Genesis 30 12

Genesis 30:12 kjv

And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:12 nkjv

And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:12 niv

Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:12 esv

Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30:12 nlt

Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son.

Genesis 30 verses

Genesis 30 12 meaning

Genesis 30:12 records a straightforward event within the competitive household of Jacob. It states that Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, gave birth to Jacob's second son through her, who would later be named Gad. This birth further contributed to the expanding family of Jacob, central to the formation of the tribes of Israel. The verse highlights the continued pattern of using maidservants as surrogates, a practice driven by the wives' desire for children and family legacy within the patriarchal society.

Genesis 30 12 Context

Genesis chapter 30 depicts the intense rivalry between Jacob's wives, Rachel and Leah, each vying to bear more children for Jacob and thus gain more honor and status. Both wives resorted to using their handmaids as surrogates when they themselves temporarily ceased bearing or remained barren, a common practice in the ancient Near East, designed to ensure a patrilineal heir. The birth described in Genesis 30:12 follows Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, having borne two sons for Jacob (Dan and Naphtali). Seeing Rachel's success with her maid, Leah, who had temporarily ceased childbearing after her first three sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi), gives her own maid, Zilpah, to Jacob. This verse reports the birth of Zilpah's second son for Jacob, following Gad. This continuous increase in Jacob's sons forms the foundation of the twelve tribes of Israel, reflecting God's covenant promise to make Jacob's descendants into a great nation, even through human competition and unconventional means.

Genesis 30 12 Word analysis

• And (וַתֵּלֶד - wa·teled, conj.): Links this event directly to the preceding actions, showing continuity in the narrative flow. It indicates the progression of events in Leah's pursuit of more children through her handmaid, mirroring Rachel's prior actions.
• Zilpah (זִלְפָּה - Zílpāh, proper noun): Leah's handmaid, given to her by Laban (Gen 29:24). In the cultural context of the time, children born to a handmaid through the master were legally considered the children of the wife who owned the handmaid. Zilpah's name does not carry significant theological meaning in this context. Her primary role is as a bearer of children for Leah, contributing to Jacob's lineage.
• Leah's handmaid (שִׁפְחַת לֵאָה - shifchaht Lē'āh, construct noun phrase): This specifies Zilpah's status and connection. The term shifchah (handmaid/female servant) denotes a status below that of a wife, but in this context, her children are considered legally belonging to Leah. This arrangement was common in ancient Near Eastern legal codes (e.g., Nuzi tablets), ensuring family lineage when the wife was unable to conceive. This practice, though divinely accommodated for the building of Israel, contrasted with God's initial creation design of a man and a woman becoming one flesh.
• bore (וַתֵּלֶד - wa·teled, verb - from יָלַד yalad, to give birth): The action signifies the delivery of a child. It is a recurring verb throughout the early chapters of Genesis, central to the covenantal promise of multiplying descendants. Here, it denotes Zilpah's biological function within Leah's strategy for more children.
• Jacob (יַעֲקֹב - Ya‘aqōḇ, proper noun): The patriarch through whom God's covenant promises of a great nation are being fulfilled. Each son born to him contributes to the foundational twelve tribes of Israel.
• a second son (בֵּן שֵׁנִי - bēn shēnî, noun phrase): This explicitly indicates that Zilpah had previously borne one son (Gad, in Gen 30:10). The emphasis on "second" implies the continuity of births through Zilpah and the pattern of maidservants bearing multiple children (e.g., Bilhah also bore two sons for Rachel). This son will eventually be named Asher (Gen 30:13), representing another vital addition to the tribes.

Genesis 30 12 Bonus section

The practice of a child born to a handmaid being considered legally the son of the mistress who owns the handmaid is a recurring theme in the patriarchal narratives (e.g., Sarah and Hagar, Rachel and Bilhah, Leah and Zilpah). This custom, validated by ancient Near Eastern law codes like the Code of Hammurabi or Nuzi texts, allowed for the transfer of legal motherhood. This underscores the cultural pressures surrounding childbearing for a woman's status and a man's legacy in that era. Although the Bible narrates these practices without direct condemnation of the surrogacy arrangement itself, the resulting family strife (e.g., between Sarah and Hagar, or Rachel and Leah) illustrates the relational breakdown that often occurred within such multi-wife/surrogate households, subtly pointing away from them as God's ideal. These narratives showcase God's ability to accomplish His purposes despite human shortcomings and complex societal structures.

Genesis 30 12 Commentary

Genesis 30:12 is a brief but significant record of the birth of another son to Jacob, facilitated by Leah's maidservant, Zilpah. This verse emphasizes the continuation of the family expansion, reflecting the intense competition between Rachel and Leah to fulfill Jacob's covenant destiny of producing numerous offspring. The use of a handmaid as a surrogate, though culturally acceptable at the time, also highlights the human methods employed amidst divine promises. While God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob many descendants, the process often involved human maneuvering, striving, and relational strife, demonstrating how God works through complex human circumstances, even those far from ideal. This "second son" represents not just another birth but the unfolding of the promised nation through an unconventional, yet divinely sovereignly permitted, means. The eventual naming of this son (Asher) reinforces the theme of "happiness" or "blessedness" (Gen 30:13), reflecting Leah's perception of increased favor and recognition among other women. This seemingly simple birth contributes another cornerstone to the eventual formation of the twelve tribes of Israel, ultimately testifying to God's faithfulness in bringing forth His chosen people.