Milcah (Nahor's wife, Haran's daughter)

Matriarch in Abraham's lineage

Die PatriarchenMatriarchc. 2100–2000 BC

Milcah was the daughter of Haran and married her uncle Nahor, Abraham's brother. She became a matriarch of an important branch of the patriarchs' family, and her granddaughter Rebekah later became Isaac's wife. Through her, the family ties between Abraham's line and his brother's line were preserved.

Familie

Schlüsselereignisse

Mentioned as Nahor's wife

Milcah is first mentioned as the daughter of Haran and the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. This establishes the important family relationships in Terah's lineage.

29Abram and Nahor both took wives. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milcah and Iscah.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וֽ͏ַאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה׃ ‬

Her Family Leaves Ur

Milcah was part of the family when Terah took Abraham, Lot, and their wives and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go toward Canaan.

31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.
וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃ ‬

Mother of Eight Sons

Milcah bore eight sons to Nahor, including Bethuel who became the father of Rebekah and Laban. This made her a matriarch for an important part of the patriarchs' lineage.

20Some time later Abraham was told, "Milcah too has borne sons to your brother Nahor:
וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר הִ֠נֵּה יָלְדָ֨ה מִלְכָּ֥ה גַם־הִ֛וא בָּנִ֖ים לְנָח֥וֹר אָחִֽיךָ׃ ‬
21Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,
אֶת־ע֥וּץ בְּכֹר֖וֹ וְאֶת־בּ֣וּז אָחִ֑יו וְאֶת־קְמוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֥י אֲרָֽם׃ ‬
22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel."
וְאֶת־כֶּ֣שֶׂד וְאֶת־חֲז֔וֹ וְאֶת־פִּלְדָּ֖שׁ וְאֶת־יִדְלָ֑ף וְאֵ֖ת בְּתוּאֵֽל׃ ‬
23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
וּבְתוּאֵ֖ל יָלַ֣ד אֶת־רִבְקָ֑ה שְׁמֹנָ֥ה אֵ֙לֶּה֙ יָלְדָ֣ה מִלְכָּ֔ה לְנָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָהָֽם׃ ‬

Grandmother of Rebekah

Through her son Bethuel, Milcah became the grandmother of Rebekah, who was chosen to become Isaac's wife. This linked Abraham's line back to his brother's family.

15Before he had finished speaking, there came Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. She had her jar on her shoulder.
וַֽיְהִי־ה֗וּא טֶרֶם֮ כִּלָּ֣ה לְדַבֵּר֒ וְהִנֵּ֧ה רִבְקָ֣ה יֹצֵ֗את אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֻלְּדָה֙ לִבְתוּאֵ֣ל בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֔ה אֵ֥שֶׁת נָח֖וֹר אֲחִ֣י אַבְרָהָ֑ם וְכַדָּ֖הּ עַל־שִׁכְמָֽהּ׃ ‬
24She answered, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son whom Milcah bore to Nahor."
וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵ֖ל אָנֹ֑כִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָלְדָ֖ה לְנָחֽוֹר׃ ‬
47Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists,
וָאֶשְׁאַ֣ל אֹתָ֗הּ וָאֹמַר֮ בַּת־מִ֣י אַתְּ֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל֙ בֶּן־נָח֔וֹר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָֽלְדָה־לּ֖וֹ מִלְכָּ֑ה וָאָשִׂ֤ם הַנֶּ֙זֶם֙ עַל־אַפָּ֔הּ וְהַצְּמִידִ֖ים עַל־יָדֶֽיהָ׃ ‬