Bilhah and Zilpah

Bilhah and Zilpah are concubines of Jacob. Rachel gives her servant Bilhah to Jacob as his wife, to bear children for her. Leah does the same with her servant, Zilpah.

The name Bilhah means “modesty”. Bilhah is also a name of a place which we find in 1 Chronicles 4:29.
Bilhah is a servant belonging to Rachel, who is given to her by her father Laban when she marries Jacob. When Rachel is childless for a long time, she gives her servant Bilhah to Jacob as his wife in order to have children through her. Bilhah bears two sons for Rachel, Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:3-7).

The name Zilpah might mean “small nose”. The name Zilpah only occurs in stories about Jacob in the book of Genesis.
Zilpah is a servant of Leah, who is given to her by her father when she marries Jacob. After Leah has borne four sons, it seems as if she can have no more children. So she gives her servant Zilpah to Jacob as his wife, in order to give Jacob more children. Zilpah bears two sons for Leah, Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-12).

Soon after the death of Rachel, Leah’s eldest son, Reuben, sleeps with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). This eventually costs Reuben his birthright as first-born, because he had defiled his father’s bed (Genesis 49:3-4).