Name profile

Bilhah

A biblical Hebrew name whose meaning remains uncertain.

Meaning and history

Bilhah is a Hebrew biblical name, written בִּלְהָה. Its etymology is uncertain; proposals connect it with a Hebrew root associated with alarm or timidity, but no single meaning is securely established. In Genesis, Bilhah is Rachel’s maidservant and Jacob’s concubine; she bears Dan and Naphtali, who become ancestors of two tribes of Israel. The biblical figure gives the name its principal historical and religious significance, and reliable modern examples are uncommon.