Milcah

Biblical Account

Milcah was the daughter of Haran, the son of Terah. According to Genesis 11:29, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees before his father Terah. Afterward, Abram took Sarai as his wife, and Haran's brother Nahor took Milcah. Milcah thus married her uncle. The same verse also mentions Milcah's sister Iscah. Lot was likewise her brother.

Genesis 22:20–23 records news brought to Abraham shortly after the binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah, reporting that Milcah had borne eight sons to Nahor: Huz the firstborn, Buz, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. Of these, Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.

Milcah's name appears again in Genesis 24 (Genesis 24:15, 24, 47). When Abraham's servant went to find a wife for Isaac, Rebekah identified herself by saying, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor" (Genesis 24:24).

Significance in Scripture

Milcah never speaks or acts in the narrative; she appears only in genealogies and in statements of identity. Nevertheless, she serves as a link showing that Isaac's wife came from among Abraham's kindred. Although Hebrew genealogies are usually traced through the male line, Genesis 24 repeatedly names Rebekah's grandmother Milcah in establishing Rebekah's lineage, a feature commentators frequently note.

Genesis 22:20 states, "Milcah, she hath also born children." Some interpreters read the word "also" as a comparison with Sarah, who had long been childless before receiving Isaac. The New Testament does not mention Milcah.

Interpretations and Issues

• Meaning of the name: The Hebrew name is commonly interpreted as "queen."
• Traditions concerning Iscah: The Talmud and some Jewish commentaries are reported to contain a tradition identifying Milcah's sister Iscah with Sarai (Sarah). The text of Genesis, however, does not say this. Because Abraham describes Sarah as "the daughter of my father" in Genesis 20:12, this identification is widely disputed.
• Marriage between close relatives: The marriage of an uncle and his niece is generally explained as a custom of the patriarchal period, before the Law was given.

Others with the Same Name

In Numbers 26:33, 27:1, and 36:11, and in Joshua 17:3, another woman named Milcah appears as one of the five daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah). Because their father had died without sons, these daughters asked Moses to allow them to receive his inheritance—that is, his allotment of land—and their request was granted (Numbers 27:1–11).

In the Korean Church

Sermons or songs devoted specifically to Milcah are rare. She is usually mentioned briefly as a figure in the genealogy when the account of Isaac and Rebekah's marriage in Genesis 24 is explained. She also sometimes appears in Sunday school Bible quizzes and similar settings as a figure who helps explain Rebekah's family background.