Who builds the house of Israel?: The verb 'bnh' in Genesis 2:22; 16:2; 30:3.

Genesis restricts its use of the verb bnh to describe the building of women (2:22; 16:2; 30:3), cities (4:17; 10:11; 11:4, 5, 8), altars (8:20; 12:7, 8; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 35:7), and once of a house (33:17). This essay focuses on the niphal of bnh in Genesis 16:2 and 30:3 to argue that the referent of Sarai’s and Rachel’s wishes depicted by ’bnh is not limited to surrogacy but includes a subtle reference to YHWH’s, normally unobtrusive and not mentioned, role in human reproduction, first signaled by YHWH’s building of Eve (2:22), the mother of all living. A connection with the building of cities and altars is also explored.