The term "servant-wife" refers to a woman who, in biblical times, was given to a husband by his wife to bear children on her behalf. This practice is most notably illustrated in the narratives of the patriarchs in the Old Testament. The concept of a servant-wife is intertwined with the cultural and legal customs of the ancient Near East, where childbearing was a significant aspect of family and social life.

Hagar and Sarah

The most prominent example of a servant-wife in the Bible is Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of Sarah, Abraham's wife. In Genesis 16, Sarah, who was barren, gave Hagar to Abraham as a wife to produce an heir. Genesis 16:2 states, "So Sarai said to Abram, 'Look now, the LORD has prevented me from having children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.'" Hagar conceived and bore Ishmael, but the arrangement led to tension and conflict between Sarah and Hagar.

Bilhah and Zilpah

Another example is found in the account of Jacob, who had children with two servant-wives, Bilhah and Zilpah. Rachel, Jacob's beloved wife, was initially barren and gave her maidservant Bilhah to Jacob as a wife. Genesis 30:3 records Rachel's words: "Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Go and sleep with her, that she may bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family." Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali. Similarly, Leah, Jacob's first wife, gave her maidservant Zilpah to Jacob, resulting in the birth of Gad and Asher (Genesis 30:9-13).

Cultural Context

The practice of taking a servant-wife was not unique to the Hebrew people but was a common custom in the ancient Near East. It was a socially accepted solution for childlessness, which was often seen as a misfortune or divine disfavor. The children born to servant-wives were considered legitimate heirs, although their status could be complex, as seen in the tensions between Sarah and Hagar.

Legal and Social Implications

The role of a servant-wife was legally recognized, and her children could inherit alongside those of the primary wife. However, the dynamics within the household could be fraught with rivalry and jealousy, as the narratives of Hagar and Sarah, as well as Rachel and Leah, demonstrate. The servant-wife's position was subordinate, and her status depended largely on the favor of the primary wife and the husband.

Theological Reflections

From a theological perspective, the accounts of servant-wives highlight themes of faith, divine promise, and human agency. The narratives underscore the importance of God's covenant promises, as seen in the eventual birth of Isaac to Sarah, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. The use of servant-wives also reflects human attempts to fulfill divine promises through culturally accepted means, sometimes leading to unforeseen consequences and moral complexities.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul references the account of Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4:22-31 to illustrate the difference between the old covenant of the law and the new covenant of grace. Paul uses Hagar, the servant-wife, as a symbol of the old covenant, while Sarah represents the new covenant, emphasizing the freedom and promise found in Christ.

The concept of a servant-wife, while rooted in ancient customs, provides rich material for understanding the social, legal, and theological dimensions of biblical narratives.

First of Conversion
... of whom they said that he chastised his body with marvellous sharpness for fifteen
years, and afterwards he lapsed into sin with his servant's wife, nor might ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/rolle/the fire of love/chapter i first of conversion.htm

Servant-wife (12 Occurrences)
Servant-wife. Servant's, Servant-wife. Servant-wives . Multi-Version
Concordance Servant-wife (12 Occurrences). Judges ...
/s/servant-wife.htm - 10k

Townsmen (18 Occurrences)
... my father's family this day, and have put to death his sons, even seventy men on
one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his servant-wife, king over the ...
/t/townsmen.htm - 12k

Servant's (29 Occurrences)

/s/servant's.htm - 15k

Inmost (49 Occurrences)
... there was no king in Israel, a certain Levite was living in the inmost parts of
the hill-country of Ephraim, and he got for himself a servant-wife from Beth ...
/i/inmost.htm - 20k

Aramaean (13 Occurrences)
... (BBE YLT). 1 Chronicles 7:14 The sons of Manasseh by his servant-wife, the Aramaean
woman: she gave birth to Machir, the father of Gilead; (BBE YLT). ...
/a/aramaean.htm - 10k

Step (41 Occurrences)
... Judges 19:27 In the morning her master got up, and opening the door of the house
went out to go on his way; and he saw his servant-wife stretched on the earth ...
/s/step.htm - 19k

Stopping (22 Occurrences)
... Judges 20:4 Then the Levite, the husband of the dead woman, said in answer, I came
to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin, I and my servant-wife, for the purpose of ...
/s/stopping.htm - 13k

Servant-wives (4 Occurrences)
Servant-wives. Servant-wife, Servant-wives. Servant-woman . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (BBE). Servant-wife, Servant-wives. Servant-woman . Reference Bible
/s/servant-wives.htm - 7k

Stepped (16 Occurrences)
... Judges 19:27 In the morning her master got up, and opening the door of the house
went out to go on his way; and he saw his servant-wife stretched on the earth ...
/s/stepped.htm - 11k

Violently (92 Occurrences)
... of Gibeah came together against me, going round the house on all sides by night;
it was their purpose to put me to death, and my servant-wife was violently ...
/v/violently.htm - 35k

What can we learn from the account of Potiphar's wife? | GotQuestions.org

What are the four Servant Songs in Isaiah? | GotQuestions.org

What should I be looking for in a wife? What does the Bible say about finding a wife? | GotQuestions.org

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus