בִּלְהָה
𐤁𐤋𐤄𐤄
Bilehah
H1090 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name with primary reference to (1) Bilhah, a woman given to Jacob by Laban as a maidservant to Rachel, becoming a secondary wife and the mother of Dan and Naphtali; (2) Bilhah, a place name appearing in the spatial allotments described in the book of 1 Chronicles. The personal name may reflect characteristics attributed to the individual, whereas the place name’s referent is uncertain and may bear no semantic connection to the personal name.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal, female), mother of Dan and Naphtali; personal attendant of Rachel; secondary wife/concubine of Jacob; eponymous ancestor; place name in 1 Chronicles
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; often associated with בלהּ (b-l-h, to wear out, become old, decayed), but this association is primarily based on phonetic similarity and lacks clear etymological evidence. The name is most likely of non-Hebrew (possibly Northwest Semitic or Aramaic) origin, as is typical with numerous personal names in Genesis related to foreign or servile status. Thus, etymology uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, Bilhah is introduced as Rachel's handmaid, given to Jacob as a surrogate for childbearing—a common practice reflected throughout ancient Near Eastern societies. The narrative functionally identifies Bilhah as a mother of two Israelite tribes (Dan and Naphtali), though her social status sets her apart from Jacob’s primary wives. Later biblical traditions, particularly in the post-exilic period, use lists that continue to recognize lineage through Bilhah. The place name Bilhah is attested in 1 Chronicles 4:29, though its relationship to the personal name is speculative and not substantiated by clear cultural or geographical continuity. Common English translations render the name as ‘Bilhah,’ but occasionally supply theological readings not present in the source text. The traditional gloss ‘timid’ comes from an uncertain and likely folk etymology, not attested in actual usage or context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּלַהּ; timid; Bilhah, the name of one of Jacob's concubines; also of a place in Palestine; Bilhah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בלה (b-l-h) — wear out, decay, consume (association uncertain)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1077 | בַּל | not at all |
| H1079 | בָּל | not at all |
| H1080 | בְּלָא | he will wear down |
| H1086 | בָּלָה | they wore out |
| H1087 | בָּלֶה | worn-out ones |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1090-03 |
בִלְהָ֖ה | vilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah | 5 |
H1090-01 |
בִּלְהָ֖ה | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah | 5 |
H1090-02 |
וּ/בְ/בִלְהָ֥ה | uvevilehah | HC/R/Np |
and in Bilhah | and in Bilhah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1090-01 |
Genesis 29:29 | בִּלְהָ֖ה | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-03 |
Genesis 30:3 | בִלְהָ֖ה | vilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-01 |
Genesis 30:4 | בִּלְהָ֥ה | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-01 |
Genesis 30:5 | בִּלְהָ֔ה | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-01 |
Genesis 30:7 | בִּלְהָ֖ה | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-01 |
Genesis 35:22 | בִּלְהָה֙ | bilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-03 |
Genesis 35:25 | בִלְהָה֙ | vilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-03 |
Genesis 37:2 | בִלְהָ֛ה | vilehah | HNp |
of Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-03 |
Genesis 46:25 | בִלְהָ֔ה | vilehah | HNp |
Bilhah | Bilhah |
H1090-02 |
1 Chronicles 4:29 | וּ/בְ/בִלְהָ֥ה | uvevilehah | HC/R/Np |
and in Bilhah | and in Bilhah |