Genesis 30:4-6
The Voice
What Rachel suggests is not at all improper for her time. As you may recall, Sarah and Abraham had a similar situation with Hagar (16:1–4). Custom allows for these kinds of arrangements, just as technology today allows for an infertile woman to have a child through a surrogate. Any child born to Bilhah is regarded as Rachel’s, because she has the right to name the child. As we have seen, the naming of a child carries great significance.
4 So she gave Jacob her servant Bilhah to be another one of his wives, and Jacob slept with her. 5 Bilhah conceived and gave birth to Jacob’s son.
Rachel: 6 God has absolved me. He has heard my plea and has given me a son after all!
So this is why Rachel named her son Dan.
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Genesis 30:4-6
New International Version
4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(A) Jacob slept with her,(B) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(C) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(D) Because of this she named him Dan.[a](E)
Footnotes
- Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
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