These are the sons of Bilhah, which Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bare these unto Jacob: all the souls were seven.
These are the sons of Bilhah, who was given to Rachel by her father Laban. Bilhah had these children for Jacob, and there were seven people in total.
This verse is counting the descendants of Jacob through Bilhah, Rachel's servant, totaling seven people.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, Jacob was preparing to move his extended family to Egypt to escape a severe famine and reunite with his son Joseph, who had risen to a position of power there. Bilhah was given to Rachel by her father Laban as a maidservant, and under ancient Near Eastern customs, Rachel arranged for Bilhah to bear children for Jacob since Rachel herself was initially unable to conceive. This verse is part of a detailed genealogy listing Jacob's descendants, highlighting God's ongoing promise to multiply his family as part of the covenant with Abraham.
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