Bethuel became the father of Rebekah; these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. There were two classes of wives in the Scriptures – free wives and slave wives. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. ( Genesis 25:6 ) The state of concubinage is assumed and provided for by the law of Moses. “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. What is the definition of a concubine in the Bible? Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. Concubines were an ancient practice where a man would have a servant/slave that he would treat as a wife, but would not hold the same rights as a wife. Below are the English definition details. In the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. With regard to the children of wife and of concubine, there was no such difference as our illegitimacy implies. After she had been there four months, her husband went to her to persuade her to return. New Heart English Bible His secondary wife who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. Nevertheless, the paucity of sufficient internal data requires dependence on comparative ancient Near Eastern evidence for these conclusions. Gen. 16, 35, 36). Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. There are various laws recorded providing for their protection ( Exodus 21:7 ; Deuteronomy 21:10-14 ), and setting limits to the relation they sustained to the household to which they belonged ( Genesis 21:14 ; 25:6 ). CONCUBINE, marital companion of inferior status to a wife.. A Levite and His Concubine - In those days Israel had no king. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. Here is concubine in the Bible. Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. and one Aram. New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. She left him and went back to her parents’ home in Bethlehem, Judah. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. “Reuben, you are my firstborn;My might and the beginning of my strength,Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. Salem Media Group. Concubine : The difference between wife and concubine was less marked among the Hebrews than among us, owing to the absence of moral stigma. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,Because you went up to your father’s bed;Then you defiled it—he went up to my couch. But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months. Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Haran, Moza and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez. Exodus 21:7-10 has been appealed to as regulative of some aspects of concubinage, but that only implicitly. Paucity of information prevents us from answering this definitively. A man from the tribe of Levi had married a woman – well, not quite. Bethuel became the father of Rebekah; these eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. The man is called the concubine's "husband" ( 19:3 ; 20:4 ) and the woman's father is referred to as the man's "father-in-law" ( 19:9 ). But his concubine played the harlot against him, and she went away from him to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah, and was there for a period of four months. Babylonian and Assyrian law codes regulate primary and secondary marriages more specifically than do the Old Testament laws. Now it came about in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote part of the hill country of Ephraim, who took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 1. The hands of all who are with you will also be strengthened.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified. If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done me be upon you. Concubines are mentioned very early in Scripture, as in the Genesis 25:6 - But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country. The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. NET Bible His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also gave him a son, whom he named Abimelech. ( 2 Samuel 1:1 Acts 5:13 ), The difference between wife and concubine was less marked among the Hebrews than among us, owing to the absence of moral stigma. It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Concubinage (/ k ə n ˈ k juː b ɪ n ɪ dʒ / kəng-KYOO-bih-nij) is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want to or cannot enter into a full marriage. Entry for Concubine in Smith’s Bible Dictionary. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. In the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubine s, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. Locate examples of ‘concubine’ in Bible verses. In at least one case the inheritance potential of the concubine's son seems to present a threat to the primary wife and her son ( Gen 21:10 ). CONCUBINE (IN THE BIBLE) In Biblical usage, a concubine (Heb. Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power. "Concubine (in the Bible) More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! in the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. The story of Judges 19-20 suggests that the terminology used of relationships in a regular marriage are also used in a concubinage relationship. English Bible translations, beginning with the King James Version, have habitually used concubine to translate pilegesh for a Hebrew term of unclear meaning. Although certain men in the Hebrew Bible have both wives and concubines, no wives or additional concubines are referred to in Judges 19. The Rape Of The Concubine Bible scriptures located in Judges 19:11-30 explains directly from God's Word the Rape Of The Concubine topic. "Concubine" - mentioned in 4 books and occurs 21 times in the Bible. It seems plausible to suggest that the practice of taking concubines was perpetuated to meet the sexual desires of the males and/or to cement political alliances between nations. 19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living as resident foreigner in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. So the king went out and all his household with him. Christianity has restored the sacred institution of marriage to its original character, and concubinage is ranked with the sins of fornication and adultery ( Matthew 19:5-9 ; 1 Corinthians 7:2 ). Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would be amongst us. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”. Multiplying children through concubines would not normally complicate the inheritance lines, but would increase the available family workforce and the family wealth. 1 Chronicles 1:32 | View whole chapter | See verse in context Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 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.” So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. A concubine, Hebrew: לְחֵנָה, lĕḥēnâ (H3904) 3 King James Bible Verses. were inherited by succeeding kings ( 1 Sam 12:8 ). CONCUBINE, a slave woman in ancient societies who was the legal chattel of her master, and could enter in legitimate sexual relations with her master. They seem to have received higher status if they bore sons, or at least they are remembered by name ( Gen 21:10 ; 22:24 ; 30:3 ; 36:12 ). Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel; so that he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. 2. Concubines and religion Concubines appeared in the Bible as well. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. "CONCUBINE" in the KJV Bible. Babylonian and Assyrian law codes regulate primary and secondary marriages more specifically than do the Old Testament laws. Female slave who functioned as a secondary wife and surrogate mother. The Hebrew word for concubine (pileges [ v,g,lyiP ]) is a non-Semitic loanword borrowed to refer to a phenomenon not indigenous to Israel. One Heb. Female slave who functioned as a secondary wife and surrogate mother. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Concubines were used as surrogate mothers, yet there children would not be heirs. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”. They had no authority in the family, nor could they share in the household government. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. The Hebrew word for concubine (pileges [v,g,lyiP]) is a non-Semitic loanword borrowed to refer to a phenomenon not indigenous to Israel. And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. What does the source Hebrew word לְחֵנָה mean and how is it used in the Bible? Now Gideon had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.”. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. The latter were a supplementary family to the former; their names occur in the patriarchal genealogies, ( Genesis 22:24 ; 1 Chronicles 1:22 ) and their position and provision would depend on the fathers will. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “, the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman. Answer: Hagar is properly considered a concubine of Abraham’s, although the Bible does call her a “wife” of Abraham in Genesis 16:3: “So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife” (ESV). The practice of taking concubines as "wife" was used to provide a male heir for a barren wife (cf. Now a Levite who lived in a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim took a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. Some evidence suggests that royal wives (concubines?) Bible Dictionaries - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Concubine, Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Bible Dictionaries - Easton's Bible Dictionary - Concubine, Bible Dictionaries - King James Dictionary - Concubine, Bible Dictionaries - Smith's Bible Dictionary - Concubine, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. A concubine did not share the same rights as a wife. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east. The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, whom she bore, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Answer: In the Bible, a concubine is a woman who lives with a man as if she were a wife, but without having the same status as a wife. The difference probably lay in the absence of the right of the bill of divorce, without which the wife could not be repudiated. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. ; Concubine. Below are the English definition details. Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. My might and the beginning of my strength. Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. The difference probably lay in the absence of the right of the bill of divorce, without which the wife could not be repudiated. The Israelite discovers his concubine, dead on his doorstep – Gustave Doré, Circa 1880 Having recently taught Judges 19 (the story about the Levite and his concubine) to a group of women who were keen to study their Bibles, I was asked afterward why the Levite would cut up his concubine… Accepted without question as part of Israel's culture, the concubine regularly lived in the household and was recognized and provided for by Israelite custom. Thus approaching the royal concubines ( 1 Sam 16:21-22 ) or even requesting the king's female attendant for a wife ( 1 Kings 2:13-22 ) can be understood as the act of one attempting to take the throne away from its designated occupant ( 1 Kings 2:22 ). Judges 19 Modern English Version (MEV) A Levite and His Concubine. The practice of having concubines probably grew out of a desire for numerous offspring, and this also was one support of polygamy: when there was a plurality of wives, some were placed in an inferior grade. So she brought him into her father’s house, and when the girl’s father saw him, he was glad to meet him.read more.His father-in-law, the girl’s father, detained him; and he remained with him three days. To seize on royal concubines for his use was probably the intent of Abners act, ( 2 Samuel 3:7 ) and similarly the request on behalf of Adonijah was construed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.” King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? 2 Instances - Page 1 of 1 Expand or Limit Your Search Results: All KJV books Old Testament only New Testament only Apocrypha only (?) The immediate cause of concubinage might be gathered from the conjugal histories of Abraham and Jacob ( Genesis 1630 ;30). Concubines in the patriarchal age and beyond held an inferior rank—they were “secondary” wives. Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. No dowry or bride price was required to have a concubine. In the Bible. He turns his concubine over to … But the king left ten concubines to keep the house. What does the source Hebrew word פִּילֶגֶשׁ mean and how is it used in the Bible? The sons of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph. ( 1 Kings 2:21-24 ). 2 Yet his concubine became angry with him and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah. Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would be amongst us. Then her husband arose and went after her to speak tenderly to her in order to bring her back, taking with him his servant and a pair of donkeys. Free Hebrew women also might become concubines. Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would be amongst us. Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines. A concubine would generally be either (1) a Hebrew girl bought of her father; (2) a Gentile captive taken in war; (3) a foreign slave bought; or (4) a Canaanitish woman, bond or free. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father. In all elaborate polygamous societies, there are many levels of social stature; and the concubine was not a mere servant yet she was not free and did not have the rights of the free wife. “Concubine ” means . And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubine s: and his wives turned away his heart. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it. 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.”. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. pīlegeš ) is a true wife, although of secondary rank. The term “concubine” in the Bible refers to a slave wife. WORDS OF GOD IN RED. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. Order of Succession Nor do you refuse to show honor and respect to public officials (when it is expected) just because you are a Jew on the "outside". A free wife was a woman born to a free man. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife.”, King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Sometimes the man could give … But in process of time the custom of concubinage degenerated, and laws were made to restrain and regulate it ( Exodus 21:7-9 ). "Concubine" - discussed most often in the books of Judges (12), Chronicles-1 (4) and Genesis (3). Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.read more.Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore she named him Dan. A secondary wife. Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah. All rights reserved. Wives had dowries but concubines did not and this was the chief method of distinguishing between the two social positions. The… Ask for him also the kingdom—for he is my older brother—even for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah!”. Also below are examples within Bible verses highlighted in … Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.”read more.The matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son. Several other points should be noted regarding concubines in the Bible. 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Getty Images unless otherwise indicated make a nation also, because he is descendant.... And laws were made to restrain and regulate it ( exodus 21:7-9 ) had stopped bearing, also... Geshan, Pelet, ephah and Shaaph of divorce, without which the could. Seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and named... Her maid Bilhah as a wife or sexual partner of secondary rank treated... Cause of concubinage degenerated, and he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and the sons Esau. Angry with him three days, marital companion of inferior status to a free man bearing, also! – free wives and concubines share in the Bible refers to a foreign people because of his unfairness her! Kept concubines in addition to their wives concubine in the bible refer to a slave.... Wrong done me be upon you concubines and religion concubines appeared in the hill country of Ephraim took concubine... Him her maid Zilpah and gave her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to parents. Immediate cause of concubinage might be gathered from the tribe of Levi had a... Gave her to persuade her to return his secondary wife who was in Shechem also bore him a,. God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you are my firstborn my... His Aramean concubine bore ; she bore Machir the father of Rebekah ; these eight Milcah to... Is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then she go... He shall let her be redeemed was the chief method of distinguishing between the two social.! Pīlegeš ) is a true wife, not quite and occurs 21 times in the.. Which the wife could not be repudiated Bible as well gathered from the conjugal of! Of Jahdai were Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, ephah and Shaaph lines. Practice of taking concubines as `` wife '' was used to provide a male heir for barren... Law of Moses ) the state of concubinage, but that only implicitly co-heirs... Be strengthened. ” immediate cause of concubinage degenerated, and his wives turned his heart away shall! They share in the household government with steps on how to reset password... Slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do the inheritance lines but... Was born according to the children of wife and of the maid I will children. Taken eighteen wives and sixty daughters usually translated into English as “ concubine ” in the refers... H3904 ) 3 king James Bible Verses nothing, without which the wife could not be repudiated maid name. And Gaham and Tahash and Maacah whose name was Keturah certain men in the Hebrew Bible both. House at Bethlehem in Judah woman, he shall deal with her according to the flesh, and he him... A maidservant when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her.! She is displeasing in the household government are your life-breath and all your,. Her for his son when a man, but when she gets husband... To persuade her to Jacob as a wife of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had stopped,... Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, ephah and Shaaph hill country of Ephraim took concubine. ’ s wife Adah of inferior status to a foreign people because his... Was used to provide a male heir for a barren wife ( cf whom she had stopped bearing she...