Genesis 35:26
New International Version
The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

New Living Translation
The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram.

English Standard Version
The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Berean Standard Bible
And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Berean Literal Bible
and the sons of Zilpah, maidservant of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

King James Bible
And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

New King James Version
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

New American Standard Bible
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

NASB 1995
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

NASB 1977
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Legacy Standard Bible
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant-woman: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Amplified Bible
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob born to him in Paddan-aram.

Berean Annotated Bible
And the sons of Leah’s (weary) maidservant Zilpah (a trickling) were Gad (troop) and Asher (happy). These are the sons of Jacob (he grasps the heel), who were born to him in Paddan-aram (exalted).

Christian Standard Bible
The sons of Leah’s slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The sons of Leah’s slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

American Standard Version
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan-aram.

English Revised Version
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Paddan-aram.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The sons of Leah's slave [Zilpah]were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob's sons, who were born in Paddan Aram.

Good News Translation
The sons of Leah's slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These sons were born in Mesopotamia.

International Standard Version
Leah's servant Zilpah's sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob's sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram.

NET Bible
The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

New Heart English Bible
And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Padan-aram.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

World English Bible
The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant: Gad and Asher. These [are] sons of Jacob, who have been born to him in Padan-Aram.

Berean Literal Bible
and the sons of Zilpah, maidservant of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Young's Literal Translation
And sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid-servant: Gad and Asher. These are sons of Jacob, who have been born to him in Padan-Aram.

Smith's Literal Translation
The sons of Zilpah; Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These the sons of Jacob which were born to him in Padan Aram.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

New American Bible
the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

New Revised Standard Version
The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad, and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob that were born to him in Padan-aram.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the sons of Zelpha, the Handmaid of Leah: Gad and Ashir: these are the sons of Yaquuv that were born to him in Padan d'Aram.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the sons of Zelpha, the hand-maid of Lea; Gad and Aser. These are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

Additional Translations ...



Context
The Sons of Jacob
25The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. 26And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Cross References
And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.

Genesis 30:10-13
And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. / Then Leah said, “How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. / When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son, …

Genesis 46:16-18
The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. / The children of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. / These are the sons of Jacob born to Zilpah—whom Laban gave to his daughter Leah—sixteen in all.
These are the sons of Jacob,

Genesis 46:8-10
Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn. / The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. / The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

Exodus 1:1-5
These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: / Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; / Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; …

1 Chronicles 2:1-2
These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, / Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Genesis 29:31-35
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. / 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.” / Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has given me this son as well.” So she named him Simeon. …

Genesis 30:1-9
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. / Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” / 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.” …

Genesis 30:14-24
Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out and found some mandrakes in the field. When he brought them to his mother, Rachel begged Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” / But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.” / When Jacob came in from the field that evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come with me, for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night. …
Genesis 30:19-20
Again Leah conceived and bore a sixth son to Jacob. / “God has given me a good gift,” she said. “This time my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” And she named him Zebulun.

Genesis 30:24
She named him Joseph, and said, “May the LORD add to me another son.”

Genesis 46:19-20
The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. / Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.

Genesis 49:13-27
Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore and become a harbor for ships; his border shall extend to Sidon. / Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds. / He saw that his resting place was good and that his land was pleasant, so he bent his shoulder to the burden and submitted to labor as a servant. …

Numbers 1:32-35
From the sons of Joseph: From the sons of Ephraim, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, / those registered to the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500. / And from the sons of Manasseh, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army, …

Numbers 26:23-27
These were the descendants of Issachar by their clans: The Tolaite clan from Tola, the Punite clan from Puvah, / the Jashubite clan from Jashub, and the Shimronite clan from Shimron. / These were the clans of Issachar, and their registration numbered 64,300. …

Deuteronomy 33:18-24
Concerning Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents. / They will call the peoples to a mountain; there they will offer sacrifices of righteousness. For they will feast on the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand.” / Concerning Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges the domain of Gad! He lies down like a lion and tears off an arm or a head. …

Joshua 13:29-31
This is what Moses had given to the clans of the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the tribe of the descendants of Manasseh: / The territory from Mahanaim through all Bashan—all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, including all the towns of Jair that are in Bashan, sixty cities; / half of Gilead; and Ashtaroth and Edrei, the royal cities of Og in Bashan. All this was for the clans of the descendants of Machir son of Manasseh, that is, half of the descendants of Machir.


Treasury of Scripture

And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

And the sons.

Genesis 30:9-13
When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife…

Genesis 46:16-18
And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli…

in Padan-aram.

Genesis 35:18
And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

Genesis 25:20
And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

Genesis 28:2
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

Jump to Previous
Aram Asher Born Gad Handmaid Jacob Leah's Maid Maidservant Maid-Servant Padanaram Padan-Aram Paddan Paddan-Aram Servant Zilpah
Jump to Next
Aram Asher Born Gad Handmaid Jacob Leah's Maid Maidservant Maid-Servant Padanaram Padan-Aram Paddan Paddan-Aram Servant Zilpah
Genesis 35
1. God commands Jacob to go to Bethel.
2. He purges his house of idols.
6. He builds an altar at Bethel.
8. Deborah dies at Allon Bacuth.
9. God blesses Jacob at Bethel.
10. Jacob Named Israel.
16. Rachel travails of Benjamin, and dies in the way to Edar.
22. Reuben lies with Bilhah.
23. The sons of Jacob.
27. Jacob comes to Isaac at Hebron.
28. The age, death, and burial of Isaac.












And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.

Zilpah had been given to Leah by Laban and later became Jacob’s wife at Leah’s request. Her sons Gad, meaning “good fortune,” and Asher, meaning “happy” or “blessed,” were counted fully among Jacob’s sons and became heads of tribes in Israel. Gad’s descendants eventually received territory east of the Jordan, while Asher settled in the fertile coastal region of the north.

Gen 30:10-13 And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.…
Gen 46:16-18 The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni…

These are the sons of Jacob,

Jacob’s twelve sons formed the foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel. Though born within a household marked by rivalry and hardship, they were included in God’s covenant purpose to build a great nation from Abraham’s family.

Gen 46:8-10 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel…
Exo 1:1-5 These are the names of the sons of Israel who went…
1Ch 2:1-2 These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon,…

who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Jacob’s sons were born during his years in Paddan-aram, where he lived and worked under Laban. There he married Leah and Rachel, received their maidservants as wives, and saw God multiply his household according to His promise.

Gen 29:31-35 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb;…
Gen 30:1-9 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children…
Gen 30:14-24 Now during the wheat harvest, Reuben went out…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jacob
Also known as Israel, he is the patriarch whose twelve sons became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. His life is a journey of faith, transformation, and covenant with God.

2. Zilpah
Leah's servant, given to Jacob as a wife by Leah. She bore Jacob two sons, Gad and Asher, contributing to the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham regarding his descendants.

3. Gad
The seventh son of Jacob, born to Zilpah. His name is associated with fortune or good luck, reflecting Leah's hope for prosperity.

4. Asher
The eighth son of Jacob, also born to Zilpah. His name means "happy" or "blessed," indicating Leah's joy and the blessings anticipated for his lineage.

5. Paddan-aram
A region in Mesopotamia where Jacob lived and worked for his uncle Laban. It is significant as the place where Jacob's family grew and God's promises began to unfold.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty in Family Dynamics
Despite human imperfections and complex family relationships, God's plan unfolds through Jacob's family. We can trust God's sovereignty in our own family situations.

Significance of Names
The names Gad and Asher reflect hope and blessing. In our lives, the names and labels we embrace can shape our identity and outlook. Choose names that align with God's promises.

Fulfillment of God's Promises
The birth of Jacob's sons in Paddan-aram is a step toward the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham. God's promises may take time, but they are sure and steadfast.

Role of Servants in God's Plan
Zilpah, though a servant, played a crucial role in God's plan. This reminds us that God values and uses all people, regardless of their social status, for His purposes.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Genesis 35:26?

2. How does Genesis 35:26 highlight God's faithfulness to Jacob's lineage?

3. What significance do the sons of Jacob hold in God's covenantal plan?

4. How can we see God's promises fulfilled through Jacob's sons in Genesis 35:26?

5. In what ways can we trust God's promises as seen in Genesis 35:26?

6. How does Genesis 35:26 encourage us to value family in God's plan?

7. How does Genesis 35:26 fit into the broader narrative of Jacob's family dynamics?

8. What significance do the sons of Zilpah hold in biblical history according to Genesis 35:26?

9. How does Genesis 35:26 reflect the cultural practices of polygamy in biblical times?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 35?


(26) In Padan-aram.--The words are to be taken only generally, as Benjamin was born in Canaan.

Genesis 35:26 reminds us that Gad and Asher—sons born through Leah’s servant Zilpah—stand shoulder to shoulder with the other sons of Jacob. Their inclusion highlights God’s unmerited grace, the legitimacy He grants to every branch of the covenant family, and His power to fulfill promises even in unlikely places. The verse weaves servant, wife, and foreign soil into the tapestry of Israel’s origin, assuring us that God’s purposes triumph over social labels and geographical boundaries.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the sons
וּבְנֵ֥י (ū·ḇə·nê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Leah’s
לֵאָ֖ה (lê·’āh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3812: Leah -- 'weary', a wife of Jacob

maidservant
שִׁפְחַ֥ת (šip̄·ḥaṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8198: Maid, maidservant

Zilpah
זִלְפָּ֛ה (zil·pāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2153: Zilpah -- one of Jacob's wives

[were] Gad
גָּ֣ד (gāḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1410: Gad -- a son of Jacob, also his tribe and its territory, also a prophet

and Asher.
וְאָשֵׁ֑ר (wə·’ā·šêr)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 836: Asher -- 'happy one', a son of Jacob, also the tribe descended from him, also perhaps a city in Palestine

These
אֵ֚לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

are the sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Jacob,
יַעֲקֹ֔ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

who
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

were born
יֻלַּד־ (yul·laḏ-)
Verb - QalPass - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

to him
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

in
בְּפַדַּ֥ן (bə·p̄ad·dan)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew

Paddan-aram.
אֲרָֽם׃ (’ă·rām)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6307: Paddan-aram -- the place where Rachel died


Additonal Resources
Genesis 35:26 Blue Letter Bible
Genesis 35:26 Bible Gateway
Genesis 35:26 Bible.com

Genesis 35:26 NIV
Genesis 35:26 NLT
Genesis 35:26 ESV
Genesis 35:26 NASB
Genesis 35:26 KJV

Genesis 35:26 Study Bible
Genesis 35:26 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 35:26 Chinese Bible
Genesis 35:26 French Bible
Genesis 35:26 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 35:26 The sons of Zilpah Leah's handmaid: Gad (Gen. Ge Gn)

Genesis 35:25
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