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SUBJECT · Complete Bible Study

Concubine

פילגש. This term, in western authors, commonly signifies, a woman, who, without being married to a man, yet lives with him as his wife; This unified study connects 7 installed resource categories without replacing their source records.

View overview sources
  • Historical Reference: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)
  • Historical Reference: topics
  • Historical Reference: A Biblical and Theological Dictionary
  • Historical Reference: concordance
  • Historical Reference: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible lexical data / BDB-Strong mapping
  • Historical Reference: Installed reference work
41Scriptures2Strong's3Lexicons2Dictionaries1Topics43Occurrences1Ancient References1UNLEARN Studies

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Study overview

Study at a glance

Subject type
Subject
Strong’s
H6370, H3904
Hebrew
פִּלֶ֫גֶשׁ · pîylegesh

Strong’s and original-language information

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon

לְחֵנָה

H3904
Transliteration
lᵉchênâh
Pronunciation
lekh-ay-naw'
Language
Hebrew
Indexed occurrences
3

Glosses

concubine.

Lexicon definition

a concubine

Greek lexical coverage

No safely matched Greek Strong’s entry

G—

The installed lexicons do not contain a sufficiently exact Greek word-level match for this study. UNLEARN leaves this language unassigned instead of displaying an unrelated Strong’s record.

Complete dictionary entries

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

Concubine

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).

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) · View data sources

A Biblical and Theological Dictionary

CONCUBINE

פילגש. This term, in western authors, commonly signifies, a woman, who, without being married to a man, yet lives with him as his wife; but, in the sacred writers, the word concubine is understood in another sense; meaning a lawful wife, but one not wedded with all the ceremonies and solemnities of matrimony; a wife of the second rank, inferior to the first wife, or mistress of the house. Children of concubines did not inherit their father’s fortune; but he might provide for, and make presents to, them. Thus Abraham, by Sarah his wife, had Isaac, his heir; but, by his two concubines, Hagar and Keturah, he had other children, whom he did not make equal to Isaac. As polygamy was tolerated in the east, it was common to see in every family, beside lawful wives, several concubines. Since the abrogation of polygamy by Jesus Christ, and the restoration of marriage to its primitive institution, concubinage is ranked with adultery or fornication.

Source: A Biblical and Theological Dictionary · View data sources

Concordance

Strong's Concordance

Concubine

Indexed occurrences: 21

Source: Strong's Concordance · View data sources

Strong's Concordance

Concubines

Indexed occurrences: 18

Source: Strong's Concordance · View data sources

All Scripture references41 references

Genesis 5

Genesis 16:1Genesis 22:24Genesis 25:6Genesis 35:22Genesis 36:12

Judges 12

Judges 8:31Judges 19:1Judges 19:2Judges 19:9Judges 19:10Judges 19:24Judges 19:25Judges 19:27Judges 19:29Judges 20:4Judges 20:5Judges 20:6

2 Samuel 9

2 Samuel 3:72 Samuel 5:132 Samuel 15:162 Samuel 16:212 Samuel 16:222 Samuel 19:52 Samuel 19:62 Samuel 20:32 Samuel 21:11

1 Kings 1

1 Kings 11:3

1 Chronicles 5

1 Chronicles 1:321 Chronicles 2:461 Chronicles 2:481 Chronicles 3:91 Chronicles 7:14

2 Chronicles 1

2 Chronicles 11:21

Esther 1

Esther 2:14

Ecclesiastes 1

Ecclesiastes 2:8

Song of Solomon 2

Song of Solomon 6:8Song of Solomon 6:9

Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 23:20

Daniel 3

Daniel 5:2Daniel 5:3Daniel 5:23

Topical Bible

Sources

Ancient Context1 items

Josephus Antiquities Whiston

How Herod And Philip Built Several Cities In Honor Of Cæsar. Concerning The Succession Of Priests And Procurators; As Also What Befell Phraates And The Parthians.

Antiquities Book 18, Chapter 2

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Related UNLEARN Content1 items

Dictionary

Concubine

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).

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