Genesis 30:3

She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹  her so that she can bear ²  children ³  for me ⁴  and I can have a family through her.” ⁵ 

Then she said, "Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family."

She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children."

Then Rachel told him, "Sleep with my servant, Bilhah, and she will bear children for me."

Rachel said, "Here's my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her. Let her substitute for me so I can have a child through her and build a family."

Then she said, Here is my servant Bilhah, go in to her, so that she may have a child on my knees, and I may have a family by her.

Then she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees and that I too may have children through her."

So she said, "Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her."

She replied, “Here is my servant Bilhah! Have sexual relations with ¹  her so that she can bear ²  children ³  for me ⁴  and I can have a family through her.” ⁵ 

¹ tn Heb “go in to.” The expression “go in to” in this context refers to sexual intercourse.

² tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates the immediate purpose of the proposed activity.

³ tn The word “children” is not in the Hebrew text but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “upon my knees.” This is an idiomatic way of saying that Bilhah will be simply a surrogate mother. Rachel will adopt the child as her own.

⁵ tn Heb “and I will be built up, even I, from her.” The prefixed verbal form with the conjunction is subordinated to the preceding prefixed verbal form and gives the ultimate purpose for the proposed action. The idiom of “built up” here refers to having a family (see Gen 16:2, as well as Ruth 4:11 and BDB 125 s.v. בָנָה).