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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0;"/><title>Topical Bible: Zilpah: Mother of Gad and Asher by Jacob</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/topical/naves/z/zilpah--mother_of_gad_and_asher_by_jacob.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/newtopical.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/topical/vmenus/genesis/30-9.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="//biblehu.com/bmcde/z/zilpah.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/topical/">Topical</a> > Zilpah</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/topical/naves/z/zilpah--leah's_handmaiden.htm" title="Zilpah: Leah's Handmaiden">◄</a> Zilpah: Mother of Gad and Asher by Jacob <a href="/topical/z/zilthai.htm" title="Zilthai">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">Jump to: <a href="#nav" title="Nave's Topical Index">Nave's</a> • <a href="#lib" title="Library">Library</a> • <a href="#sub" title="Subtopics">Subtopics</a> • <a href="#rel" title="Related Terms">Terms</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><a name="te" id="te"></a><div class="vheading2">Topical Encyclopedia</div>Zilpah is a significant yet often understated figure in the biblical narrative, known primarily as the handmaid of Leah and the mother of two of Jacob's sons, Gad and Asher. Her account is interwoven with the complex family dynamics of the patriarch Jacob, whose life and lineage are central to the unfolding of God's covenantal promises to Israel.<br><br><b>Background and Role</b><br><br>Zilpah is first introduced in the Book of Genesis as a servant given to Leah by her father, Laban, when Leah was married to Jacob. In <a href="/genesis/29-24.htm">Genesis 29:24</a>, it is written, "And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her maidservant." This introduction sets the stage for Zilpah's role in the expansion of Jacob's family.<br><br><b>Motherhood and Contribution to the Tribes of Israel</b><br><br>Zilpah's role becomes more prominent in <a href="/bsb/genesis/30.htm">Genesis 30</a>, during the intense rivalry between Leah and Rachel, Jacob's wives, over bearing children. Leah, having ceased bearing children for a time, gives Zilpah to Jacob as a wife to bear children on her behalf. <a href="/genesis/30-9.htm">Genesis 30:9-10</a> states, "When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her maidservant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. And Zilpah bore Jacob a son."<br><br>Zilpah's first son, Gad, is named by Leah, who declares, "How fortunate!" (<a href="/genesis/30-11.htm">Genesis 30:11</a>). The name Gad is associated with fortune or good luck, reflecting Leah's joy and hope in expanding her family through Zilpah.<br><br>Zilpah later bears a second son, Asher. Leah names him, saying, "How happy I am! For the women will call me happy" (<a href="/genesis/30-13.htm">Genesis 30:13</a>). The name Asher is linked to happiness and blessing, further emphasizing the positive impact of Zilpah's children on Leah's status and emotional well-being.<br><br><b>Legacy and Significance</b><br><br>Zilpah's sons, Gad and Asher, become the progenitors of two of the twelve tribes of Israel, playing a crucial role in the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make his descendants a great nation. The tribe of Gad is known for its warrior spirit and settled on the east side of the Jordan River, while the tribe of Asher is noted for its prosperity and fertile land in the region of Canaan.<br><br>Though Zilpah's personal narrative is brief, her contribution to the lineage of Israel is profound. Her sons are integral to the formation of the nation of Israel, and their descendants are part of the collective identity of God's chosen people.<br><br><b>Cultural and Theological Reflections</b><br><br>Zilpah's account reflects the cultural practices of the time, where handmaids could be given as wives to bear children on behalf of their mistresses. This practice, while foreign to modern sensibilities, was a means by which family lines were continued and expanded in the ancient Near Eastern context.<br><br>Theologically, Zilpah's inclusion in the narrative underscores the theme of God's sovereignty and providence in using various individuals, regardless of their social status, to accomplish His divine purposes. Her life, though seemingly secondary, is a testament to the intricate and often unexpected ways in which God fulfills His promises to His people.<a name="nav" id="nav"></a><div class="vheading2">Nave's Topical Index</div><span class="rtext"><a href="/context/genesis/30-9.htm">Genesis 30:9-13</a></span><br>When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.<br><span class="source">Nave's Topical Index</span><p><span class="rtext"><a href="/genesis/35-26.htm">Genesis 35:26</a></span><br>And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.<br><span class="source">Nave's Topical Index</span><p><span class="rtext"><a href="/genesis/37-2.htm">Genesis 37:2</a></span><br>These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought to his father their evil report.<br><span class="source">Nave's Topical Index</span><p><span class="rtext"><a href="/genesis/46-18.htm">Genesis 46:18</a></span><br>These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob, even sixteen souls.<br><span class="source">Nave's Topical Index</span><p><a name="lib" id="lib"></a><div class="vheading2">Library</div><p><a href="/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xxxvii.htm"><span class="l">Chapter xxxvii</span></a> <br><b>...</b> Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali (Genesis 30:6-7); <b>Zilpah's</b>, <b>Gad</b> and <b>Asher</b> (Genesis<br> 30 <b>...</b> Shall we indeed come"I and thy <b>mother</b> and thy brethren"to make <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxvii.htm</font><p><a href="/library/wells/bible_stories_and_religious_classics/here_beginneth_the_life_of.htm"><span class="l">Here Beginneth the Life of Isaac</span></a> <br><b>...</b> son of Bethuel, brother of Rebekah his <b>mother</b>. <b>...</b> and delivered to her an handmaid named<br> <b>Zilpah</b>. <b>...</b> Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, <b>Gad</b>, <b>Asher</b>, Issachar, Zebulon <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the life of.htm</font><p><a href="/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xxxv.htm"><span class="l">Chapter xxxv</span></a> <br><b>...</b> second passage (Jeremiah 31:15) represents the <b>mother</b> of Benjamin <b>...</b> Rachel"Dan and<br> Naphtali; the sons of <b>Zilpah</b>, the handmaid of Leah"<b>Gad</b> and <b>Asher</b>. <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm</font><p><a href="/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xxx.htm"><span class="l">Chapter xxx</span></a> <br><b>...</b> <b>Zilpah</b> has the same measure of success: she too has <b>...</b> <b>Asher</b> is practically only a synonym<br> of <b>Gad</b>, as is <b>...</b> husband, daughters will naturally extol a <b>mother</b> of whom <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxx.htm</font><p><a href="/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xxxiv.htm"><span class="l">Chapter xxxiv</span></a> <br><b>...</b> second passage (Jeremiah 31:15) represents the <b>mother</b> of Benjamin <b>...</b> Rachel"Dan and<br> Naphtali; the sons of <b>Zilpah</b>, the handmaid of Leah"<b>Gad</b> and <b>Asher</b>. <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/.../christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxiv.htm</font><p><a href="/library/leupold/exposition_of_genesis_volume_1/chapter_xlix.htm"><span class="l">Chapter xlix</span></a> <br><b>...</b> the handmaids, though the two sons of <b>Zilpah</b>, <b>Asher</b> and <b>Gad</b> <b>...</b> father" includes more<br> than "sons of thy <b>mother</b>" "namely half <b>...</b> As for <b>Gad</b>, troops troop against him. <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlix.htm</font><p><a href="/library/wells/bible_stories_and_religious_classics/here_beginneth_the_history_of_2.htm"><span class="l">Here Beginneth the History of Joseph and his Brethren</span></a> <br><b>...</b> and was accompanied with the sons of Bilhah and <b>Zilpah</b>, wives of <b>...</b> his old age, whose<br> brother of the same <b>mother</b> is dead <b>...</b> <b>Gad</b> also entered with his children seven. <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the history of 2.htm</font><p><a href="/library/deane/pseudepigrapha/the_testaments_of_the_twelve.htm"><span class="l">The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.</span></a> <br><b>...</b> <b>Gad</b>"Concerning Hatred. <b>...</b> Benjamin tells that his <b>mother</b> Rachel was twelve years barren,<br> and then <b>...</b> his father concerning the sons of Bilhah and <b>Zilpah</b> referred to <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm</font><p><a href="/library/maspero/history_of_egypt_chaldaea_syria_babylonia_and_assyria_v_4/chapter_ithe_first_chaldaean_empire.htm"><span class="l">The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt</span></a> <br>History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 4. <. <b>...</b> <br><font color="#ff6600" size="-1">/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm</font><a name="res" id="res"></a><div class="vheading2">Resources</div><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Jacob-Leah-Rachel.html">What is the story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel? | GotQuestions.org</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Leah-in-the-Bible.html">Who was Leah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/Gad-in-the-Bible.html">Who was Gad in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org</a><br /><br /><a href="/concordance/">Bible Concordance</a> • <a href="/dictionary/">Bible Dictionary</a> • <a href="/encyclopedia/">Bible Encyclopedia</a> • <a href="/topical/">Topical Bible</a> • <a href="/thesaurus/">Bible Thesuarus</a></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="sub" id="sub"></a><div class="vheading2">Subtopics</div><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/z/zilpah.htm">Zilpah</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/z/zilpah--leah's_handmaiden.htm">Zilpah: Leah's Handmaiden</a></p><p class="pspc"><a href="/topical/naves/z/zilpah--mother_of_gad_and_asher_by_jacob.htm">Zilpah: Mother of Gad and Asher by Jacob</a></p><a name="rel" id="rel"></a><div class="vheading2">Related Terms</div><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/z/zilpah.htm">Zilpah (7 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/z/zimmah.htm">Zimmah (3 Occurrences)</a></p><p class="pspc2"><a href="/topical/z/zillethai.htm">Zillethai (2 Occurrences)</a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/topical/naves/z/zilpah--leah's_handmaiden.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Zilpah: Leah's Handmaiden"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Zilpah: Leah's Handmaiden" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/topical/z/zilthai.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Zilthai"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Zilthai" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img 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