Genesis 30:3
in Genesis 30Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 30
Commentary
4 notes on this verseShe shall bear upon my knees - The handmaid was the sole property of the mistress, as has already been remarked in the case of Hagar; and therefore not only all her labor, but even the children borne by her, were the property of the mistress. These female slaves, therefore, bore children vicariously for their mistresses; and this appears to be the import of the term, she shall bear upon my knees. That I may also have children by her - ואבנה ממנה veibbaneh mimmennah, and I shall be built up by her.
This site's exposition
Here is my maidservant Bilhah
on Genesis 30:3-5
Rachel hands her husband her maidservant, the same move Sarai made with Hagar at 16:2. The Hebrew has the child borne on Rachel's knees, which is the language of adoption. The son would count as hers from birth. Genesis reports the arrangement and passes no sentence on it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And she said,.... in order to pacify Jacob, and explain her meaning to him; which was, not that she thought it was in his power to make her the mother of children, but that he would think of some way or another of obtaining children for her, that might go for hers; so the Arabic version, "obtain a son for me": but, since no method occurred to him, she proposes one: behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her, take her and use her as thy wife: and she shall bear upon my knees; either sit on her knees in the time of labour, and so bring forth as if it was she herself; or rather bear a child, which Rachel would take and nurse, and dandle upon her knees as her own, see Isa 66:12, that I may also have children by her; children as well as her sister, though by her maid, and as Sarah proposed to have by Hagar, whose example, in all probability, she had before her, and uses her very words; See Gill on Gen 16:2.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Zilpah--Following the example of Sarah with regard to Hagar, an example which is not seldom imitated still, she adopted the children of her maid. Leah took the same course.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֕אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּ֛ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֲמָתִ֥י | ʾamati | maidservant my | H519 → | 56 times |
| בִלְהָ֖ה | vilhah | Bilhah | H1090 → | 11 times |
| בֹּ֣א | bo' | go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלֶ֑יהָ | ʾeleiha | into her | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְתֵלֵד֙ | veteled | so she may bear children | H3205 → | 496 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בִּרְכַּ֔י | birkai | knees my | H1290 → | 25 times |
| וְאִבָּנֶ֥ה | veibaneh | so I may be built up | H1129 → | 376 times |
| גַם־ | gam- | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| אָנֹכִ֖י | ʾanokhi | I | H595 → | 359 times |
| מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ | mimenah | from her | H4480 → | 1188 times |
וַתֹּ֕אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּ֛הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אֲמָתִ֥יmaidservant my
ʾamatiH519 →56 times
בִלְהָ֖הBilhah
vilhahH1090 →11 times
בֹּ֣אgo
bo'H935 →2568 times
אֵלֶ֑יהָinto her
ʾeleihaH413 →5510 times
וְתֵלֵד֙so she may bear children
veteledH3205 →496 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בִּרְכַּ֔יknees my
birkaiH1290 →25 times
וְאִבָּנֶ֥הso I may be built up
veibanehH1129 →376 times
גַם־also
gam-H1571 →769 times
אָנֹכִ֖יI
ʾanokhiH595 →359 times
מִמֶּֽנָּה׃from her
mimenahH4480 →1188 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ruth 4:11“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.…
it leads to
- Genesis 29:32
And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Matthew 2:6
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people…
- Psalms 127:3–5
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.
- Proverbs 14:1
Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
- Genesis 29:32
Through
Genesis 50:23He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.
it leads to
- Numbers 32:39
The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.
- Job 42:16
After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
- Numbers 32:39
Through
Genesis 30:9When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.
it leads to
- Genesis 30:4
So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,
- Genesis 30:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.