In biblical terms, the word "consort" generally refers to a spouse, particularly in the context of royalty or leadership. The concept of a consort is significant in understanding the roles and relationships within biblical narratives, especially concerning kings and their queens or wives. The role of a consort can be seen in various instances throughout the Scriptures, where the influence and actions of a spouse have profound implications on the narrative and theological themes.

Old Testament Examples

1. Queen Esther: One of the most notable consorts in the Bible is Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia. Her account is recounted in the Book of Esther, where she plays a crucial role in saving the Jewish people from a plot to annihilate them. Esther's position as consort gave her access to the king, which she used to advocate for her people. Her courage and wisdom are celebrated, and her account highlights the potential influence of a consort in matters of state and faith.

2. Bathsheba: Bathsheba, initially the wife of Uriah the Hittite, became the consort of King David after a series of events marked by sin and repentance (2 Samuel 11-12). As David's wife, Bathsheba bore Solomon, who would succeed David as king. Her role as consort is significant in the royal lineage of Israel, and she is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:6).

3. Jezebel: Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel, is an example of a consort whose influence led to negative consequences. Her account is found in 1 Kings 16-21 and 2 Kings 9. Jezebel promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah, leading Israel into idolatry and away from the worship of Yahweh. Her actions and eventual downfall serve as a cautionary tale about the potential for a consort to lead a nation astray.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not focus extensively on the concept of a royal consort, the idea of marriage and partnership is addressed in various passages. The relationship between husband and wife is often used metaphorically to describe the relationship between Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:22-33, for example, outlines the roles of husbands and wives, emphasizing love, respect, and mutual submission.

Theological Implications

The role of a consort in the Bible often reflects broader themes of influence, authority, and partnership. Consorts in biblical narratives can either support or undermine the spiritual and moral direction of their spouses and, by extension, their nations. The accounts of consorts like Esther and Bathsheba demonstrate the potential for positive influence and redemption, while Jezebel's account serves as a warning against idolatry and moral corruption.

In examining the role of consorts, it is essential to consider the cultural and historical context of the biblical narratives. The influence of a consort was often tied to their proximity to power and their ability to sway the decisions of their royal spouses. This dynamic is evident in the accounts of both righteous and unrighteous consorts, providing valuable lessons on the impact of personal relationships on leadership and faith.1. (n.) An associate; a companion; a partner; especially, a wife or husband of a reigning monarch.

2. (n.) A ship keeping company with another.

3. (n.) Concurrence; conjunction; combination; association; union.

4. (n.) An assembly or association of persons; a company; a group; a combination.

5. (n.) Harmony of sounds; concert, as of musical instruments.

6. (v. i.) To unite or to keep company; to associate; -- used with with.

7. (v. t.) To unite or join, as in affection, harmony, company, marriage, etc.; to associate.

8. (v. t.) To attend; to accompany.

CONSORT

kon-sort' (proskleroo, "to allot," Acts 17:4). The verb may be either in the middle or passive voice. the Revised Version (British and American), the King James Version, and Luther's German translation regard it as middle, and render it: "cast their lots with," "associated," "united with." In advocacy of the passive, see Alford's Greek Testament, proposing: "were added," as if by lot, the allotment eing determined by God who gave them the Holy Spirit directing their choice. The English has the Latin for "lot" as its base.

3656. homileo -- to consort with, hence to converse with
... to consort with, hence to converse with. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: homileo
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-il-eh'-o) Short Definition: I associate with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3656.htm - 6k

4345. proskleroo -- to allot to
... consort with. From pros and kleroo; to give a common lot to, ie (figuratively) to
associate with -- consort with. see GREEK pros. see GREEK kleroo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4345.htm - 6k

2278. chabereth -- consort
... consort. Transliteration: chabereth Phonetic Spelling: (khab-eh'-reth) Short Definition:
companion. ... of chaber Definition consort NASB Word Usage companion (1). ...
/hebrew/2278.htm - 6k

7694. shegal -- (queen) consort
... 7693, 7694. shegal. 7695 . (queen) consort. Transliteration: shegal Phonetic
Spelling: (shay-gawl') Short Definition: queen. Word ...
/hebrew/7694.htm - 6k

7695. shegal -- (royal) consort
... 7694, 7695. shegal. 7696 . (royal) consort. Transliteration: shegal Phonetic
Spelling: (shay-gawl') Short Definition: wives. Word ...
/hebrew/7695.htm - 6k

The Same Pope Also Wrote to King Edwin's Consort...
... BOOK II CHAP. XI. THE same pope also wrote to King Edwin's consort?
[Circ.625 AD] THE same pope also wrote to King Edwin's consort ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xi the same pope.htm

Whether Before the Marriage Has Been Consummated one Consort Can ...
... OF THE IMPEDIMENT TO MARRIAGE, ARISING FROM A SOLEMN VOW (THREE ARTICLES) Whether
before the marriage has been consummated one consort can enter religion ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether before the marriage has.htm

The Triacontad of the Heretics Errs Both by Defect and Excess ...
... II Chapter XII."The Triacontad of the heretics errs both by defect and excess: Sophia
could never have produced anything apart from her consort; Logos and ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xii the triacontad of the.htm

Ep. cxcvii. A Letter of Condolence on the Death of his Sister ...
... her to have been his wife, but produces no evidence of this beyond the ambiguous
expression in this letter which speaks of her as "the true consort of a priest ...
/.../cyril/select letters of saint gregory nazianzen/ep cxcvii a letter of.htm

Appendix.
... in the reign of the Right-faithful Autocrat, our Great Sovereign, Emperor Nicholas
Alexandrovitch of all the Russias, in the time of his Consort, the Right ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/the general menaion/appendix.htm

Other Self-Asserting Augustae --Verina, Ariadne, Sophia, Martina ...
... Verina, the imperial consort of Leo, was a woman of little cultivation but of great
natural gifts, fond of intrigue, ambitious of power, and implacable in ...
/.../women of early christianity/xii other self-asserting augustaeverina ariadne.htm

List of Characters and Places
... Io,"Eye'-o, younger sister to Hotep and Bettis, in love with Seti.
Isis,"Eye'-sis, consort to Osiris and goddess of wisdom. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/list of characters and places.htm

Epistle Xlii. To Eusebius, Archbishop of Thessalonica.
... For it is the care also of a provident shepherd not to delay casting out from consort
with his sound sheep a sickly one that admits not of cure, lest it should ...
/.../the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle xlii to eusebius archbishop.htm

At a Solemn Music
... And keep in tune with Heaven, till GOD ere long. To His celestial consort [90] us
unite,. ... Footnotes: [89] concent, symphony. [90] consort, concert. ...
/.../palgrave/the treasury of sacred song/lxxxiv at a solemn music.htm

Of the Fratricidal Act of the Founder of the Earthly City, and the ...
... as much glory as if one only claimed it; for he who wished to have the glory of
ruling would certainly rule less if his power were shared by a living consort. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 5 of the fratricidal act.htm

Consort (2 Occurrences)
...CONSORT. kon-sort' (proskleroo, "to allot," Acts 17:4). The verb may be either in
the middle or passive voice. ... Multi-Version Concordance Consort (2 Occurrences). ...
/c/consort.htm - 8k

Queen (59 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. QUEEN. kwen: The Bible applies this term:
(1) To the wife of a king ("queen consort") (malkah). ...
/q/queen.htm - 44k

Princess (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) The daughter of a sovereign; a female member of a royal family. 3.
(n.) The consort of a prince; as, the princess of Wales. Int. ...
/p/princess.htm - 8k

Astoreth
... attributes, but in contradistinction to Asherah, whose name and cult had also been
imported from Assyria, became, on the one hand, the colorless consort of Baal ...
/a/astoreth.htm - 10k

Astarte (2 Occurrences)
... attributes, but in contradistinction to Asherah, whose name and cult had also been
imported from Assyria, became, on the one hand, the colorless consort of Baal ...
/a/astarte.htm - 11k

Ashtoreth (3 Occurrences)
... attributes, but in contradistinction to Asherah, whose name and cult had also been
imported from Assyria, became, on the one hand, the colorless consort of Baal ...
/a/ashtoreth.htm - 14k

Yoke (79 Occurrences)
... 18. (vi) To be joined or associated; to be intimately connected; to consort
closely; to mate. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. YOKE. ...
/y/yoke.htm - 40k

Yoke-fellow (1 Occurrence)
... Greek writers of those united by any bond, such as marriage, relationship, office,
labor, study or business; hence, a yoke-fellow, consort, comrade, colleague ...
/y/yoke-fellow.htm - 9k

Yokefellow
... Greek writers of those united by any bond, such as marriage, relationship, office,
labor, study or business; hence, a yoke-fellow, consort, comrade, colleague ...
/y/yokefellow.htm - 9k

Zimri (16 Occurrences)
... Numbers 25:1-5 records how the Israelites, while they were at Shittim, began to
consort with Moabite women and "they (ie the Moabite women) called the people ...
/z/zimri.htm - 18k

Is there a mother god? | GotQuestions.org

Who is the Queen of Heaven? | GotQuestions.org

Does God have a wife? | GotQuestions.org

Consort: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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