Genesis 35:22-26
New English Translation
22 While Israel was living in that land, Reuben went to bed with[a] Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard about it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, as well as Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.
26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 35:22 tn Heb “lay down with.” The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) “to lie down” can imply going to bed to sleep or be a euphemism for sexual relations.sn Reuben’s act of having sexual relations with Bilhah probably had other purposes than merely satisfying his sexual desire. By having sex with Bilhah, Reuben (Leah’s oldest son) would have prevented Bilhah from succeeding Rachel as the favorite wife, and by sleeping with his father’s concubine he would also be attempting to take over leadership of the clan—something Absalom foolishly attempted later on in Israel’s history (2 Sam 16:21-22).
Genesis 35:22-26
New American Standard Bible
The Sons of Israel
22 And it came about, while Israel was living in that land, that (A)Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.
Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23 (B)the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 (C)the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and (D)the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and (E)the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
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