Zilpah זִלְפָּה
Leah's maidservant; mother of Gad and Asher
Who is Zilpah in the Bible?
Zilpah was the maidservant of Leah, Jacob's first wife, whom Laban gave to Leah when Jacob married her (Genesis 29:24). When Leah stopped bearing children, she gave Zilpah to Jacob as a concubine, following the custom of the time, and Zilpah bore him two sons, Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-12). Though Zilpah was the biological mother, Leah named the boys and claimed them as her own, a practice reflecting the complex family structures of the patriarchal period. Gad and Asher were counted among the twelve tribes of Israel and appear in later genealogical lists (Genesis 35:26, 46:18), establishing their full status within the Israelite nation. Zilpah's story illustrates the rivalry between Jacob's wives and the ways in which ancient family arrangements created the foundational structure of Israel's tribal identity.
Biography
Zilpah was the maidservant of Leah, Jacob's first concubine. She played a significant role in the complex family dynamics of Jacob's household. When Leah realized that she had stopped bearing children, she gave Zilpah to Israel (or 'Jacob') as a concubine, following the custom of the time. Zilpah bore two sons, Gad and Asher, who were counted among the twelve tribes of Israel. The Bible records the births of Gad and Asher in Genesis 30, noting that Leah named them and claimed them as her own sons. Zilpah's sons are later mentioned in the lists of Jacob's descendants, highlighting their status as full members of the Israelite family. The story of Zilpah and her sons is part of the larger narrative of Jacob's family, which is marked by rivalry and conflict between his wives, Leah and Rachel. Despite her status as a maidservant, Zilpah's role in bearing two of Jacob's sons was significant in the growth and development of the Israelite nation.
Family
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentGenesis 5 verses
- Genesis 29:24
"And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 30:9
"When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob as a wife."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 30:10
"And Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 30:12
"When Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son,"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 35:26
"And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram."
Study Genesis →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | זִלְפָּה |
Zilpah
Ref="Bible:Gen.46.18">46:18), a slave girl of Leah's, given her by Laban (Ge 29:24; 30:9). In Eze 48 the Zilpah tribes have the 5th division toward the South of Palestine and the 6th to the North, a slightly more favorable position than that of the Bilhah tribes.
zil'-thi, zil'-tha-i.
See ZILLETHAI.
zim'-a (zimmah, perhaps "device," "plan"): A Gershonite Levite (1