We can read the little that we know about them in Genesis 30. 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. 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. Bilhah fulfills the procreative, wifely role for barren Rachel and acts as her proxy seed bearer. When do you use in the accusative case? It must have been hard, really hard. Bilhah was later briefly mentioned in Genesis 35:22 when Jacobs firstborn son Rueben reportedly slept with her after Rachel had died. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. Genesis 30 records that, At the same time I know that it's hard to understand things that occurred in a different culture. Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? What did it take for them to share their husband with two other women? When I asked Sarah who they were, I didnt know that her answer would be my introduction to the intersection between Judaism and feminism, and would influence how I thought about my role in relation to both. During the final stage of labor a woman would squat and be supported under the arms by one or two other women. Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Your email address will not be published. The Bible, ladies and gentlemen! Jacob of course only wanted to marry Rachel, and worked for 7 years to do so, only to be tricked by his uncle, Laban. Book of Mormon. They were however mothers of 4 other tribes of Israel. However, Hagar is termed mother at the end of her story when she becomes free (Gen 21:21).7Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166. 7. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Mi Yodeya offers tons of great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. They are the biblical women we view as relatable and worthy of emulation. By including Bilhah and Zilpah in the Amidah and Misheberakh prayers along with their better known mistresses . 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. Yet they did it out of lovelove for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. 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? But more importantly, we will question why these two womens children receive blessings and an inheritance when other sons of women in other stories did not. Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. In an ancient Nuzi marriage contract it stipulated that a woman whose servant bore the children of her husband, Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. Its my job, as a woman and as a feminist, to continue to integrate feminism into Judaism. 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. This may have been what Rachel meant when she said that Bilhah shall bear upon my knees. Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. I have to say that when I hear of the positive results of agreements between women, for one to bear anothers child and then give that child to her,with love,I can see the love of our Heavenly Father. 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. There is no mention of their status as wives or maid-slaves at all. What a lovely, thoughtful, and inspiring piece. Say, the one of Jacob and his wives. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. Let's just move on. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. This amended liturgical prayer is based on the traditional, central Jewish liturgical blessing of praise, the Amidah or Standing Prayer, that invokes the blessing of the ancestors, some of which already have added the four matriarchal figures (though most have Rachel before Leah). Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. The union resulted in two sons, Gad and Asher. Zilpah and Bilhahs relationship to their mistress changes when first Rachel and then Leah experience barrenness. In Old Testament times this was an acceptable way for a married woman who was barren to gain children. Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, Biblical Women in World and Hebrew Literature, Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. Sister of Bilhah / I believe words have the power to change the future and heal the past. [2] Bilhah gave birth to two sons, whom Rachel claimed as her own and named Dan and Naphtali. The great, mighty, and awesome God, God most high, who bestows loving-kindness and goodness and who creates everything. Zilpah bore two sons to Jacob, which would have been Gad and Asher. 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 was the maidservant of Rachel and mother of Dan and Naphtali. 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. when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. We have here something amounting to a status change for the maid-slaves children. Leah names the two sons of Zilpah and is directly involved in their upbringing. Leah named the first son Gad and declared, "A troop cometh." Bronze to Iron Age During this period making items of bronze seemed to be migrating into the Iron Age. 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. The Greatest Champion Of Woman And Womanhood Is Jesus Christ James E. Talmage. 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. 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. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Phone Toll Free: 877-966-7300 or 816-584-3077, [This article continues after a message from the authors], These Articles are Written by the Publishers of, Amazing Bible Timeline with World History 2023. RGG, I'll agree that this is a super interesting story. She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. The promises of God endure from generation to generation. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Something that sounds weird and wrong to me now might have made perfect sense in their day. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. Humane Imagination, What Does the Bible Say about Anxiety? In her desperation for children Rachel followed the example of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and married her maid Bilhah to her husband so that she could have children through her. [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]. 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her." Rachel in turn gives Bilhah to Jacob as a "wife" when Rachel is found to be barren. The Rabbis brought it from here: "If you afflict my daughters" (Bereishit 31:50) gives two. 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 their historical and cultural context, the mistress had full procreative rights over the maid-slave, including control of access and consent regarding her sexual behavior.3Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168. Amazing Bible Timeline with World History, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/bilhah-bible, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helladic_period, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgian_brides_in_church.jpg. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? When do you use in the accusative case. Why are Mordechai and Esther buried in Hamedan, considering it is distant from Shushan? Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. : Ethel Reynolds Smith, Why Having a December Birthday is NOT a Bummer. I learned that Miriam hadnt always been recognized at our Passover seders. How old were they? Answer Zilpah was Leah's handmaiden or servant whom Leah gave to her husband, Jacob, as a concubine. 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. Yocheved was born and presumably died in Egypt. These maid-slaves children are owned by the mistress, because the mothers were also owned, even after being given as an ishah to Jacob. Most named biblical women are of this dynamic variety. 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? Now back to Reuben. Redirecting the Fear of Death, Teaching Genesis Beautiful Vision in an Incarcerated Context, A Pentecostals Biblical Reflections on the Asbury Revival. 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. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . Who was the father of bilhah and Zilpah? Many scholars, including Steinberg and Speiser, interpret this event as just thata change of status to secondary wives or full wives of Jacob.8Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . Not exactly. How hard it must have been to be an un-loved wife. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. I heard a teaching comparing the relationship of Jacob and Esau and the stolen birthright, with the relationship of Leah and Rachael. Laban excused his actions as part of his peoples tradition to always marry the oldest daughter first. Book of Mormon, Study Guides
I've been involved in far, far left politics for a very long time. For me, this was a revelation. He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel . some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. Though Zilpah and Bilhah could never have been the full wives of Jacob while the treaty with Laban stood, once Labans two daughters died, Jacob may have viewed the stipulation of no other wives as no longer applicable, since it was meant to protect Labans daughters. In all, Bilhah and Zilpah are given to Jacob by their mistresses to act in their place twice each to overcome barrenness, resulting in two sons each (Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher). 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. Jacob wanted the super-hot Rachel to have a kid. This seems to indicate equal status and equal inheritance for all the sons, irrespective of who their mother wasother than the double portion of the firstborn birthright given to Joseph, among Jacobs children. Possibly because of this complexity and their inherent lowly slave status for much of their lives, Zilpah and Bilhah do not get equal status as Matriarchs along with Leah and Rachel, their contemporaries (and owners). In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah (Hebrew: .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} Zlp, meaning uncertain)[1] was Leah's handmaid, presumed slave,[2] whom Leah gave to Jacob like a wife to bear him children (Genesis 30:9). She is on the Biblical Timeline Poster between 1754-1704 BC. Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. Possible meanings for the Hebrew name Bilhah are "simplicity," "modesty," "timid," or "faltering." Bilhah is also the name of a town in the south of Judah ( 1 Chronicles 4:29 ). Bilhah is said to be buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs in Tiberias. What nation/family there were from and why the Torah does not see the importance of telling us about that? but doesn't it seem more like two women fighting with each other about who has the most children, forcing their handmaids to lay with their husband, and then claiming their servant's children? 8 Zilpah means "to flow" ( lezalef ). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. The crux of the agreement states that Jacob will not ill-treat Labans daughters or take other wives besides his daughters (Gen 31:50). Zilpah, Leah's maid, gives birth to Gad and Asher. For me, synagogue was always the place where everyone was truly equal, because my community made such an effort to be inclusive and accepting. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Probably all three maid-slaves desired to have children, as women were primarily valued for their reproductive capacities in the culture. Not to be outdone, Leah had a handmaiden too: Zilpah. According to some sources, Bilhah and Zilpah were half-sisters of Leah and Rachel. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. Who was the mother and father of Bilhah and Zilpah? Presumably, Hagar raised Ishmael to act so badly when playing with Isaac that Sarah casts them out (Gen 21:9). 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. Yet in the potentially dangerous situation with Esau, she reverts to being called a maid (Hebrew shifhah). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. For you are forgetting Bilhah and Zilpah, Jacob's other two wives. It is common practice in my sphere to seek or pray, Center for Hebraic Thought at The King's College | 56 Broadway | New York, NY 10004. Can my creature spell be countered if I cast a split second spell after it? Why are players required to record the moves in World Championship Classical games? Mother of Gad . [3] If shaimos are buried in the same grave as a person, where should they be placed? to Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel. It's Joseph, child #12, son #11, Jacob's favorite. . 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. It was not until after Rachels and probably Leahs deaths that they were likely able to transition from their functional maid-slave roles as proxy-wives and surrogate-mothers into a new status as the full wives of Jacob and full mothers of their children. Jacob did not become aware of the substitution until after the marriage acts had been committed. How is this ancient form of adoption similar or different from todays form? 10 Vayeitzei in a Nutshell These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. The entire tribe of Israel as we have established were akin to the Egyptian in color and looks. Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. 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. Bilhah sons were dark skinned, both Dan and Naphtali, there is no reason to believe that Zilpah sons Gad and Asher were any different. Reflecting on this, I now recognize that it was Jewish feminists who have made Judaism more equal for me. Sarah explained to me that Bilhah and Zilpah were handmaidens of Rachel and Leah who were given to the sisters by their father. Why does the Torah seem to tolerate cheating esp. I contend that these two women are relatable and worthy of emulation for different reasons than the more well-known Matriarchs are. Jacob had worked for seven years as part of an agreement to earn Rachels hand in marriage from her father, Laban. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 164166.8. As Rachel says, Behold, my amah (servant) Bilhah. Even at one point, it was obvious that Leah thought she would have no more childrenJacob was staying in Rachel's tent and no where else. After Leah had already bore Jacob four sons and then stopped having babies, she presented Zilpah to Jacob to act as a type of surrogate mother and have more children for Jacob. and Alib . How are engines numbered on Starship and Super Heavy? A boy can regenerate, so demons eat him for years. Elizabeth Wyner Mark, The Four Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and Unseen,. Bilhah, Rachel's servant and Jacob's concubine, bears two more sons, Dan and Naphtali. (Gen 29), Jacob did not buy Zilpah and Bilhah to be his legitimate wives. Gender was never an issue. 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. Often times bricks were placed under her to give her more support and the midwife knelt in front of her. Bilhah ( "unworried", Standard Hebrew: Bilha, Tiberian Hebrew: Blh) is a woman mentioned in the Book of Genesis. 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. 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. more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilpah. And this is how Laban wanted it to remain. This caused Jacob to commit to another seven years of labor to pay for Rachels hand in marriage though he took her as his wife only a week after he took Leah. 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. Yet they did it and through them came the 12 tribes of Israel the covenant family of the whole earth. See Schneiders Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 103105.3. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.".
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