Bible Dictionary: Concubine

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

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 (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). 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 (Genesis 16;30). But in process of time the custom of concubinage degenerated, and laws were made to restrain and regulate it (Exodus 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 (Matthew 19:5-9; 1 Corinthians 7:2).

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) A woman who cohabits with a man without being his wife; a paramour.

2. (n.) A wife of inferior condition; a lawful wife, but not united to the man by the usual ceremonies, and of inferior condition. Such were Hagar and Keturah, the concubines of Abraham; and such concubines were allowed by the Roman laws. Their children were not heirs of their father.

Greek

28. Hagar -- Hagar, a concubine of Abraham
... Hagar, a concubine of Abraham. Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Hagar Phonetic Spelling: (ag'-ar) Short Definition: Hagar Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/28.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

6370. pilegesh -- concubine
... 6369, 6370. pilegesh or pilegesh. 6371 . concubine. Transliteration: pilegesh
or pilegesh Phonetic Spelling: (pee-leh'-ghesh) Short Definition: concubine. ...
/hebrew/6370.htm - 6k

3904. lechenah -- a concubine
... 3903, 3904. lechenah. 3905 . a concubine. Transliteration: lechenah Phonetic
Spelling: (lekh-ay-naw') Short Definition: concubines. ... concubine. ...
/hebrew/3904.htm - 5k

7532. Ritspah -- concubine of Saul
... 7531b, 7532. Ritspah. 7533 . concubine of Saul. Transliteration: Ritspah
Phonetic Spelling: (rits-paw') Short Definition: Rizpah. ...
/hebrew/7532.htm - 6k

7208. Reumah -- concubine of Nahor
... 7207, 7208. Reumah. 7209 . concubine of Nahor. Transliteration: Reumah
Phonetic Spelling: (reh-oo-maw') Short Definition: Reumah. ...
/hebrew/7208.htm - 6k

1090a. Bilhah -- a concubine of Jacob
... 1090, 1090a. Bilhah. 1090b . a concubine of Jacob. Transliteration: Bilhah
Short Definition: Bilhah. Word Origin of uncertain derivation ...
/hebrew/1090a.htm - 5k

1090. Bilhah -- a concubine of Jacob
... 1089, 1090. Bilhah. 1090a . a concubine of Jacob. Transliteration: Bilhah
Phonetic Spelling: (bil-haw') Short Definition: Bilhah. Bilhah ...
/hebrew/1090.htm - 5k

2912. tachan -- to grind
... grinder. A primitive root; to grind meal; hence, to be a concubine (that being their
employment) -- grind(-er). 2911b, 2912. tachan. 2913 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/2912.htm - 6k

49. Abishag -- "my father is a wanderer," an Israelite woman
... woman NASB Word Usage Abishag (5). Abishag. From 'ab and shagah; father of error
(ie Blundering); Abishag, a concubine of David -- Abishag. see HEBREW 'ab. ...
/hebrew/49.htm - 6k

Library

Whether it was ever Lawful to have a Concubine?
... OF PLURALITY OF WIVES (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether it was ever lawful to have a concubine? ...
Therefore it has also been lawful to have a concubine. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether it was ever lawful 2.htm

Whether it is against the Natural Law to have a Concubine?
... OF PLURALITY OF WIVES (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether it is against the natural
law to have a concubine? Objection 1: It would seem that ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is against the 2.htm

Whether it is a Mortal Sin to have Intercourse with a Concubine?
... OF PLURALITY OF WIVES (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether it is a mortal sin to have
intercourse with a concubine? Objection 1: It would seem ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it is a mortal 3.htm

Meanwhile My Sins were Being Multiplied, and My Concubine Being ...
... Book VI Chapter XV Meanwhile my sins were being multiplied, and my concubine
being torn from my side as� Meanwhile my sins were ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xv meanwhile my sins.htm

Of Sarah's Handmaid, Hagar, whom She Herself Wished to be ...
... Book XVI. Chapter 25."Of Sarah's Handmaid, Hagar, Whom She Herself Wished
to Be Abraham's Concubine. And here follow the times ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 25 of sarahs handmaid hagar.htm

Whether it May have Been Lawful by Dispensation to Put Away a Wife ...
... Objection 2: Further, a concubine differs from a wife especially in the fact
that she is not inseparably united. But by no dispensation ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether it may have been.htm

Whether Irregularity is Contracted by Marrying one who is not a ...
... Also that the synagogue was first united to Christ as a concubine; so that the
sacrament loses nothing of its signification if the bridegroom previously had a ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether irregularity is contracted by.htm

Of Plurality of Wives (Five Articles)
... (3) Whether it is against the natural law to have a concubine? (4) Whether
it is a mortal sin to have intercourse with a concubine? ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/of plurality of wives five.htm

Letter clxvii . To Rusticus, Bishop of Gallia Narbonensis, with ...
... law had its beginning. And so a wife is different from a concubine, even
as a bondwoman from a freewoman. For which reason also ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/letter clxvii to rusticus.htm

Chapter xxv
... This wife is listed in v.6 as having been only on the level of a "concubine,"
so also 1 Chronicles 1:32. That raises the much discussed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxv.htm

Thesaurus

Concubine (21 Occurrences)
... Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife
and a concubine was less Marked than it would be amongst us. ...
/c/concubine.htm - 15k

Aiah (7 Occurrences)
... (2) Father of Rizpah, a concubine of Saul, about whom ... 2 Samuel 21:11 It was told
David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. ...
/a/aiah.htm - 9k

Gibeah (52 Occurrences)
... It was here that the terrible outrage was committed on the Levite's concubine which
led to the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19; 20 ...
/g/gibeah.htm - 30k

Ishbosheth (13 Occurrences)
... come to a close until Abner, angry on account of the rebuke he suffered from
Ish-Bosheth for his unlawful intimacy with Rizpah, Saul's concubine, joined David ...
/i/ishbosheth.htm - 14k

Rizpah (4 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah:
and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine...
/r/rizpah.htm - 10k

Maachah (19 Occurrences)
... (5) Concubine of Caleb, son of Hezron (1 Chronicles 2:48). ... (KJV DBY WBS YLT). 1
Chronicles 2:48 Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah. ...
/m/maachah.htm - 16k

Concubinage (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The cohabiting of a man and a woman who
are not legally married; the state of being a concubine. ...
/c/concubinage.htm - 7k

Ai'ah (5 Occurrences)
... 2 Samuel 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah:
and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine...
/a/ai'ah.htm - 7k

Ish-bosheth (14 Occurrences)
... come to a close until Abner, angry on account of the rebuke he suffered from
Ish-Bosheth for his unlawful intimacy with Rizpah, Saul's concubine, joined David ...
/i/ish-bosheth.htm - 15k

Polygamy
... The prisoner of war becomes property and passes from hand to hand by gift or sale.
So woman-the weaker party-endures what comes to her as slave, concubine. ...
/p/polygamy.htm - 19k

Bible Concordance

Concubine (21 Occurrences)

Genesis 22:24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 35:22 It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 36:12 Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 8:31 His concubine who was in Shechem, she also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:1 It happened in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the farther side of the hill country of Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem Judah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:2 His concubine played the prostitute against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and was there the space of four months.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Judges 19:9 When the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father-in-law, the young lady's father, said to him, "Behold, now the day draws toward evening, please stay all night: behold, the day grows to an end, lodge here, that your heart may be merry; and tomorrow go on your way early, that you may go home."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:10 But the man wouldn't stay that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus (the same is Jerusalem): and there were with him a couple of donkeys saddled; his concubine also was with him.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:24 Behold, here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. I will bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them what seems good to you; but to this man don't do any such folly."
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:25 But the men wouldn't listen to him: so the man laid hold of his concubine, and brought her out to them; and they had sex with her, and abused her all night until the morning: and when the day began to dawn, they let her go.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:27 Her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 19:29 When he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 20:4 The Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered, "I came into Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 20:5 The men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house by night. They thought to have slain me, and they forced my concubine, and she is dead.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 20:6 I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 21:11 It was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 1:32 The sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba, and Dedan.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 2:46 Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, and Moza, and Gazez; and Haran became the father of Gazez.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 2:48 Maacah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 7:14 The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom his concubine the Aramitess bore: she bore Machir the father of Gilead:
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Concubine

Related Terms

Aiah (7 Occurrences)

Gibeah (52 Occurrences)

Ishbosheth (13 Occurrences)

Rizpah (4 Occurrences)

Maachah (19 Occurrences)

Concubinage (1 Occurrence)

Ai'ah (5 Occurrences)

Ish-bosheth (14 Occurrences)

Polygamy