And Zilpah Leah’s maid bare Jacob a son.
And Zilpah, Leah's servant, gave birth to a son for Jacob.
This verse records the birth of Jacob's fifth son through Zilpah, who was Leah's maidservant.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Genesis, Jacob had two wives, Leah and Rachel, who were sisters, and their relationship was marked by rivalry and jealousy over bearing children. Leah, feeling insecure about Jacob's love for Rachel, gave her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob as a concubine, a practice common in ancient Near Eastern cultures where women used surrogates to build their family lines. This led to Zilpah bearing a son for Jacob, which further expanded his growing family and contributed to the formation of the twelve tribes of Israel.
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