BILHAH

(Bilʹhah) [possibly, simple, simplicity].

1. One of the maidservants of Laban’s household whom he gave to his daughter Rachel to be her maidservant at the time of her marriage to Jacob. (Gen. 29:29) That occurred in the year 1774 B.C.E. in Paddan-aram, which was in the northern plateau region of Mesopotamia. When, with the passing of time, Rachel proved to be barren, she gave Bilhah to Jacob as a secondary wife, that by means of her maidservant Rachel might have children, even as Sarah had done. (Gen. 16:2) Jacob by that time was at least eighty-eight years old. In this way Bilhah had the privilege of becoming the mother of two sons, Dan and Naphtali, whose descendants formed two of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Gen. 30:3-8; 35:25; 1 Chron. 7:13) When Jacob returned to the land of Canaan, Bilhah, together with her children, was personally introduced to Jacob’s twin brother Esau. After the death of Rachel, the oldest son of Jacob, Reuben, committed fornication with Bilhah.—Gen. 35:22; 49:3, 4.

2. A town belonging to the tribe of Simeon located within the Negeb region of Judah (1 Chron. 4:29), evidently the same as Baalah in Joshua 15:29.—See BAALAH No. 3.