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Reuben lay with his father's mistress, Bilhah.
There was a lot of that it seems. Why was this enough for him to lose his double portion birthright?
The name Bilhah: Summary
Meaning Trouble, Calamity Etymology From the noun בלהה (ballaha), terror or calamity, from the verb בלה (balah), to trouble. Related names • Via בלה (balah): Babel, Baladan, Balah, Bel, Belial, Berodach-baladan, Bilhan, Ebal, Merodach-baladan, Obal
The name Bilhah in the Bible
Bilhah is one of four arch-mothers of Israel (Genesis 29:29). She is Rachel's maiden and mother of Dan and Naphtali. Reuben, son of Jacob and Leah, copulates with her, and forfeits his status of first-born (Genesis 35:22, 49:3-4).
Bilhah is also the name of a town of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:29), which is perhaps the same as the town named בעלה (Baalah) in Joshua 15:29, בלה (Balah) in Joshua 19:3 and בעלי יהודה (Baale-judah) in 2 Samuel 6:2
Etymology of the name Bilhah
The name Bilhah is spelled identical to (albeit pronounced slightly different as) the feminine noun בלהה (ballaha), meaning terror or calamity, from the verb בלה (balah II), meaning to trouble:
Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
בלה
Verb בלה (bala) means to wear out, annul or use until worthlessness. Adjective בלה (baleh) means worn out. Noun בלוא (belo) describes worn out things or rags. Noun תבלית (tablit) means annihilation or destruction.
Adverb of negation בל (bal) means not. Noun בלי (beli) describes a wearing out, a destruction or a worthlessness. Noun בלימה (belima) meaning nothingness. Noun בליעל (beliya'al) means worthlessness.
Noun בלהה (ballaha) means terror or calamity, but some scholars insists that this noun stems from a second, yet identical verb בלה (bala II), to trouble. If this verb is not a whole other one, it evidently describes trouble of a courage draining and strength depleting nature.
— See the full Dictionary article —
Bilhah meaning
BDB Theological Dictionary pronounces the etymology of our name dubious and does not offer a possible meaning. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Timidity.
There was a lot of that it seems. Why was this enough for him to lose his double portion birthright?
The name Bilhah: Summary
Meaning Trouble, Calamity Etymology From the noun בלהה (ballaha), terror or calamity, from the verb בלה (balah), to trouble. Related names • Via בלה (balah): Babel, Baladan, Balah, Bel, Belial, Berodach-baladan, Bilhan, Ebal, Merodach-baladan, Obal
The name Bilhah in the Bible
Bilhah is one of four arch-mothers of Israel (Genesis 29:29). She is Rachel's maiden and mother of Dan and Naphtali. Reuben, son of Jacob and Leah, copulates with her, and forfeits his status of first-born (Genesis 35:22, 49:3-4).
Bilhah is also the name of a town of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:29), which is perhaps the same as the town named בעלה (Baalah) in Joshua 15:29, בלה (Balah) in Joshua 19:3 and בעלי יהודה (Baale-judah) in 2 Samuel 6:2
Etymology of the name Bilhah
The name Bilhah is spelled identical to (albeit pronounced slightly different as) the feminine noun בלהה (ballaha), meaning terror or calamity, from the verb בלה (balah II), meaning to trouble:
Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
בלה
Verb בלה (bala) means to wear out, annul or use until worthlessness. Adjective בלה (baleh) means worn out. Noun בלוא (belo) describes worn out things or rags. Noun תבלית (tablit) means annihilation or destruction.
Adverb of negation בל (bal) means not. Noun בלי (beli) describes a wearing out, a destruction or a worthlessness. Noun בלימה (belima) meaning nothingness. Noun בליעל (beliya'al) means worthlessness.
Noun בלהה (ballaha) means terror or calamity, but some scholars insists that this noun stems from a second, yet identical verb בלה (bala II), to trouble. If this verb is not a whole other one, it evidently describes trouble of a courage draining and strength depleting nature.
— See the full Dictionary article —
Bilhah meaning
BDB Theological Dictionary pronounces the etymology of our name dubious and does not offer a possible meaning. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names proposes Timidity.