^30:3She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with⁵ her so that she can bear⁶ children⁷ for me⁸ and I can have a family through her.”⁹

^30:4So Rachel¹⁰ gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob had marital relations with¹¹ her. ^30:5Bilhah became pregnant¹² and gave Jacob a son.¹³^30:6Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer¹⁴ and given me a son.” That is why¹⁵ she named him Dan.¹⁶

^30:7Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, became pregnant again and gave Jacob another son.¹⁷

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Footnotes

5 Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
6 After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.
7 The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
8 Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.
9 Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and 125 בָנָה).
10 Heb “and she”; the referent (Rachel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 Heb “went in to.” The expression “went in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.
12 Or “Bilhah conceived” (also in v. 7).
13 Heb “and she bore for Jacob a son.”
14 Heb “and also he has heard my voice.” The expression means that God responded positively to Rachel’s cry and granted her request.
15 Or “therefore.”
16 The name Dan means “he vindicated” or “he judged.” The name plays on the verb used in the statement which appears earlier in the verse. The verb translated “vindicated” is from דִּין (din, “to judge, to vindicate”), the same verbal root from which the name is derived. Rachel sensed that God was righting the wrong.
17 Heb “and she became pregnant again and Bilhah, the servant of Rachel, bore a second son for Jacob.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”

So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, and she became pregnant and bore him a son. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.

Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah. Go sleep with her, and she’ll bear children for me so that through her I too can build a family.” So Rachel gave her slave Bilhah to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; yes, he has heard me and given me a son,” so she named him Dan.

Rachel’s slave Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then Rachel told him, “Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too.” So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. Rachel named him Dan, for she said, “God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son.” Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then she said, “Here is my servant girl Bilhah; go in to her that she may bear children as my surrogate. Then I will even have children by her.” Then she gave him Bilhah, her female slave, as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son for Jacob. Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. And Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, conceived again and bore a second son to Jacob.

KJV 1900King James Version

And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel’s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

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