs story and after Rachels death, the narrator says that Joseph tended the flocks with his brothers, who are the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his fathers nashim (meaning wives or women, plural of ishah) (Gen 37:2). When Rachel marries Jacob, her father Laban gives her a maid, Bilhah (Gen 29:29; 46:25), whom she gives to Jacob as a wife (Hebrew ishah) when she finds herself barren (Gen 30:37).