Jacob did not wholly believe that Joseph was dead, because he could not forget him, while the dead are soon forgotten. Required fields are marked *, nine = 27 .hide-if-no-js { 51 Joseph called the name of the first-born Manas'seh, "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." 52 The name of the second he called E'phraim, "For God has . This is great, Tyler. Judah, too, counseled against murder and convinced the brothers to sell Joseph to a company of Ishmaelite merchants, who bought him in exchange for 20 shekels of silver. It was the first successful production in the career of Andrew Lloyd Webber. In the Qur'an a whole chapter (sura xii) is devoted to Joseph; and Islamic commentators add many details to this "best of stories.". Josephus claims that Potiphar fell for his wife's, Josephus refers to Potipherah (or Petephres) as the priest of, Josephus has Joseph meeting his father Jacob in, Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 10:50, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 622. asaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 3254. yasaph", "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 6847. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. When Rachel did not have any children, she became upset. A fourth group in verse 36 is named in Hebrew as mdanm that is properly identified as Medanites. Tsaphenath Paneach", "Allusions to the Joseph Narrative in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts: Foundations of a Biblical Type", The Story of Joseph in the Babi and Baha'i Faiths, "The New Media Bible: Book of Genesis (Video 1979)", "Jewish religious life in the Persian period", The Composition of Genesis 37: Incoherence and Meaning in the Exposition of the Joseph Story, "The Odyssey and the myth of Joseph; Autolykos and Jacob", "Strange Bedfellows: Politics and Narrative in Philo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_(Genesis)&oldid=1142074895, 1979, New Media Bible Genesis Project (TV)-cap. [53] These come in the forms of allusions written by the Bb and Bah'u'llh. Moses threw a pebble into the water there and cried out: "Joseph! Josephs ability to interpret dreams got him out of jail and into great favour with Pharoah. the time has come for the Israelites to be rescued from their oppressors; come up and do not cause us any further delay!" One opinion holds that the Holy Spirit dwelt in Joseph from his childhood until his death (Pirke R. El. I think Ill stick with my one wife (Staci) of 23 years. When they were brought to Joseph's house, they were apprehensive about the returned money in their money sacks. When Joseph's half-brothers reached home after selling him, Jacob ordered them to arm themselves and capture the beast that had supposedly killed Joseph. The merchants, meanwhile, brought Joseph to Egypt, where he was sold to Potiphar, an "officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard" (Gen. 37:36). Then Israel laid his left hand on the eldest Mannasseh's head and his right hand on the youngest Ephraim's head and blessed Joseph. (Genesis 30:24).[10][11]. Elkannah had two women but again, one of them was barren so I suspect that Peninah was a concubine. The story begins in Canaan - modern day Palestine, Syria and Israel - around 1600 to 1700 BC. ASENATH, mysterious wife of Joseph of Egypt - Women In The Bible Joseph occupies a very important place in Rabbinical literature, and no patriarch was the subject of so many Midrashic traditional narratives. The Haran controversy wrestles with the question of how long Abraham's grandson Jacob lived in Haran. Many of these amplifications have been borrowed by rabbinical tradition. Joseph's half-brothers were jealous of him; (Genesis 37:1820) wherefore, in Dothan, most of them plotted to kill him, with the exception of Reuben,[12][13] who suggested to have Joseph thrown into an empty cistern, intending to rescue Joseph himself. Even John Calvin, sometimes hailed as the father of modern grammatico-historical exegesis,[39] writes "in the person of Joseph, a lively image of Christ is presented. arose that night, and took his two wives, his two maidservants1 and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. The coffin thereupon floated up (Ex. One tradition holds that Jacob's other children came into the world only for Joseph's sake. Unaware of this secondary intention, the others obeyed him first. I love reading and studying from you. Indeed the name Potiphar may even be a version of Merenptah's name (Poti = Ptah, Phar = Pharaoh). Every time a son was born I asked my boys to tell me who the sons belonged to and it worked fine until we got to Dan. Muhammad is believed to have once said, "One half of all the beauty God apportioned for mankind went to Joseph and his mother; the other one half went to the rest of mankind. He was also the first born of his mother Rachel, whom his father loved more than any of his wives and made Joseph Jacob's favorite son (Genesis 29-30:24; Genesis 37:1-4). Who was the wife of Joseph son of Jacob? (Genesis 45:128), Thus, Jacob (also known as Israel) and his entire house of seventy[22] gathered up with all their livestock and began their journey to Egypt. Joseph placed his brothers in prison for three days. After they had consumed all of the grain that they brought back from Egypt, Jacob told his sons to go back to Egypt for more grain. When they flee Laban in chapter thirty-two, verse twenty-two specifically mentions two wives and two female servants, and again in thirty-three verse one, Leah and Rachel are named, along with the two female servants. In chapter thirty-five, after Rachels death, Reuben is specifically stated to have had sexual relations with his fathers concubine. Both were met by angels at various times (Gen. R. 84:6; Num. | Servants of Grace Apologetics, Mishpatim in Context: Selling your daughter into slavery? Jacob's favoritism for Joseph made his half-brothers so jealous that they were ready to murder him (see Genesis 37). Bible References: Rachel's story is told Genesis 29:6-35:24, 46:19-25, 48:7 . At their first meeting, the brothers did not recognize him. How many children did Mary have after Jesus? Esau took a third wife to please his father Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). In analyzing Genesis Chapter 37, there are five different Hebrew names used to describe five different groups of people involved in the transaction of selling Joseph, according to Rabbi Judah and Rav Huna. Both were born after their mothers had been barren for a long time. Jacob also had some daughters, but the Bible gives the name of only one of them. (Genesis 47:147:12) The family was then settled in Goshen. It was after this that Isaac married Rebekah and Abraham took Keturah as a wife (possibly a concubine) (see Genesis 24 and 25:1). }. Abraham married Sarah, who was his niece; Isaac married Rebekah, who was his first cousin once removed; and Jacob married Leah and Rachel, who were his first cousins. The Persian poet Firdowsi wrote an epic on this subject. Jacob lives in Egypt for seventeen years after his arrival (Genesis 47:28). Judah appealed to the Vizier begging that Benjamin be released and that he be enslaved in his stead, because of the silver cup found in Benjamin's sack. Then Joseph is summoned to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh himself. Then he commanded them to go and bring their father and his entire household into Egypt to live in the province of Goshen, because there were five more years of famine left. But Judah pleaded for Benjamin, offering himself as a slave instead. Despite his wealth, most rabbis represent him as very modest, and was not vain of his power (Ex. The story of Joseph's near seduction by his master's wife bears a marked similarity to the Egyptian story of the Tale of Two Brothers, which was popular at the time of Pharaoh Seti II. Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. Stories about Jacob in the Bible begin at Genesis 25:19. In response, Judah pleaded with the Vizier that Benjamin be allowed to return to his father, and that he himself be kept in Benjamin's place as a slave (Genesis 44). Because she was now barren (for whatever reason), she was in the legal position to give her own maidservant to Jacob as another woman, concubine. In the Kitb-i-Aqdas, Bah'u'llh states that "from my laws, the sweet-smelling savour of my garment can be smelled" and, in the Four Valleys, states that "the fragrance of his garment blowing from the Egypt of Baha," referring to Joseph. Pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. 1:26). Now Jacob had twelve sons. Our fathers found no food. How Many Brothers Did Joseph Have? - Answers On Web His father then remarked, "Now let me die, since I have seen your face, because you are still alive." Joseph was then summoned. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a . [16] Joseph requested that the cup-bearer mention him to Pharaoh to secure his release from prison,[17] but the cup-bearer, reinstalled in office, forgot Joseph. Because the Pharaoh had such a high regard for Joseph, practically making him his equal,[23] it had been an honor to meet his father. Sefer ha-Yashar, section Wayiggash). Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. As Jacob's name became synonymous with all Israel, so that of Joseph was eventually equated with all the tribes that made up the northern kingdom. Abraham then died at 175 years of age (25 . They were directed into the province of Goshen and Joseph readied his chariot to meet his father there. Home You are my Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. It is described in the Quran as the 'best of stories'. Joseph likely also has this status because he is the eldest child of Jacob's favorite (deceased) wife, Rachel . Laws of Hammurabi: [144] If a man take a wife and this woman give her husband a maid-servant, and she bear him children, but this man wishes to take another wife, this shall not be permitted to him; he shall not take a second wife. [54], This article is about the Joseph of the Book of Genesis. The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is about Joseph's story. Why did Jacob go to paddan? 'Yahweh shall add'; Standard: Yhsef, Tiberian: Yhsp;[4] Arabic: , romanized:Ysuf; Ancient Greek: , romanized:Isph) is an important figure in the Bible's Book of Genesis. This sets up the climax of the story, which many regard to be the moment Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers (Gen 45:3). Matthew 1:25 says, "But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son" (emphasis added). He persuaded them to throw Joseph into a pit and secretly planned to rescue him later. The cupbearer took this opportunity to inform the king of Joseph's gift and recommended his services. (note that the second wife is only permissibly taken in response to barrenness), [146] If a man take a wife and she give this man a maid-servant as wife and she bear him children, and then this maid assume equality with the wife: because she has borne him children her master shall not sell her for money, but he may keep her as a slave, reckoning her among the maid-servants. This was the legal world and social context of the time of the Patriarchs. Although this very well may offend our modern sensibilities, Zilpah and Bilhah had a better life than they had hoped for, in the end. Others consider the story a semi-independent novella, which has been independently added to the biblical record. Deut 21:15 says that if a man has two wives, one loved and one unloved that he cannot disinherit the child of the unloved wife doesnt this say that men can have two wives? Rather, he requested to be carried to the land of Canaan to be buried with his forefathers. How long did Jacob in the Bible wait to marry his wife? The two principle sources are the Yahwist and the Elohist versions, with a few details included as well from the Priestly source. Israel (Jacob) agreed to his son's invitation to move to Egypt and began the journey to see Joseph. This was Joseph's full brother, Benjamin. Bilhah, they replied. In the second year of famine,[20] Joseph's half brothers were sent to Egypt to buy goods. [a] When Joseph was seventeen years old, he shared with his brothers two dreams he had had: in the first dream, Joseph and his brothers gathered bundles of grain, of which those his brothers gathered, bowed to his own. Before he died, he made the children of Israel swear that when they left the land of Egypt they would take his bones with them, and on his death his body was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. For an excellent read on many matters pertaining to women in the Bible (not all of which I agree with, of course), see Matthews, Victor H., Gender and Law in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East (1998) p 229 is directly relevant to this discussion. He brought them closer and relayed to them the events that had happened and told them not to fear, that what they had meant for evil, God had meant for good. Jacob's sons, including Joseph, are listed at the end of this page. Jacob was 130 at this time (Gen 47:9). The next two instances of dream interpretation establish his reputation as a great interpreter of dreams; first, he begins in a low place, interpreting the dreams of prisoners. Upon their return to Egypt, the steward of Joseph's house received the brothers. In the time of the Exodus, Serah, daughter of Asher, showed Moses where the coffin was sunk. Did You Know Jacob Had Daughters Too? - CBE International Joseph was the favorite son of his father, who made him a richly ornamented coat. Your email address will not be published. He also equipped a considerable army, with which he marched to help the Ishmaelites against the Tarshishites (Gen. R. 90:5). How many years overall did he work for Laban? They betrayed him by. (clearly, the reference to a second wife shows that the concubine is not a wife), [145] If a man take a wife, and she bear him no children, and he intend to take another wife: if he take this second wife, and bring her into the house, this second wife shall not be allowed equality with his wife. Joseph then told him that the queen, who was about to be delivered of a child, would give birth to a son, but that at the same time another of the king's sons, two years of age, would dieall of which came to pass exactly as Joseph predicted. The "unloved" Leah bore seven of Jacob's childrensix sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, as well as a daughter, Dinah. But you'd be wrong. yosef] to me another son." Jacob's daughters, like too many Bible women, often go unnamed, are mentioned only in passing, or both. Cushan and Midian are equated with each other, as are tents and curtains and affliction and trembling. J. M. Sel. , romanized: Rl, lit. 1) Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. He then tested them further, by accusing Benjamin of theft. Known best for his coat of "many colors" and his God-given ability to interpret dreams, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous half-brothers. She became angry and told lies about him, so he was put in jail. The eleventh son of Jacob and elder of the two sons Rachel (Genesis 30:23, 24). The motif of dreams/dream interpretation contributes to a strong story-like narrative. They may have been: (1) the sons of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph (the most natural inference); (2) sons of the Mary named in Mark 15:40 as "mother of James and Joses", whom Jerome identified with the wife of Clopas and sister of Mary the mother of Jesus; or (3) sons of Joseph by a former marriage. He wanted to know if they would be willing to risk danger in order to save their half brother Benjamin. The composition of the story can be dated to the period between the 7th century BCE and the third quarter of the 5th century BCE, which is roughly the period to which scholars date the Book of Genesis. For Jacob however, a time came when his parents urged him to leave Canaan . Here, their lamentation was so great that it caught the attention of surrounding Canaanites who remarked "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Unbeknownst to them, Joseph had also returned their money to their money sacks (Genesis 42:128). www.simplybible.com Copyright Ron Graham 2001 2018, "the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh", "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, said confidently that the children of Israel would leave Egypt. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" (Qur'an 12:101). Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37). 139a; Gen. R. 94:25). [28] Impressed with Joseph's interpretations, Pharaoh appoints him as second-in-command (Gen 41:41). Joseph disguised his identity and devised a plot to bring the rest of the family to him: He accused them of being spies and imprisoned them for three days. He is Jacob's favorite (Genesis 37:3). In his father's house, Joseph is the favored son: "Israel (another name for Jacob) loved Joseph more than all his sons since he was a child of his old age" (Genesis 37:3). Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, and this made Leah sad. Charles L. Zimmerman holds the B. 21-22; comp. His brothers did not understand his spirituality and saw him as a threat. "Pharaoh called Joseph by the name Tzafnat-Pa'neach and gave him as his wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-Fera priest of On. Sarah was ninety when Isaac was born and Abraham was 100 years old (21:5). 5:26; Jacob 1:2, 18-19). According to the Documentary Hypothesis Joseph's toy is a combination of two or more versions which were later combined into the current narrative. They stopped at Atad where they observed seven days of mourning. The time of the promises to Abraham spans the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The narrative describes his emotional reaction upon seeing Benjamin: "Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. Hope that makes sense. Although they had betrayed him in the past, Joseph greeted them . His favourite, Joseph, walked closely with God, heard from Him and had great discernment. ISBN links support NWE through referral fees, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Joseph,_son_of_Jacob&oldid=1017043, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, More recently, Joseph figures prominently in Anita Diamant's novel. After correctly interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh, however, he rises to second-in-command in Egypt and saves Egypt during a famine. During this period of famine, Joseph's brothers, except for Benjamin, also came down to Egypt to buy grain. Paul even specifically said that male leadership within the Body was to be limited to those men who only had one wife (I Tim 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6). whoa whoa whoa personal suite? Thank you for your VERY well done teaching. There are numerous mentions of Joseph in Bah' writings. It starts with the 12 tribes and ends with the 12 gates with 12 pearls representing the tribes and the 12 kinds of fruit. lol does it come with a jetted jacuzi tub? (Genesis 49:3350:14), After their father died, the brothers of Joseph feared retribution for being responsible for Joseph's deliverance into Egypt as a slave. The majority of modern scholars agree that the Joseph story is a Wisdom novella constructed by a single author and that it reached its current form in the 5th century BCE at the earliest. 12 Sons of Jacob - Who They Were + Importance - Christianity.com But Israel refused saying, "but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he," a declaration he made just as Israel himself was to his firstborn brother Esau. Joseph is represented as a perfectly righteous man (tzadik gamur) and as the counterpart of his father Jacob. He even forced them to throw out their babies to die. pseudo-Jonathan), protecting her from the lustful eyes of Esau (Gen. R. 78:13). Known for: Rachel was the younger daughter of Laban and Jacob's favored wife. As the king's appointed viceroy, Joseph built himself a magnificent palace, placing in it a great number of slaves. Moses, led there by an ancient holy woman named Serach, was able by a miracle to raise the sarcophagus and to take it with him at the time of the Exodus. Esau. I put up the white board and I was marking out the family tree of the patriarchs. After relaying his prophecies, Israel died. The steward found the cup in Benjamin's sack - just as he had planted it the night before. 14 Facts About Esau Everyone Should Know - Chabad.org "All Pharaoh's officials accompanied himthe dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egyptbesides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. Prophets of Allah - Prophet Jacob: 'Honourable and the son of the What is a forbidden marriage in the Bible? You can also subscribe without commenting. That night, Joseph ordered his steward to load the brothers' donkeys with food and all their money. JOSEPH. How many kids did Mary have? Joseph was the first son of Rachel and Jacob, and the 11th of Jacob's 12 sons (Genesis 30:22-24). As for kings marriages were largely about political alliances (especially with David who was shoring up support with the various tribes as well as maintaining his connection with Sauls royal line), except for Solomon, who was. What Leah knew was that her husband, although she had given him many sons, had no regard for her Jewish tradition even states that Jacob moved to Bilhahs tent after the death of Rachel (I dont think he ever got over that anger from the morning after the wedding). (Gen. 28:3, 4) This explains why Jacob when nearly 100 years old did everything in his power to obtain God's blessing; he even wrestled with a materialized angel. How many sons did Jacob have with bilhah? Deceptively, Joseph also ordered the steward to put his silver cup in Benjamin's sack. Jacob should not have had more than one wife.) It is later mentioned in Genesis 41:50 that before the years of famine, Joseph had two sons with Asenath. 25 Rachel's servant Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali. He wept so loudly that even the Egyptian household heard it outside. When they came to Egypt, they stood before the Vizier but did not recognize him as their brother Joseph, who was now in his late 30s; but Joseph did recognize them and did not speak at all to them in his native tongue of Hebrew. 38). Thank you. Joseph's story is recounted in some detail in the New Testament, during Saint Stephen's speech before the Sandhedrin in Acts 7. Both the term "Joseph" and the term "Ephraim" were also frequently used by the biblical writers to refer to the norther tribes generally or to the later northern kingdom, usually called Israel. The cup-bearer took those grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. Information much needed for understanding context. When the Vizier (Joseph) appeared, they gave him gifts from their father. 3) Levi was the third of Jacob and Leah's children. Then the Hebrew phrase shm midyanm srm in verse 28 describes Midianite traders. John 10:30) is hen and the word used by Paul in those instances is mia. If Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons are added, then the total number is seventy (46:27). Here, Potiphar's wife (called Zuleika in later tradition) tried to seduce Joseph, which he refused. Could Paul have been saying that the husband and wife need to be one (Hebrew echad) instead of limiting a man to one wife? They were survival oriented, and so when greeted with the opportunity to be something greater in the family, not wives but the mothers of some of the heirs of the House, that was a chance to have a much better life and better prospects for the future. Moses followed Joseph's pattern in rising from slavery to a position of royal favor in the court of the pharaohs, and would later lead the Israelites out of Egypt and back to the land of Canaan. [45] Joseph is thrown into a well, and was taken as a slave by a passing caravan. After the (presumed) death of Joseph, we read, "All of his [Jacob's] sons and daughters got up to comfort him . In the Qayyumu'l-Asma', the Bb refers to Bah'u'llh as the true Joseph and makes an analogous prophecy regarding Bah'u'llh suffering at the hands of his brother, Mrz Yahy. The robotic sermon went on to relate the story of when Joseph, the son of Jacob, was reunited with his brothers after many years. Joseph (/dozf, -sf/; Hebrew: , lit. For the New Testament Joseph, see, Another possible translation is "coat with long sleeves" (. is devoted to him, the only instance in the Quran in which an entire chapter is devoted to a complete story of a prophet. (notice that she is given the same treatment as a wife but is not a wife), [147] If she have not borne him children, then her mistress may sell her for money. The story concludes by Joseph praying, "My lord you have indeed bestowed upon me of the sovereignty and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams- the (only) creator of heavens and the earth! Joseph In The Old Testament: Bible Character Profile And Study In Egypt, Joseph's character was antithetical to that of all the other slaves. Biblical context is very much important. (Genesis 50:2226). In the Bible, the name Joseph was first mentioned as the eleventh son of Jacob, and the They also discovered that all of their money sacks still had money in them, and they were dismayed. Judah (son of Jacob) - Wikipedia It was during this return to Egypt that Joseph disclosed his real identity to his brothers. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. Joseph, son of Jacob - New World Encyclopedia Recall that Jacob was born in the land of Canaan, the land God promised to Abraham, and where Jacob's father Isaac was born and lived his entire life. So they named this spot Abel Mizraim. Following the prediction, Joseph became Vizier, under the name of Zaphnath-Paaneah (Hebrew: pna Pana),[e][19] and was given Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On,[f] to be his wife. In the ancient Near East, according to the laws of many of the surrounding nations, a woman had two years to bear a child to her husband and if she didnt, she could legally be divorced. People just cherry pick with the descriptions to determine prescriptives without studying out the matter. [47] But in Islam they returned leaving behind Benjamin because the mizzen bowl of the king was found in his bag. In Genesis 29:31-30:24 the birth of twelve of Jacob's children is recorded. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dreams, the king asked him for a sign by which he might know that his interpretation was true. As with Bilhahs offspring, Zilpahs children are claimed and named by Leah as her own. [46], In the Bible, Joseph discloses himself to his brethren before they return to their father the second time after buying grain. When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel commanded him to do. In one Talmudic story, Joseph was buried in the Nile river, as there was some dispute as to which province should be honored by having his tomb within its boundaries. How many children did Mary and Joseph have? The word until speaks of a change to the first action . (Genesis Rabbah 84:22). She then had three more sons: Simeon, Levi and Judah. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha was a favorite love song in the Near East. As a last resort, all of the inhabitants of Egypt, less the Egyptian priestly class, sold their properties and later themselves (as slaves) to Joseph for seed; wherefore Joseph set a mandate that, because the people would be sowing and harvesting seed on government property, a fifth of the produce should go to the Pharaoh. Jacob's Journey to Egypt - Apologetics Press Joseph, in the Old Testament, son of the patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel. After Joseph rejected the attempts of Potiphar's wife to seduce him, she accused him of attempted rape, and he was cast into the state prison (Gen. 39:40), where he became the most trusted inmate and remained for at least two years. God richly bless you my sis. [5], In rabbinic tradition, he is considered the ancestor of a second Messiah called "Mashiach ben Yosef", who will wage war against the forces of evil alongside Mashiach ben David and die in combat with the enemies of God and Israel. Yes, the Bible does indicate that Jacob had more than one daughter. The problem lies in the fact that the Hebrew word for wife, isha, is also the generic word for woman (we see this same phenomenon in Greek), and so Bilhah and Zilpah were given to Jacob as women who were there for the express purpose of bearing children otherwise known as concubines. Then Israel called all of his sons in and prophesied their blessings or curses to all twelve of them in order of their ages.