The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of BilhahBilhah was Rachel's maidservant, given to Jacob as a concubine. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, it was customary for a barren wife to give her maidservant to her husband to bear children on her behalf. This practice is seen in the lives of the patriarchs and reflects the societal norms of the time. The Hebrew name "Bilhah" can mean "troubled" or "bashful," which may reflect her status and the circumstances of her life. Her sons, Dan and Naphtali, would become two of the tribes of Israel, showing how God can work through complex family dynamics to fulfill His promises. Rachel’s maidservant
Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, was initially barren, which was a significant source of distress in a culture that valued progeny. By giving Bilhah to Jacob, Rachel sought to build a family through her maidservant. This act underscores the deep desire for children and the lengths to which individuals would go to secure their lineage. The term "maidservant" indicates a position of servitude, yet Bilhah's role was crucial in the unfolding of Israel's history, as her children were considered Rachel's own. Dan
The name "Dan" means "judge" in Hebrew. Rachel named him so, saying, "God has vindicated me; He has listened to my plea and given me a son" (Genesis 30:6). Dan's name reflects Rachel's sense of divine justice and vindication. The tribe of Dan would later play a significant role in Israel's history, though it also faced challenges, as seen in the Book of Judges. Dan's legacy is a reminder of the complexities of human character and the divine justice that oversees history. Naphtali
Naphtali means "my struggle" or "wrestling" in Hebrew. Rachel named him, saying, "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won" (Genesis 30:8). This name reflects the intense rivalry between Rachel and her sister Leah, both wives of Jacob. Naphtali's birth was seen as a victory in this familial struggle. The tribe of Naphtali would later be known for its swiftness and agility, as described in Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:21. This name and its implications remind us of the personal and spiritual struggles that shape our lives and the ultimate victory that comes through faith and perseverance. Persons / Places / Events 1. BilhahBilhah was Rachel's maidservant given to Jacob as a concubine. She bore Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali. Her role in the family dynamics highlights the complexities of polygamous relationships in the patriarchal accounts. 2. DanDan was the first son of Bilhah and Jacob. His name means "judge," reflecting Rachel's declaration that God had judged her favorably. 3. NaphtaliNaphtali was the second son of Bilhah and Jacob. His name means "my struggle," as Rachel felt she had wrestled with her sister Leah and prevailed. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in Family DynamicsDespite human imperfections and complex family situations, God's purposes prevail. We can trust that God is at work in our families, even when relationships are strained or complicated. Identity and LegacyThe names and accounts of Dan and Naphtali remind us of the importance of identity and legacy. Our actions and decisions can have lasting impacts on future generations. God's Faithfulness to His PromisesThe inclusion of all of Jacob's sons, including those born to concubines, in the account of God's chosen people highlights His faithfulness to His promises, regardless of human failings. The Role of Women in God's PlanBilhah's account, though often overlooked, is a reminder of how God uses all individuals, regardless of their status, in His divine plan. Women in the Bible often played crucial roles in the unfolding of God's purposes. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the account of Bilhah and her sons, Dan and Naphtali, illustrate the complexities of family relationships in the Bible, and what can we learn from this for our own family dynamics? 2. In what ways do the names and accounts of Dan and Naphtali reflect the struggles and triumphs of their mother, Rachel, and how can this understanding influence our view of personal identity and legacy? 3. How does the inclusion of Bilhah's sons in the account of Genesis 35:25 demonstrate God's faithfulness to His promises, and how can this encourage us in our own faith journey? 4. What lessons can we learn from the role of women like Bilhah in the biblical account, and how can this inform our understanding of the value and contributions of women in the church today? 5. How do the blessings and prophecies concerning the tribes of Dan and Naphtali in Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 connect to their origins in Genesis 35:25, and what insights can we gain about God's long-term plans for His people? Connections to Other Scriptures The account of Bilhah and her sons connects to Genesis 30, where the births of Dan and Naphtali are initially recorded. This passage provides context for the family dynamics and the competition between Rachel and Leah. The tribes of Dan and Naphtali are later mentioned in the blessings of Jacob in Genesis 49 and Moses in Deuteronomy 33, where their future roles and characteristics are prophetically described. The inclusion of Bilhah's sons in the list of Jacob's children in Genesis 35:25 underscores the theme of God's providence and the fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding their descendants. People Allon, Aram, Arba, Asher, Benjamin, Benoni, Bilhah, Dan, Deborah, Eder, Ephrath, Esau, Gad, Isaac, Issachar, Jacob, Joseph, Leah, Levi, Mamre, Naphtali, Rachel, Rebekah, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, ZilpahPlaces Allon-bacuth, Bethel, Bethlehem, Canaan, Eder, El-bethel, Ephrath, Hebron, Kiriath-arba, Luz, Mamre, Paddan-aram, ShechemTopics Bilhah, Dan, Handmaid, Maid, Maidservant, Maid-servant, Naphtali, Naph'tali, Rachel's, Servant, SonsDictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 35:22-26 1654 numbers, 11-99
7266 tribes of Israel Library February the Eighth Revisiting Old Altars
"I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress." --GENESIS xxxv. 1-7. It is a blessed thing to revisit our early altars. It is good to return to the haunts of early vision. Places and things have their sanctifying influences, and can recall us to lost experiences. I know a man to whom the scent of a white, wild rose is always a call to prayer. I know another to whom Grasmere is always the window of holy vision. Sometimes a particular pew in a particular church …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling YearOur Last ChapterConcluded with the Words, "For Childhood and Youth are Vanity"...
Our last chapter concluded with the words, "For childhood and youth are vanity": that is, childhood proves the emptiness of all "beneath the sun," as well as old age. The heart of the child has the same needs--the same capacity in kind--as that of the aged. It needs God. Unless it knows Him, and His love is there, it is empty; and, in its fleeting character, childhood proves its vanity. But this makes us quite sure that if childhood can feel the need, then God has, in His wide grace, met the …
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs The Death of Abraham
'Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.'--GENESIS xxv. 8. 'Full of years' does not seem to me to be a mere synonym for longevity. That would be an intolerable tautology, for we should then have the same thing said three times over--'an old man,' 'in a good old age,' 'full of years.' There must be some other idea than that in the words. If you notice that the expression is by no means a usual one, that it is only …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Trials and visions of Devout Youth
'And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 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. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The National Oath at Shechem
'And Joshua said unto the people. Ye cannot serve the Lord: for He is an holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20. If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that He hath done you good. 21. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord. 22. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve Him. And they said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God The Birth of Jesus.
(at Bethlehem of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 1-7. ^c 1 Now it came to pass in those days [the days of the birth of John the Baptist], there went out a decree [a law] from Cæsar Augustus [Octavius, or Augustus, Cæsar was the nephew of and successor to Julius Cæsar. He took the name Augustus in compliment to his own greatness; and our month August is named for him; its old name being Sextilis], that all the world should be enrolled. [This enrollment or census was the first step …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Genesis 35:25 NIVGenesis 35:25 NLTGenesis 35:25 ESVGenesis 35:25 NASBGenesis 35:25 KJV
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