So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife: So marks the conclusion of Rachel’s proposal, which Jacob apparently accepts without question. As a wife means to do as a wife would do, and particularly to sleep with Jacob. Since Jacob already has two wives, some translations say “as another wife” in this context.

Jacob went in to her: see 29.21.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .