NET Glossary: a slave woman in ancient Near Eastern society who could have legitimate sexual relations with her master but still did not have the rights of a free wife
Concubine [ebd]
in the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would be amongst us. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. There are various laws recorded providing for their protection (Ex. 21:7; Deut. 21:10-14), and setting limits to the relation they sustained to the household to which they belonged (Gen. 21:14; 25:6). They had no authority in the family, nor could they share in the household government.
The immediate cause of concubinage might be gathered from the conjugal histories of Abraham and Jacob (Gen. 16;30). But in process of time the custom of concubinage degenerated, and laws were made to restrain and regulate it (Ex. 21:7-9).
Christianity has restored the sacred institution of marriage to its original character, and concubinage is ranked with the sins of fornication and adultery (Matt. 19:5-9; 1 Cor. 7:2).
CONCUBINE [smith]
The difference between wife and concubine was less marked among the Hebrews than among us, owing to the absence of moral stigma. The difference probably lay in the absence of the right of the bill of divorce, without which the wife could not be repudiated. With regard to the children of wife and of concubine, there was no such difference as our illegitimacy implies. The latter were a supplementary family to the former; their names occur in the patriarchal genealogies, (Genesis 22:24; 1Â Chronicles 1:22) and their position and provision would depend on the father?s will. (Genesis 25:6) The state of concubinage is assumed and provided for by the law of Moses. 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 rights of the first two were protected by the law, (Exodus 21:7; 21:10-14) but the third was unrecognized and the fourth prohibited. Free Hebrew women also might become concubines. To seize on royal concubines for his use was probably the intent of Abner?s act, (2Â Samuel 3:7) and similarly the request on behalf of Adonijah was construed. (1Â Kings 2:21-24)Concubine [baker]
[E] [S]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. Babylonian and Assyrian law codes regulate primary and secondary marriages more specifically than do the Old Testament laws. Exodus 21:7-10 has been appealed to as regulative of some aspects of concubinage, but that only implicitly.
Concubines are mentioned primarily in early Israelite history—during patriarchal times, the period of the judges, and the early monarchy—although some later kings also had concubines. While concubines did not have the same status as wives, they were not to be mistreated (Exod 21:7-10) nor could they be violated by other males (Gen 35:22) with impunity (Gen 49:3-4). 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).
The sons of some concubines were treated as co-heirs with the sons of wives. Was this facilitated by the wife accepting and naming the child as her own, or was the father's act of "adopting" the son required? Paucity of information prevents us from answering this definitively. 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). Abraham eventually gives the full inheritance to Isaac, and only gives gifts to his concubines' sons (Gen 25:6).
The story of Judges 19-20 suggests that the terminology used of relationships in a regular marriage are also used in a concubinage relationship. 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). Some evidence suggests that royal wives (concubines?) were inherited by succeeding kings (1 Sam 12:8). 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).
The practice of taking concubines as "wife" was used to provide a male heir for a barren wife (cf. Gen. 16, 35, 36). In addition, the practice provided a social safety net for poor families who could sell their daughters in dire times (Exod 21:7-10; Judges 19:1). 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. Nevertheless, the paucity of sufficient internal data requires dependence on comparative ancient Near Eastern evidence for these conclusions. Multiplying children through concubines would not normally complicate the inheritance lines, but would increase the available family workforce and the family wealth.
David H. Engelhart
See also Marriage
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[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary
CONCUBINE [bridgeway]
Israelites of the Old Testament era lived in a world where a common practice was for a married man to take additional wives, known as concubines. The practice was contrary to God’s plan for marriage (namely, one man and one woman united for life, to the exclusion of all others; see MARRIAGE), but human society had moved far away from God’s plan (Rom 1:20-32).Moses introduced laws to protect concubines for much the same reason as he introduced laws to protect slaves. Both slavery and concubinage were wrong, but the practices were so deeply rooted that they could not be removed immediately. However, laws could control them and so start a movement that would lead to their eventual removal (Exod 21:7-11; Deut 21:15-17; see also SLAVERY).
A man obtained his concubines sometimes by choosing them from among his slaves or war captives, and sometimes by receiving them as gifts. Through bearing him children, concubines helped strengthen his household and increase his social influence (Gen 16:1-2; 25:1; 29:24,29; 30:4-13; 36:12; Deut 21:10-11; 2 Sam 5:13-14; 2 Chron 11:21). Although Israelite law tolerated concubinage, it did not tolerate sexual relations with a person who was not one’s marriage partner. To commit adultery with another man’s wife was a far worse sin than to have several wives oneself (Lev 20:10; 2 Sam 11:2-5; 12:11-12).
God warned Israelite kings against glorifying themselves through building large harems, but most kings ignored his warnings (Deut 17:15-17; 2 Sam 15:16; 1 Kings 11:3; 2 Chron 11:21; cf. Esther 2:14). People considered the harem to be such a symbol of kingly power, that a new king established his claim to the throne by claiming the former king’s harem (2 Sam 3:7-8; 12:7-8; 16:20-22; 1 Kings 2:21-22). Yet concubines proved to be a source of trouble to Israel’s kings. The presence of so many wives and children in the palace created family conflicts (2 Sam 3:2-5; 13:20-22; cf. Gen 21:8-10; Judg 8:31; 9:2-5), and the idols that foreign concubines brought into the palace led believers away from God (1 Kings 11:4).
