Genesis 30:3 - She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
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What does "Genesis 30:3" mean?
This verse comes from the story of Rachel and Jacob in Genesis. Rachel was barren, and in that time, bearing children was extremely important for a woman's status and security. This verse describes Rachel's attempt to have children indirectly through her maidservant, Bilhah. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"She said, 'Behold, my maid Bilhah.'": Rachel introduces Bilhah, her servant. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a woman of higher status had the right to give her maidservant to her husband to bear children if she was unable to do so herself.
"Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees...": "Go in to her" is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. The phrase "bear on my knees" is symbolic. It means Rachel would receive the newborn on her knees, signifying that she was adopting the child as her own. It was a legal custom that allowed the wife to claim the child born by her maidservant as her own offspring.
"...and I also may obtain children by her.": Rachel's aim is to have children "by her" or "through her" maid. Legally and socially, these children would be considered Rachel's, even though Bilhah was the biological mother. This was a common practice in that culture to ensure lineage and inheritance in cases of infertility.
In summary: Rachel is giving her maidservant Bilhah to her husband Jacob so that Bilhah can bear a child on Rachel's behalf. This was a cultural practice intended to allow a barren woman to have children indirectly, who would be considered legally her own. It highlights the societal pressure on women to bear children and the lengths they would go to in order to fulfill this expectation.
Genesis 30:3 - She said, “Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her.”
What does "Genesis 30:3" mean?
This verse comes from the story of Rachel and Jacob in Genesis. Rachel was barren, and in that time, bearing children was extremely important for a woman's status and security. This verse describes Rachel's attempt to have children indirectly through her maidservant, Bilhah. Here's a breakdown of what it means:
"She said, 'Behold, my maid Bilhah.'": Rachel introduces Bilhah, her servant. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a woman of higher status had the right to give her maidservant to her husband to bear children if she was unable to do so herself.
"Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees...": "Go in to her" is a euphemism for sexual intercourse. The phrase "bear on my knees" is symbolic. It means Rachel would receive the newborn on her knees, signifying that she was adopting the child as her own. It was a legal custom that allowed the wife to claim the child born by her maidservant as her own offspring.
"...and I also may obtain children by her.": Rachel's aim is to have children "by her" or "through her" maid. Legally and socially, these children would be considered Rachel's, even though Bilhah was the biological mother. This was a common practice in that culture to ensure lineage and inheritance in cases of infertility.
In summary: Rachel is giving her maidservant Bilhah to her husband Jacob so that Bilhah can bear a child on Rachel's behalf. This was a cultural practice intended to allow a barren woman to have children indirectly, who would be considered legally her own. It highlights the societal pressure on women to bear children and the lengths they would go to in order to fulfill this expectation.