Bible Figure
Zilpa
biblical character
Zilpah was Leah's servant whom Leah gave to Jacob as a wife or concubine; she became the mother of Gad and Asher.
Biography
Genesis identifies Zilpah as the servant Laban gave to his daughter Leah at Leah's marriage to Jacob. During the rivalry between Leah and Rachel over children, Leah gave Zilpah to Jacob after Leah herself temporarily stopped bearing children. Zilpah bore two sons, Gad and Asher, whose descendants became two tribes of Israel. Scripture records no direct speech or independent narrative concerning Zilpah beyond her place within Jacob's household and the genealogical history of Israel.
Biblical Significance
Zilpah's significance lies in her motherhood of Gad and Asher and therefore in the formation of the twelve tribes. The biblical text provides too little information for a fuller individual biography.