זִלְפָּה
𐤆𐤋𐤐𐤄
Zilepah
H2153 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Zilpah (proper noun): the personal name of a woman in the Hebrew Bible, specifically the handmaid given to Leah by Laban, later serving as a secondary wife to Jacob and mother of Gad and Asher. The name itself is traditionally connected with a meaning like 'trickling' or 'fragrant drop,' though the precise etymology is uncertain and not used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible as a common noun.
Semantic Range
(proper noun) Zilpah, personal name; (hypothetical root sense) trickling, dripping, drop, possibly fragrant or valuable, but not attested outside personal name
Root / Etymology
From Hebrew root זלף, generally associated with the sense 'to trickle' (especially of liquid, as in myrrh or another fragrant resin). However, there is no attested verbal or nominal usage of this root in Biblical Hebrew outside of this name; thus, actual derivation is uncertain. The name is best understood as a personal name of unclear or symbolic significance, possibly referencing something delicate or precious by analogy with myrrh or fragrant drops.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Zilpah appears in the narrative of Genesis (Gen 29–30; 35:26; 46:18) as Leah's handmaid, subsequently given to Jacob as a secondary wife, bearing him two sons, Gad and Asher, who become progenitors of Israelite tribes. The meaning of the name is uncertain and not clarified within the biblical text. Ancient versions (such as LXX and Vulgate) transliterate rather than translate the name, indicating oblique or lost meaning. Later tradition associates the name with the nuances 'trickle' or 'fragrant drop,' but this has little support in wider comparative Semitics. The term is not used elsewhere, nor are there parallels that clarify its connotation. Later English translations anachronistically refer to Zilpah as a 'concubine,' but in the Hebrew narrative, she is identified as a maidservant and mother within the patriarchal family structure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
; from an unused root apparently meaning to trickle, as myrrh; fragrant dropping; Zilpah, Leah's maid; Zilpah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
זלף (z-l-p) — to trickle, to drip, to flow gently
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2153-01 |
זִלְפָּ֖ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One | 7 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2153-01 |
Genesis 29:24 | זִלְפָּ֖ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 30:9 | זִלְפָּ֣ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 30:10 | זִלְפָּ֛ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 30:12 | זִלְפָּה֙ | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 35:26 | זִלְפָּ֛ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 37:2 | זִלְפָּ֖ה | zilepah | HNp |
of Zilpah | Trickling-One |
H2153-01 |
Genesis 46:18 | זִלְפָּ֔ה | zilepah | HNp |
Zilpah | Trickling-One |