3
She said,וַתֹּאמֶר“Here isהִנֵּהmy slave womanאֲמָתִיBilhah;בִלְהָהgo inבֹּאto her,אֵלֶיהָso that she may bearוְתֵלֵדonעַלmy knees,בִּרְכַּיand I tooוְ גַם אָנֹכִיmay have childrenאִבָּנֶהthrough her.”מִמֶּנָּה
Genesis 30:3
Study it in the app“She said, “Here is my slave woman Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may bear on my knees, and I too may have children through her.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 30:3, word by word
- She saidתֹּאמֶרtomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “tomer” appears- my slave womanאֲמָתִamati
female slave, maidservant
Female slave, maidservant.
Where else “amati” appears- Bilhahבִלְהָהvilha
Bilhah
Bilhah, Rachel's slave, given to Jacob; mother of Dan and Naphtali. Also a place.
Where else “vilha” appears- go inבֹּאbo
come
To come, arrive: "days are coming".
Where else “bo” appears- so that she may bearתֵלֵדteled
bear
To bring a child into the world, giving birth after pregnancy.
Where else “teled” appears- my kneesבִּרְכַּbirka
knee
Knee.
Where else “birka” appears- may have childrenאִבָּנֶהibane
have children
To build a family, give someone offspring.
Where else “ibane” appears
Translation note
“To bear on my knees” is the way of saying that the slave woman’s child would count as the mistress’s child (as in Genesis 16:2).
The context
2Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
3 · This verse (above)
4So she gave him Bilhah her slave woman as a wife, and Jacob went in to her.
To study Genesis 30 in a group
1. What it says
How did Jacob prosper with Laban’s flocks (vv. 37-43)?
2. What it means
What does the rivalry between Rachel and Leah over having children show (vv. 1, 14-15)?
3. How I live it
How can you rejoice in what others receive instead of comparing yourself with them?