Genesis 46:25 kjv
These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
Genesis 46:25 nkjv
These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and she bore these to Jacob: seven persons in all.
Genesis 46:25 niv
These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel?seven in all.
Genesis 46:25 esv
These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob ? seven persons in all.
Genesis 46:25 nlt
These were the sons of Bilhah, the servant given to Rachel by her father, Laban. The number of Jacob's descendants through Bilhah was seven.
Genesis 46 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2 | I will make of you a great nation... | God's initial promise to Abraham for nationhood. |
| Gen 13:16 | ...I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth... | God's promise of numerous descendants. |
| Gen 15:5 | ...Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be. | Foreshadows Jacob's multitude of descendants. |
| Gen 17:6 | I will make you exceedingly fruitful... nations shall come from you... | God reiterates the covenant of fruitfulness. |
| Gen 22:17 | I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring... | Reaffirmation of blessings and multiplication. |
| Gen 26:4 | ...I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven... | God's promise repeated to Isaac. |
| Gen 28:14 | ...your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad... | Promise of descendants and wide spreading to Jacob. |
| Gen 30:3-4 | Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my knees and I also may have children through her.” | Rachel's direct instruction to Jacob regarding Bilhah. |
| Gen 30:6 | Then Rachel said, “God has judged me and has also heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. | Birth of Dan, Bilhah's first son. |
| Gen 30:8 | Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she named him Naphtali. | Birth of Naphtali, Bilhah's second son. |
| Gen 35:25 | The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Naphtali. | Lists Bilhah's sons directly within Jacob's family. |
| Gen 46:1-7 | Jacob and all that he had set out and came to Beersheba... So Jacob went down to Egypt. | Immediate context of Jacob's journey to Egypt. |
| Gen 46:22 | These are the sons of Rachel, whom she bore to Jacob: in all fourteen persons. | The prior section counting Rachel's direct descendants, establishing a counting pattern. |
| Gen 46:26 | All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt...were sixty-six. | The summary count of Jacob's immediate family in Egypt. |
| Gen 46:27 | ...all the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy. | The grand total, including Joseph and his sons already in Egypt. |
| Exod 1:5 | All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy. | Recaps the total count entering Egypt. |
| Num 1:38-39 | Of the descendants of Dan... Naphtali... counted by their families. | Tribal census illustrating their later growth. |
| Deut 10:22 | Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons... | Moses reiterates the initial number of Israel entering Egypt. |
| Acts 7:14 | And Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons... | Stephen's summary in the NT, showing a different reckoning, perhaps including in-laws or future spouses. |
| Rom 9:7-9 | Nor is it all the children of Abraham who are children, but "Through Isaac your offspring shall be named." | Highlights that God's covenant lineage is by promise, not merely physical descent, as seen in who counts. |
| Gal 4:22-23 | For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. | Reference to Sarah/Hagar, drawing a parallel to the practice of concubinage. |
| Heb 11:8-9 | By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out... sojourned in the land of promise... | The faith and obedient journey of patriarchs like Jacob. |
Genesis 46 verses
Genesis 46 25 Meaning
Genesis chapter 46, verse 25 details the specific lineage associated with Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant, within the larger enumeration of Jacob's household traveling to Egypt. It clarifies that Bilhah was given to Rachel by Laban, Rachel's father, and that she bore offspring for Jacob. This particular count tallies the number of individuals descended from Bilhah as seven persons, consisting of her two sons (Dan and Naphtali) and their respective children as previously itemized. This verse is part of a meticulous record emphasizing the growing family of Jacob, a tangible fulfillment of God's promise to make of him a great nation.
Genesis 46 25 Context
Genesis chapter 46 meticulously lists every individual who came to Egypt with Jacob, serving as a comprehensive genealogical record before the family settled in Goshen. This enumeration confirms God's covenant promises to Jacob regarding his numerous descendants (Gen 35:11). The chapter begins with Jacob's journey and God's assurance at Beersheba, then proceeds to detail the sons of Jacob according to their mothers: Leah (verses 8-15), Zilpah (verses 16-18), Rachel (verses 19-22), and finally Bilhah (verses 23-25), with the verse in question being the concluding statement for Bilhah's line. The exact number of people counted (sixty-six in Gen 46:26, seventy including Joseph, Ephraim, and Manasseh in Gen 46:27, and later in Exod 1:5) underlines the miraculous growth of a single family into a foundational group that would later become a great nation in Egypt. This careful accounting demonstrates the fulfillment of God's word and the orderly nature of divine providence.
Genesis 46 25 Word analysis
- These: Hebrew: אֵלֶּה (elleh). A demonstrative pronoun pointing back to the named individuals immediately preceding in the text—the sons of Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali's children. It serves as a connector and summarizer.
- are the sons: Hebrew: בְּנֵי (bĕnê), meaning "sons of" or "descendants of." This phrase indicates direct male lineage, encompassing not just the initial sons but also their own male offspring who are part of Jacob's company.
- Bilhah: Hebrew: בִּלְהָה (Bilhah). Rachel's maidservant (Gen 29:29) whom Rachel gave to Jacob to bear children on her behalf, due to Rachel's initial barrenness (Gen 30:3-4). Her status as a "maidservant" or "handmaid" was a common societal practice in the ancient Near East (ANE) for women experiencing infertility, enabling legal heirs to be raised by the barren wife. This practice was culturally accepted to "build a house" for the wife (Gen 30:3).
- whom Laban gave: Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָבָן (ʾăšer nathan Lāvān). "Gave" (נָתַן, nathan) signifies the act of giving ownership or possession. Laban gave Bilhah to Rachel as part of her dowry or entourage (Gen 29:24), signifying Bilhah's position as Rachel's property/servant before she was given to Jacob. This detail establishes the formal origin and status of Bilhah within the household.
- to Rachel his daughter: Emphasizes the relationship between Laban and Rachel, highlighting that Bilhah's role stemmed from this paternal gifting within the context of marriage, further defining Bilhah's household allegiance.
- and she bore: Hebrew: וַתֵּלֶד (vatēled). From the verb יָלַד (yalad), meaning "to give birth." "She" refers specifically to Bilhah, affirming her as the biological mother.
- these to Jacob: "These" refers to the offspring listed, establishing Jacob as the biological father, while affirming that these children were born into Jacob's household and lineage, legally considered heirs even if born through a maidservant. The phrase highlights their identity as integral members of Jacob's family unit destined for nationhood.
- in all: Hebrew: כָּל (kōl), meaning "all" or "whole." This is an enumerative phrase, emphasizing the completeness of the count for this specific branch of Jacob's family.
- seven: Hebrew: שֶׁבַע (shevaʿ). The numeral seven frequently appears in the Bible as a symbol of completeness, perfection, or sacredness. Here, it denotes the full count of individuals within Bilhah's direct lineage that entered Egypt with Jacob, making up a perfect sub-total for this family segment.
- persons: Hebrew: נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh). While literally meaning "soul," "breath," or "life," nephesh is commonly used in these genealogical lists to denote an individual, a living human being (e.g., Exod 1:5, Deut 10:22). Its use underscores that each person is a distinct living entity being counted, reinforcing the substantial number of lives moving with Jacob to Egypt.
Genesis 46 25 Bonus section
The deliberate order of the family lists in Genesis 46 (Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, Bilhah) may reflect the hierarchical status of the wives and their handmaids, yet God's covenant blessing extended to all their legitimate offspring. The number "seven" (for Bilhah's descendants) holds biblical significance as a number of completeness, found throughout Scripture from creation (seven days) to prophetic visions (seven seals, seven bowls), hinting at the completeness of this family unit as part of God's perfect plan. The act of "giving" Bilhah by Laban highlights a patriarchal culture where women were part of familial transactions, reflecting legal customs prevalent in the region as documented in ancient texts like the Nuzi tablets and the Code of Hammurabi, even if these practices eventually evolved or were regulated differently under later Mosaic Law.
Genesis 46 25 Commentary
Genesis 46:25 concludes the count for Bilhah's segment of Jacob's family, noting seven "persons" who descended to Egypt. This verse, along with the preceding verses in chapter 46, forms a detailed census crucial for understanding the historical development of Israel. The meticulous naming and counting of individuals from each matriarchal line (Leah, Zilpah, Rachel, Bilhah) underscore the divine commitment to multiply Jacob's seed into a great nation, as promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The inclusion of Bilhah and her offspring (Dan and Naphtali's lines) reinforces the complexity of patriarchal family structures, where maidservants could bear children for barren wives, yet these children were legally reckoned as the offspring of the patriarchal couple. This system, while alien to modern contexts, was normative in the ancient Near East and reflects God working through diverse human arrangements to achieve His redemptive purposes. The exact numbers—culminating in the significant totals of sixty-six or seventy individuals (depending on whether Joseph and his two sons already in Egypt are included)—provide a tangible marker of the foundational generation of Israel that would eventually grow into a multitude, demonstrating the precise and deliberate fulfillment of God's covenant promise. The emphasis on "persons" (nephesh) dignifies each individual as a distinct life counted by God as integral to the unfolding plan of salvation history.