Bilhah
femalePatriarchalMeaning: “Timid; faltering”
Rachel’s handmaid, given to Jacob as a wife; she bore Dan and Naphtali, founders of two of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Biography
Bilhah was Rachel's handmaid, given to Jacob as a wife in the matriarchs' rivalry for children. Through her, two of the tribes of Israel were born.
Surrogate for Rachel
When Rachel remained barren, she gave Bilhah to Jacob, saying, "she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her" (Genesis 30:3). Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali, whom Rachel counted as her own (Genesis 30:5–8).
Mother of two tribes
Dan and Naphtali each became a tribe of Israel, sharing fully in the inheritance of the land. Bilhah's sons stand among the twelve named on the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem (Revelation 7), a quiet testimony that God wove even the household's servants into His covenant people.
Life Timeline
Given to Jacob; bears Dan
Bears Naphtali
On the Bible timeline
Bilhah belongs to the The Patriarchs era (c. 2100 – 1800 BC).
- c. 2091 BCThe Call of Abraham
- c. 1898 BCJoseph Sold into Egypt
Family Tree
Drag to pan · use + / − to zoom · tap the + on a relative to expand a generation · click anyone to open their page
Themes & lessons from Bilhah
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Bilhah appears.
People they appear with
Scripture Appearances
11 verses in 2 booksGenesis9 verses
Genesis 29:29
And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
Genesis 30:3
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. have: Heb. be built by her
Genesis 30:4
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
Genesis 30:5
And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
Genesis 30:7
And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
Genesis 35:22
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:
Genesis 35:25
And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
Genesis 37:2
These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Genesis 46:25
These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
1 Chronicles2 verses
1 Chronicles 4:29
And at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad, Bilhah: or, Balah Tolad: or, Eltolad
1 Chronicles 7:13
The sons of Naphtali; Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.
Frequently asked about Bilhah
Who was Bilhah in the Bible?
Rachel’s handmaid, given to Jacob as a wife; she bore Dan and Naphtali, founders of two of the twelve tribes of Israel.
What does the name Bilhah mean?
The name Bilhah means “Timid; faltering”.
Who were Bilhah's children?
Bilhah's children include Dan, Naphtali.
Where does Bilhah appear in the Bible?
Bilhah is mentioned 11 times across 2 books: Genesis, 1 Chronicles.
What can we learn from Bilhah?
The story of Bilhah touches on themes of jacob, rachel, tribes of israel, the, betrothal — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Bilhah's life.
Sermon Mate
Teaching on Bilhah?
Organize your sermon notes, link Scripture passages, and build your outline in Sermon Mate — the workspace for ministry leaders.
Open Sermon Mate →