Bible Person

Zilpah

Meaning: distillation from the mouth · Female · 7 cross references

Zilpah is Leah's maidservant and the mother of Gad and Asher through Jacob. Her role is quieter than that of Rachel and Leah, but her children become two of Israel's tribes. First appears in Gen 29:24.1

AI summary: Zilpah matters because the cross references place her within the household rivalry and providential fruitfulness that shape Jacob's family. Though she speaks little and acts mostly within the decisions of others, her sons Gad and Asher secure her lasting place in Israel's tribal history. She also remains visible in later family summaries that gather Jacob's sons under their mothers. Taken together, the material presents Zilpah as a servant-mother whose line becomes a permanent part of Israel.1

Central Figure

Zilpah

Meaning: distillation from the mouth

Drooping, Leah’s handmaid, and the mother of Gad and Asher (Gen.