Who was Bilhah in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Bilhah, initially Laban's servant, became Rachel's handmaid upon Rachel's marriage to Jacob. She was given to Jacob when Rachel could not conceive, and she bore him two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Despite being a minor figure in the Bible, Bilhah played a significant role in the lineage of Israel, with seven of Jacob's descendants tracing their lineage through her. Her story, similar to Hagar's, highlights God’s recognition of individuals regardless of their social status, His care for them, and their role in His plans and purposes. Through Bilhah, we see that God values and cares for everyone, regardless of their circumstances, echoing Jesus' assurance of God's care for all.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Bilhah had been Laban's servant and became Rachel's handmaid upon Rachel's marriage to Jacob (Genesis 29:29). The Bible provides no other details about Bilhah, her background, or Laban's purpose in giving her to Rachel.
• When Rachel found herself unable to conceive, she gave Bilhah to Jacob in order to bear children on her behalf (Genesis 30:3). This plan to have a female slave bear children on behalf of a barren wife is much like Jacob's grandmother Sarah's plan to have her servant Hagar bear children to Abraham (Genesis 16). Bilhah did indeed bear two sons to Jacob, Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:3–8), who became two of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• When the Bible recorded Jacob's seventy descendants who entered Egypt under Joseph's protection, Bilhah is listed as responsible for seven of them (Genesis 46:25). Thus, ten percent of the nation of Israel at that time traced their lineage through Bilhah (Genesis 46:27).
• Jacob's oldest son Reuben defiled his father's bed by laying with Bilhah after Rachel's death (Genesis 35:19–22) and therefore lost his rights to preeminence as the firstborn (Genesis 49:4).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Bilhah is only mentioned in the Old Testament.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Although Bilhah was a servant, God knew her name. God saw Bilhah and engaged her in accomplishing His will. The Bible's inclusion of Bilhah's name and her contribution to the formation of the tribes of Israel by mothering Dan and Naphtali teaches that God knows everyone's name no matter their status in this life and that all types of people have an important role in His plan. When assuring His disciples of their worth to God, Jesus told them, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6–7). God valued Bilhah because He knew and loved her, and God does the same for us today.

UNDERSTAND

• Bilhah was a servant who was given to various people in Laban’s family.
• Bilhah was treated as property, as servants were, but God took care of her.
• God used Bilhah to bring about two of the tribes of Israel.

REFLECT

• What encourages or challenges you about humanity looking at the life of Bilhah?
• What do we learn about God's care and purpose for each individual today from Bilhah’s story?
• How does Bilhah's story challenge your perceptions of significance and worth in the eyes of God?

ENGAGE

• Servanthood and even slavery was common practice in Bilhah’s day, yet it is different from how we think of slavery. How can we understand the culture of the day?
• Considering the cultural context of Bilhah's time, what insights can we gain about the dynamics of family, marriage, and fertility in ancient societies? How is it different or similar to today?
• Bilhah's story raises questions about the ethical implications of using individuals as surrogates for childbearing. What from her experience sheds light on discussions on surrogacy today?