what nationality were bilhah and zilpah

See Schneiders Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 103105.) Instead, Bilhah is gaining a new, elevated role, much as Hagar did with barren Sarah (Gen 16:3). And the maids apparently must share a tent, whereas the wives have their own (Gen 31:33). RGG, I'll agree that this is a super interesting story. 24:16 says that Yehoyada Kohen Gadol was buried in Jerusalem, but there's a grave in Tzfas shown as his (and I believe it was identified as such by the Arizal). They are never presented as subjects with a voice, agency, or power. With a wry smile, I say to my family, Im, As a Pentecostal, I am familiar with revival language. Let us know. New Testament Zilpah and Bilhah are instead each introduced as a shiphchah (meaning maid-servant, slave-girl, or handmaid2For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically. Is there an obligation to be buried in Jewish Cemetary? This was done as part of an ongoing rivalry between Leah and her sister Rachel, Jacobs second and favorite wife. After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. And for whatever reason, she just could not conceive. I found this article concerning surrocacy with a mother and daughter: "A mother's love takes many forms. Not exactly. These women may not have had legal claim to their children but they still played a large part in their upbringing and in their daily lives. Rachel in turn gives Bilhah to Jacob as a "wife" when Rachel is found to be barren. Rachel plans to have children through her (as Sarah did with Hagar) by having Bilhah give birth upon my [Rachels] knees, probably a phrase that comes from adoption ritual. Schneider, Mothers of Promise, 128.9. Share. Also, the scriptural text seems to indicate that the sons Bilhah bore were considered to be Rachels and that she would have raised them as her own. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. This piece was written as part of JWAs Rising Voices Fellowship. How is this ancient form of adoption similar or different from todays form? For instance, Reuben speaks and acts to dissuade the brothers from killing Joseph (Gen 37:22), Simeon and Levi speak and act after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34:30), Judah speaks and acts on behalf of Benjamin over a stolen cup (Gen 44:18), Joseph speaks and acts by telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness (Gen 37:6), and Benjamin acts to weep with Joseph upon being reunited (Gen 45:14). How Long Was Joseph In Potiphars House? You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Amazing Bible Timeline with World History, http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/bilhah-bible, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helladic_period, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Georgian_brides_in_church.jpg. Elizabeth Wyner Mark, The Four Wives of Jacob: Matriarchs Seen and Unseen, The Reconstructionist (Fall 1998): 2224.13. As Ive thought about these two great women and reflected on their sacrifices I cant help but marvel at what amazing women these two handmaidens must have been. sign up now For me, this was a revelation. Click here to find out more about this unique and fun Bible study tool! Jacob favored Rachel, his other wife, and even loved her maidservant Bilhah more than Zilpah. And it gets weirder. All the Bilhahs and the Zilpahs who still selflessly give of themselves to bring children to women who are unable to have them any other way and all the Rachels and the Leahs who will never be able to repay the gift. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Its my job, as a woman and as a feminist, to continue to integrate feminism into Judaism. How to force Unity Editor/TestRunner to run at full speed when in background? This pushes me to actively seek out women who have been overlooked by our tradition, whether from the Torah or from more recent history. Leah named the first son Gad and declared. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. When faced with what he thinks might be a tense confrontation with his brother, Esau, Jacob places the two maids and their children at the front of his household, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph bringing up the (protected) rear (Gen 33:13; compare 32:2223). Tzipporah ("the missing matriarch") did she outlive Moshe and make it into Israel? You can read about Jacob, also known as Israel, blessing Gad and Asher as tribes of Israel in Genesis 49:19-20. Who is Bilhah? What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? Thankfully, Rachel had a solution. Leah named the first son Gad and declared, "A troop cometh." Subscribe now to receive periodic updates from the Center for Hebraic Thought. ( , ), , , . This was a normal thing for concubines. According to the early rabbinical commentary Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, Zilpah and Bilhah, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, respectively, were actually younger daughters of Laban. Is "I didn't think it was serious" usually a good defence against "duty to rescue"? My first reactions was: Who were they? Unique Circular Format see more in less space. Whether or not they had any say in the matter, I do think you point out a really good point. On the other hand, I know the scriptures don't always give us the whole story and maybe the two servants agreed to this whole thing. Avigayil is certainly possible as King David could have had her buried in Tiberias (though why I don't know). I have no idea of the provenance of this tradition. Adding EV Charger (100A) in secondary panel (100A) fed off main (200A). The blessings of Dan and Naphtali as tribes of Israel can be found in Genesis 49:16-17, and 21. Bilhah is given by Laban to Rachel as a gift when she marries Jacob. Leah and Rachel, of course! But at night, to mask the deception, Laban gave the veiled bride the younger of the handmaids, so Jacob would think that he was really marrying Rachel, the younger of the sisters.[5]. In this context, it is better to translate the term as woman, because Rachel still retained full rights over Bilhah.4Louis Katzoff, Nuzi Tablets, Bible and Spade vol 1:2 (Spring 1988): 27. I have issued a standing challenge for all my readers The Women in the Scripture Challenge are you super brave and daring enough to take the challenge? avot-patriarch-fathers. As such, Bilhah gave birth to Dan and Naphtali as detailed in Genesis 30:1-8. Women in labor were surrounded by female companions who encouraged them to labor upright and dance and sway during contractions, . Jewish Women's Archive. For example, II Chron. What positional accuracy (ie, arc seconds) is necessary to view Saturn, Uranus, beyond? Probably the greatest sacrifice that any mother could ever make. (though Rachel is not buried there either). Acts - Revelations Are there any writings of the backgrounds of Bilhah and Zilpah? For maid-servant or female servant see such translations as JPS, ESV, and YLT; for slave-girl see CJB, EXB, GNT, ICB, and NRSV; for handmaid see ASV and KJV. While this parallel relationship gives insight into the newly-gained procreative roles of Zilpah and Bilhah, it also highlights Zilpah and Bilhahs worth. In contrast, Zilpah and Bilhahs children, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, never directly speak or act within the tribal family,9Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. Unexpected uint64 behaviour 0xFFFF'FFFF'FFFF'FFFF - 1 = 0? If nothing else, we can surmise that the institution of marriage and the status and roles of women in such relationships in the ancient Near East were complex and often-changing, depending on circumstances. Yet in the potentially dangerous situation with Esau, she reverts to being called a maid (Hebrew shifhah). Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. It must have been hard, really hard. Come into her and she will bear on my knees so that I too can build [a family] through her5 This is my own translation of the Hebrew text found in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? She calls him Naphtali, which means I have prevailed, because she has prevailed (Hebrew niftalti) over her sister in a divine contest (Hebrew naftulei Elohim; NRSV, mighty wrestlings). 27 October 2017. Iron became a very valuable commodity and was used to produce goods. For Kristine Casey, 61, it meant giving the gift of motherhood to her infertile daughter by carrying and giving birth to her own grandson. She was the first wife, but it seems that history has made her a litte shrewish, maybe less attractive. Genesis 29:31 When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. I had never heard of them either only Hagar. It does not negate the previous identification of them as possible wives in Josephs story. Thus, they have been forgotten as unworthy or ignored as unremarkable. Nevertheless, just as consistently, Zilpah and Bilhah are not traditionally listed among the Matriarchs that include Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachelthe mothers of the higher social class of privilege who speak and act. Wife of Patriarch Jacob Zilpah and Bilhah, who are usually named together, had each other, while Hagar was alone. Possibly because of this complexity and their inherent lowly slave status for much of their lives, Zilpah and Bilhah do not get equal status as Matriarchs along with Leah and Rachel, their contemporaries (and owners). In the Book of Genesis, Zilpah (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} Zlp, meaning uncertain)[1] was Leah's handmaid, presumed slave,[2] whom Leah gave to Jacob like a wife to bear him children (Genesis 30:9). Women in labor were surrounded by female companions who encouraged them to labor upright and dance and sway during contractions (belly dancing is actually an ancient fertility dance that women were taught a young age to help with conception and labor). Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Laban excused his actions as part of his peoples tradition to always marry the oldest daughter first. And that is the mindset at the core of any matriarch. Whom were Bilhah and Zilpah descendant? Maybe she was buried in Egypt. [3] Genesis 35:22 expressly calls Bilhah Jacob's concubine, a pilegesh. When Rachel was barren for many years and became overwhelmed with jealousy of her sister Leah, Jacobs first wife that had already bore four sons, she gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob to become her surrogate mother. Book of Mormon, Study Guides Who are considered "avot" who worshipped idols? with Ya'akov and his sons? Zilpah gave birth to two sons, whom Leah claimed as her own and named Gad and Asher. These women may not have had legal claim to their children but they still played a large part in their upbringing and in their daily lives. These were Jacobs sons number seven and eight respectively. The account of Zilpahs role as Leahs surrogate mother can be found in Genesis 30:9-13. I thought about how there are two versions of the Amidah in some prayer books, one including the first four matriarchs names, and one without them. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? In Genesis 31:17, Jacob and his household leave for Canaan without telling Laban. Image source Either way it is almost certain that Rachel would have been with Bilhah during the births of her two sons. Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. They are called nashim without any qualifier functionan identification never given to Hagar. I don't think we know. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Bible Charts and Maps, PO Box 171053, Austin, TX 78717 Thus, while in Canaan and after Rachels (and probably Leahs) death, Zilpah and Bilhah were possibly able to transition in status to the wives of Jacob. Laban gave Rotheus a wife named Euna, who was the girl's mother. Required fields are marked *. Though both Leah and Rachel were bought by Jacob to be his covenantal wives with his years of labor that functioned as a bride-price1cobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion: The Genesis Narratives and Contemporary Portrait (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 160. . When the Israelites finally reached Canaan, they conquered it under the leadership of Joshua. and Alib . Many of the brothers directly speak and act within the familial affairs. Both Bilhah and Zilpah had their own tent in Jacob's camp (Genesis 31:33). In an ancient Nuzi marriage contract it stipulated that a woman whose servant bore the children of her husband, Alternatively she may have just been referring to the way in which ancient women commonly gave birth. I am looking to do research on the women Bilhah and Zilpah. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Rachel, who was Jacobs favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Mi Yodeya offers tons of great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. There's a place in Tiberias that is supposed to be the common gravesite of several prominent women from Tanach; a sign there lists Bilhah, Zilpah, Yocheved, Tzipporah, Elisheva, and Avigayil. But in having a child, Hagar becomes prideful and disrespects her mistress Sarah. While the forefathers were very cautious in choosing their spouses from Avraham's family, the Torah says nothing about Bilhah and Zilpah's ancestry. Coming to this realization was inspiring, but it also reminded me of the upsetting reality of the patriarchal nature of Judaism. I don't know . So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. I now discuss these two amazing biblical women every chance I get, including here, because their story resonates with so many who are voiceless or powerless. The MatriarchsSarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel, the corresponding mother figuresare increasingly being remembered and honored as well, to highlight their important role in forming the twelve tribes of Israel. Walking With the Women of the Old Testament, Walking With the Women of the New Testament, Does the Journey Seem Long? The wonders of ancient polygamy! She carried full term and gave birth via Cesarean section to Finnean, her first grandchild, .". So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual position in which she would give birth. Matthew - John Nor does Sarah name the child Ishmael. Despite this relationship to Rachel, Dan and Naphtali continue to be considered Bilhahs sons, and that influences their standing in the family. Leah was the oldest daughter in lieu of an elder brother. And freakier. Since they were servants it wasn't really like they could say no, right? Nonetheless Bilhah and Zilpah would have been able to see their sons every day and their sons would have know that they were their birth mothers. The Key Biblical Principle for Police Reform? What was her birthright, to marry first,receive her dowery and be fruitful and multiply. Could a subterranean river or aquifer generate enough continuous momentum to power a waterwheel for the purpose of producing electricity? Particularly moving to hear from a young woman. Forefathers and consumerism - why they had more that they can eat? Answer Zilpah was Leah's handmaiden or servant whom Leah gave to her husband, Jacob, as a concubine. [3] Sarah explained to me that Bilhah and Zilpah were handmaidens of Rachel and Leah who were given to the sisters by their father. Old Testament How Long In Prison? What is more, the lack of motherly connection on all fronts seems to indicate that this equal status was no longer given through their adoption by the mistress wives of Jacob. Though Zilpah and Bilhah could never have been the full wives of Jacob while the treaty with Laban stood, once Labans two daughters died, Jacob may have viewed the stipulation of no other wives as no longer applicable, since it was meant to protect Labans daughters. Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! What is significant about the names Rachel and Leah give their sons? This invasion of Jacob's privacy was viewed so gravely that the Bible equates it with adultery, and lost Reuben his first-born right to a double inheritance. I will use the term maid-slave to capture their feminine and slavish status. When do you use in the accusative case. What a lovely, thoughtful, and inspiring piece. It makes me wonder what sort of relationship Rachel and Leah had with them. These maid-slaves children are owned by the mistress, because the mothers were also owned, even after being given as an ishah to Jacob. Despite their sons being adopted by Rachel and Leah, the sons are associated with their birth mothers. Wow,what an interesting post. (Viewed on May 1, 2023) . As the listing of the tribes and children has always been by the identified biological mother, this lack of motherly identification and categorization is thought-provoking. (Bereishit 31:43) gives [another two equaling] four.'. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. In the official record given of Jacob's children in Genesis 46 Dan and Naphtali are listed as the children of Bilhah and Asher and Gad are listed as the children of Zilpah. This effort is what has been missing from the feminist movement. But dying in childbirth with Benjamin ended that. Zilpah's background is unknown, other than the fact that Zilpah had been one of Laban's servants before Leah's marriage to Jacob. Zilpah is first introduced in the Bible in Genesis 29:24. Since Josephs story happens after Rachels death (and possibly Leahs death, since we do not know when she died in Canaan), this may indicate a real change of status for the two maid-slaves. Their sacrifice reminds me of all the women who make similar sacrifices around the world today. Thank you. All the Bilhahs and the Zilpahs who still selflessly give of themselves to bring children to women who are unable to have them any other way and all the Rachels and the Leahs who will never be able to repay the gift. Jacobs, Gender, Power and Persuasion, 159160, 168.4. Bilah is cited a few verses later in verse 25 of the same genealogy. This act caused Reuben to lose his birthright inheritance as pointed out in Genesis 49:3-4. Instead, Zilpah and Bilhahs motherly role comes to the forefront. For this reason, some modern Jewish feminists have reclaimed Bilhah and Zilpah as matriarchs. Zilpah bore Leah two sons. Back in the 1980s/90s, officers didnt seem to, By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it, Its Tuesday morning. "Bilhah: Bible." It only takes a minute to sign up. One last question remains. He could have opened Rachel's womb he does later but perhaps these women needed to learn these lessons first. Not exactly. Jacob must have been super happy! I like your take on it, but I guess it always seemed like Bilhah and Zilpah didn't have any choice. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. Asked By : David Miller. So, for those keeping count: Leah 6 (+1 daughter), Bilhah 2, Zilpah 2, Rachel 2. Where does the version of Hamapil that is different from the Gemara come from? And then well consider how to respond to our findings. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. New Living Translation These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. This is beautifuland thoughtful writing, Josie. The apocryphal Testament of Naftali says that Bilhah and Zilpah's father was named Rotheus. I contend that the reason Zilpah and Bilhah attained this full wifely and motherly status and that their children inherited lies in their quiet humility and cooperative attitude throughout their lives. Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the Bible Any children born of the union were considered to be legally the children of the mistress wife. In midrashic texts, Rabbis have long given Zilpah and Bilhah matriarchal status, alongside Leah and Rachel. While Zilpah is a considered a minor Bible character, she was a vessel used to usher in two of the tribes of Israel. She was Leah's handmaiden and she and Leah were originally intended to marry Esau; when Leah married Jacob instead, he was also given Zilpah. What did it take for Bilhah and Zilpah to share their children with two other women? Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. Each takes ownership of the maid-slave, much like Sarah owned Hagar (Gen 16:1) and Rebekah owned her nurse Deborah (Gen 24:61). So, yes, you remember the part where Jacob married the ugly Leah and the super-hot Rachel, and lived happily ever after in a sanctioned menage a trois. Your email address will not be published. The first son Rachel named Dan saying, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son. The second son Bilhah bore she named Naphtali and said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed.After Bilhah bore Rachel two sons Leah found that even though she already had four sons she was no longer able to have children. This is reinforced by the fact that Rachel named both of the sons Bilhah bore. Though Jacob could never take any other wives apart from Leah and Rachel according to the pact with Laban, Zilpah and Bilhahs status seems to be elevated after Rachels death. Does a password policy with a restriction of repeated characters increase security? While Leah, Rachels older sister, had given birth to four sons. As opposed to Isaacs story in which the maid-slave Hagars child is not included in the inheritance, the maid-slaves children are included in the inheritance in Jacobs story. Its a story of the quiet humility of marginalized women whose children have better lives as a result. Like many others, these named women have a voice, agency, and power within their stories, at least at times, and use it to achieve their ends. When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob like a wife to bear him children as well. It must have been hard, really hard. Is a downhill scooter lighter than a downhill MTB with same performance? The manufacture of artifacts from iron was noted. Meyers, Carol, General Editor. And this is how Laban wanted it to remain. When the Israelites enter Egypt at Josephs invitation, the children of Zilpah and Bilhah are listed among the children of Israel with the qualifier that Laban had given Zilpah and Bilhah to his daughters (Gen 46:18, 25). Genesis 30 records that, "when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. How do you think that this story might be valuable to women making the choice to adopt a child or to put a child up for adoption? I have to say that when I hear of the positive results of agreements between women, for one to bear anothers child and then give that child to her,with love,I can see the love of our Heavenly Father. ), So, eight boys in, it's Leah's turn again! With Bilhah and Zilpah, it wasn't a forced issue, it was more of a 'that's what they did in those days' issue. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. When Rachel marries Jacob, her father Laban gives her a maid, Bilhah (Gen 29:29; 46:25), whom she gives to Jacob as a wife (Hebrew ishah) when she finds herself barren (Gen 30:37). Bilhah means "to become alarmed" ( lehibahel ). While Leah, Rachel's older sister, had given birth to four sons. Yet they did it out of love--love for Rachel and Leah, knowing that they could given them something they could not get themselves. However, Reuben, Leah's eldest, felt that this move slighted his mother, who was also a primary wife, and so he moved Jacob's bed into his mother's tent and removed or overturned Bilhah's. It was not until after Rachels and probably Leahs deaths that they were likely able to transition from their functional maid-slave roles as proxy-wives and surrogate-mothers into a new status as the full wives of Jacob and full mothers of their children. Love for their sons, knowing that they were giving them the best position, name, and quality of life possible in their situation. Laban pursues them and overtakes them ten days later (Gen 31:23). How many children did Laban have? Zilpah bore Jacob two sons: Gad and Asher. (Gen 30:3). I had heard these names for as long as I could remember at temple, but I had never heard the last two names before. Leah went on to have 3 more children from that. I have long identified as a feminist and have always been interested in Judaism, but before this, I had never really considered how the two could overlap. I recently taught this to my seminary students. She is given to Jacob as his wife (Hebrew ishah), although in one instance she is called his secondary wife (pilegesh; NRSV, concubine). For instance, Reuben speaks and acts to dissuade the brothers from killing Joseph (Gen 37:22), Simeon and Levi speak and act after the rape of their sister Dinah (Gen 34:30), Judah speaks and acts on behalf of Benjamin over a stolen cup (Gen 44:18), Joseph speaks and acts by telling his brothers of his dreams of greatness (Gen 37:6), and Benjamin acts to weep with Joseph upon being reunited (Gen 45:14). Just like Sarai/Sarah gave her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham to have children on behalf of Sarai/Sarah, These handmaids were basically considered 'surrogates' if you will, for lack of a better word. Simple deform modifier is deforming my object. Say, the one of Jacob and his wives. : Ethel Reynolds Smith, Why Having a December Birthday is NOT a Bummer. These two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, made great sacrifices. While Leah and Rachel, who are also often named together, competed against each other for Jacob's attention and to accumulate sons, Zilpah and Bilhah were always accommodating, respectful, and supportive of each other and authority figures. Reflecting on this, I now recognize that it was Jewish feminists who have made Judaism more equal for me. Women in Scripture. Rachel, who was Jacob's favorite wife, had not been blessed with children. I know they were slaves, therefore deprived of a lot, even though they were the mothers of four of the tribes. After birthing two children each for their mistresses, the maid-slaves wifely, procreative role ended and presumably Jacobs sexual access to them. Tammi J. Schneider notes that a shiphchah or a female slave differs from male slaves by also carrying out sexual and procreative functions, as legislated in Leviticus 19:20, raising the question as to whether these same functions are inherent in the type of slavery this term conveys in the current context. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ? [4] He was taken into captivity but redeemed by Laban, Rachel and Leah's father. Rachel and Leah named Bilhah's and Zilpah's boys. So following the example of her sister Leah gave her maid, Zilpah, to Jacob as a wife so that she could have more children. Some of these are easier to swallow than others. So when Rachel meant that Bilhah would bear upon her knees she may have been referring to the actual position in which she would give birth. Michael David Dunn, Rbt Terms Quizlet, Articles W