Genesis 29:29
New International Version
Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.

New Living Translation
(Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.)

English Standard Version
(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)

Berean Standard Bible
Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

King James Bible
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

New King James Version
And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

New American Standard Bible
Laban also gave his female slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.

NASB 1995
Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.

NASB 1977
Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.

Legacy Standard Bible
Laban also gave his servant-woman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her servant-woman.

Amplified Bible
Laban also gave Bilhah his maid to his daughter Rachel as a maid.

Christian Standard Bible
And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.

American Standard Version
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.

English Revised Version
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
(Laban had given his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave.)

Good News Translation
Laban gave his slave woman Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid.)

International Standard Version
Laban also gave his woman servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant.

Majority Standard Bible
Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

NET Bible
(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.)

New Heart English Bible
Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his female servant, to be her servant.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Laban gave to Rachel, his daughter, Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her maid.

World English Bible
Laban gave Bilhah, his servant, to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Laban gives his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel for a maidservant for her.

Young's Literal Translation
and Laban giveth to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his maid-servant, for a maid-servant to her.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Laban will give to Rachel his daughter, Bilhah his maid to her for a maid.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
To whom her father gave Bala for her servant.

Catholic Public Domain Version
To her, the father had given Bilhah as her servant.

New American Bible
Laban assigned his maidservant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant.

New Revised Standard Version
(Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.)
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Laban gave Bilhah his maid to Rachel his daughter to be her maid.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Laban gave to his daughter Rakhyl, Balha, his Handmaid, for a Maidservant.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her handmaid.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Laban gave to his daughter his handmaid Balla, for a handmaid to her.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
28And Jacob did just that. He finished the week’s celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.…

Cross References
Genesis 30:9
When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife.

Genesis 16:1-3
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. / So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. / So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

Genesis 24:59-61
So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. / And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.” / Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

Genesis 30:3-4
Then 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.” / So Rachel gave Jacob her servant Bilhah as a wife, and he slept with her,

Genesis 35:22-26
While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons: / The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. / The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. ...

Genesis 46:18
These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.

Genesis 21:10-12
and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!” / Now this matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son Ishmael. / But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

Genesis 25:6
But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

Exodus 21:7-11
And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do. / If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who had designated her for himself, he must allow her to be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, since he has broken faith with her. / And if he chooses her for his son, he must deal with her as with a daughter. ...

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. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 1:2
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

1 Chronicles 2:46-48
Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez. / The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph. / Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah.

1 Chronicles 7:13
The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum—the descendants of Bilhah.

Matthew 1:2
Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

Luke 3:34
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,


Treasury of Scripture

And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

Bilhah.

Genesis 29:24
And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

Genesis 30:3-8
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…

Genesis 35:22,25
And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: …

Jump to Previous
Bilhah Daughter Girl Handmaid Laban Maid Maidservant Maid-Servant Rachel Servant Servant-Girl Waiting-Woman
Jump to Next
Bilhah Daughter Girl Handmaid Laban Maid Maidservant Maid-Servant Rachel Servant Servant-Girl Waiting-Woman
Genesis 29
1. Jacob comes to the well of Haran.
9. He becomes acquainted with Rachel.
13. Laban entertains him.
18. Jacob covenants for Rachel.
23. He is deceived by Laban with Leah.
28. He marries also Rachel, and serves for her seven years more.
32. Leah bears Reuben;
33. Simeon;
34. Levi;
35. and Judah.














Laban also gave his servant girl Bilhah
In the ancient Near Eastern culture, it was customary for a father to provide his daughter with a maidservant upon marriage. This practice is seen in other biblical accounts, such as when Pharaoh gave Hagar to Sarah (Genesis 16:1). Bilhah's role as a servant girl is significant, as she later becomes a concubine to Jacob and the mother of two of the tribes of Israel, Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:3-8). This reflects the social and familial structures of the time, where servants could play crucial roles in the family lineage.

to his daughter Rachel
Rachel, the younger daughter of Laban, is a central figure in the Genesis narrative. Her marriage to Jacob is marked by love and preference, as Jacob worked fourteen years to marry her (Genesis 29:18-30). Rachel's relationship with her sister Leah and her struggle with infertility are key themes in her story. The giving of Bilhah to Rachel underscores the importance of family alliances and the continuation of lineage, as Rachel later uses Bilhah to bear children on her behalf.

as her maidservant
The term "maidservant" indicates a position of servitude but also of trust and responsibility within the household. Maidservants could be elevated to the status of concubines, as seen with Bilhah and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. This reflects the patriarchal society where women's roles were often defined by their relationships to men and their ability to bear children. The use of maidservants to bear children for their mistresses is a recurring theme in Genesis, highlighting the cultural practices surrounding inheritance and family legacy.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Laban
Laban is the brother of Rebekah and the father of Leah and Rachel. He is known for his cunning and manipulative behavior, particularly in his dealings with Jacob.

2. Rachel
Rachel is the younger daughter of Laban and the beloved wife of Jacob. She is known for her beauty and her struggle with infertility, which plays a significant role in the account of Jacob's family.

3. Bilhah
Bilhah is the maidservant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. She later becomes a concubine to Jacob and bears him two sons, Dan and Naphtali.

4. Jacob
Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and the grandson of Abraham. He is a central patriarchal figure in the Bible, known for his twelve sons who become the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.

5. Haran
This is the place where Laban and his family reside. It is also where Jacob flees to escape his brother Esau's wrath and where he meets and marries Leah and Rachel.
Teaching Points
Cultural Context and God's Sovereignty
Understanding the cultural practices of the time, such as giving maidservants, helps us see how God works within human customs to fulfill His divine purposes. Despite human manipulation, God's plans prevail.

Family Dynamics and God's Plan
The complex family dynamics in Jacob's household remind us that God can work through imperfect situations and people to accomplish His will. This encourages us to trust God in our own family challenges.

Role of Women in God's Story
The inclusion of women like Bilhah in the biblical account highlights their significant roles in God's redemptive history. It challenges us to recognize and value the contributions of women in our faith communities today.

Faithfulness in Service
Bilhah's role as a maidservant and later as a mother to Jacob's children illustrates the importance of faithfulness in service, regardless of one's position. This calls us to serve faithfully in whatever role God has placed us.Verse 29. - And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah - "Bashful," "Modest" (Gesenius) - his handmaid to be her maid.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Laban also
לָבָן֙ (lā·ḇān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3837: Laban -- father-in-law of Jacob

gave
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן (way·yit·tên)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

his servant girl
שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ (šip̄·ḥā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8198: Maid, maidservant

Bilhah
בִּלְהָ֖ה (bil·hāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 1090: Bilhah -- a concubine of Jacob

to his daughter
בִּתּ֔וֹ (bit·tōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1323: A daughter

Rachel
לְרָחֵ֣ל (lə·rā·ḥêl)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7354: Rachel -- a wife of Jacob

as her
לָ֖הּ (lāh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew

maidservant.
לְשִׁפְחָֽה׃ (lə·šip̄·ḥāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8198: Maid, maidservant


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OT Law: Genesis 29:29 Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 29:28
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