Genesis 35:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali.

NIV: The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.

NASB: and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, were Dan and Naphtali;

CSB: The sons of Rachel's slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

NLT: The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

KJV: And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

NKJV: the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali;

The 12 sons of Jacob are listed in this passage, according to their birth mothers. A rivalry broke out between Jacob's two wives, Rachel and Leah. This started when Jacob was tricked by their father into marrying them both (Genesis 29:25–28). Their bitterness (Genesis 29:30–31) carried over into an almost-blatant competition to bear more children. This led both women to bring their servants into the marriage as surrogates. Bilhah was Rachel's personal servant, given to her by her father Laban (Genesis 29:29). The children of Bilhah, therefore, would have been legally considered Rachel's.

Bilhah's two sons include Dan (Genesis 30:5–6) and Naphtali (Genesis 30:7–8).

Any daughters conceived by these women are left unmentioned, as the focus is on the future patriarchs of the nation of Israel. Only Dinah, a daughter of Leah, is noted by name due to her tragic story (Genesis 30:21; 34:1).

Genesis 35:16–29 describes Jacob's painful losses following God's great blessing at Bethel. His beloved wife Rachel dies giving birth to his twelfth son, Benjamin. Jacob buries her and builds a stone pillar to mark her tomb. Next, his firstborn son, Reuben, defiles the family by sleeping with one of Jacob's servant-wives. Though Jacob seems to do nothing, at first, Reuben will lose his birthright as a result. Finally, Jacob's father Isaac dies at 180 years old. Jacob and Esau reunite to lay their father to rest at the family burial cave at Mamre. The rest of Genesis will explain how the people of Israel came to live in Egypt.

God commands Jacob to build an altar to Him at Bethel. This will fulfill vows Jacob made after encountering the Lord for the first time, as he was fleeing for his life from Esau. Jacob rids his family of all their false idols and travels to Bethel. God appears to him again, reaffirming all the covenant promises. As they travel away, Rachel dies giving birth to Jacob's twelfth son. His first son, Reuben, sleeps with Jacob's servant-wife Bilhah, losing his birthright as a result. Finally, Jacob's father Isaac dies at 180 years old.

Recent events have left Jacob fearful of the people of the land. His sons slaughtered an entire town to avenge their sister's rape. However, God apparently uses this bloodshed to inspire fear. Nobody attacks Jacob's family as they travel to Bethel, setting up an altar and renewing their covenant with God. Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin. Jacob's eldest son sleeps with one of his servant-wives, losing his birthright. Isaac dies, and Jacob and Esau bury him in the family burial cave in Mamre. The story then focuses on Jacob's sons, primarily Joseph, as the family finds themselves drawn into Egypt.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/30/2024 6:07:41 PM