Genesis 30 10

Genesis 30:10 kjv

And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:10 nkjv

And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:10 niv

Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:10 esv

Then Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son.

Genesis 30:10 nlt

Soon Zilpah presented him with a son.

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 10 meaning

Genesis 30:10 states that Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, gave birth to Jacob's second son through her. This event marks a critical moment in the fertility competition between Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel, where surrogacy via handmaids was employed as a customary practice to build the family line. This specific birth is of Asher, who would become one of the patriarchs and heads of a future tribe of Israel, contributing to the foundational twelve sons of Jacob.

Genesis 30 10 Context

Genesis chapter 30 is situated within the narrative of Jacob's formative years as he builds his family, which is destined to become the nation of Israel. The immediate context of this verse is the intense and emotional fertility rivalry between Jacob's wives, Leah and Rachel. Driven by cultural pressure and the desire for legacy and status, both women engage in a desperate struggle to bear children for Jacob. Rachel, initially barren, resorts to giving her handmaid, Bilhah, to Jacob, resulting in Dan and Naphtali. In response, and after a period where her own childbearing seems to have ceased, Leah likewise gives her handmaid, Zilpah, to Jacob. This verse, therefore, records Zilpah's second birth, the son who would be named Asher (after Zilpah's first son, Gad). This period highlights accepted cultural customs of surrogacy through handmaids in the Ancient Near East for barren wives, but the broader biblical narrative implicitly underscores God's ultimate sovereignty over conception, as seen in Leah's initial pregnancies and later in Rachel's long-awaited pregnancy. The unfolding family drama sets the stage for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Genesis 30 10 Word analysis

• וַתֵּלֶד (va-tê-led): Meaning "and she bore" or "and she gave birth." This Hebrew construction (waw-consecutive imperfect) connects the action directly to preceding events, showing this birth is part of a continuous sequence in the family saga. It emphasizes the active role of Zilpah as the bearer.
• זִלְפָּה (zil-pāh): Zilpah. Identified here by name and status. Her position as Leah's handmaid (and thus a concubine to Jacob) highlights the specific cultural arrangement for producing offspring within Jacob's polygamous family, integral to the family's expansion towards the twelve tribes.
• שִׁפְחַת (šip̄-ḥat): This is the construct form of šip̄ḥāh, translating to "handmaid of" or "female servant of." This term defines Zilpah's social status as Leah's possession. In this context, it specifies a female servant used as a surrogate mother for the primary wife, distinguishing her from a mere household servant and underscoring the property aspect in such arrangements.
• לֵאָה (lê-’āh): Leah. She is Zilpah's owner and the instigator of Zilpah's role as a surrogate. Leah’s act of giving Zilpah to Jacob directly mirrors Rachel’s earlier action with Bilhah, emphasizing the fierce and almost contractual competition for children to gain status and secure lineage.
• לְיַעֲקֹב (lê-ya‘-ă-qōḇ): "to Jacob." The preposition "לְ" (le-) indicates that the son is for Jacob, clearly establishing his paternity and his role as the recipient of the children who will form his burgeoning patriarchal lineage, eventually becoming the Israelite nation.
• בֵּן (bēn): "son." This common Hebrew term simply indicates the gender of the child. In patriarchal societies like ancient Israel, sons were particularly valued for continuing the family name, inheriting property, and ensuring tribal continuity.
• שֵׁנִי (šê-nî): "second." This ordinal number indicates that this is Zilpah's second child borne to Jacob, specifically the one named Asher. This numerically advances the family towards the fulfillment of Jacob's twelve sons, who represent the foundation of the tribes of Israel.

• "Zilpah, Leah's handmaid": This phrase specifies the relational and social dynamic. Zilpah is not merely a birth mother but a handmaid provided by Leah, showcasing the established societal practice of a wife presenting her servant for childbearing when facing her own perceived infertility or as a means to increase her family’s prestige and number of offspring.
• "bore Jacob a second son": This concise phrase succinctly records a pivotal moment in the development of Jacob's lineage. It marks the successful completion of Zilpah's designated role, establishing her contribution of two sons (Gad and Asher) to the direct lineage of the twelve tribes.

Genesis 30 10 Bonus section

• The naming of Asher (from ʾāšar, "happy" or "blessed") by Leah in Gen 30:13 directly follows this verse. Her statement, "For the daughters will call me blessed," reflects the perceived validation and status gained from having additional sons, even through a handmaid.
• The children born through Zilpah (Gad and Asher) and Bilhah (Dan and Naphtali) were fully integrated into the Israelite tribal system, which underscores that divine election and blessing often supersede human social distinctions and the circumstances of birth. Their inclusion contrasts with the narrative of Ishmael, son of Hagar, highlighting God's specific choice for Israel's lineage.
• This episode, along with Sarah and Hagar, provides ancient Near Eastern examples of family structures where female slaves or handmaids were considered agents for procreation on behalf of wives, aiming to fulfill the societal imperative of childbearing and lineage continuation.

Genesis 30 10 Commentary

Genesis 30:10 precisely documents the birth of Jacob's eighth son, Asher, born to Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid. This event is a direct consequence of the desperate fertility competition between Leah and Rachel, a common cultural practice of surrogacy being employed for dynastic purposes. While seemingly a product of human ambition and marital rivalry, this birth, like others in Jacob’s family, unfolds within God’s overarching plan to establish His chosen nation. It reinforces that all children born to Jacob, regardless of the mother's status, were considered full descendants and would become foundational to the twelve tribes of Israel. The narrative here demonstrates God's sovereignty working even through the complexities of human relationships and societal norms, moving His covenant purposes forward.