or פִּלֶגֶשׁ; of uncertain derivation; a concubine; also (masculine) a paramour; concubine, paramour.
Transliteration:pîylegesh
Pronunciation:pee-leh'-ghesh
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew term פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh), also appearing as פִּלֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh), refers primarily to a "concubine" or "secondary wife." While its precise etymological derivation remains uncertain, its consistent usage across the Hebrew Bible points to a well-defined social role in ancient Israel and the broader Near East. A concubine was a woman who lived with a man as his wife but held a subordinate status compared to a primary wife (`{{H802}}` *'ishshah*). She was typically part of the household, often with a recognized, though lesser, legal standing, and could bear children who were considered legitimate heirs to the man. Unlike a prostitute, a concubine was in a more permanent, albeit unequal, domestic arrangement. The term can also, less commonly, denote a "paramour" for a male, though its primary biblical application is feminine. Her role often involved providing heirs when a primary wife was barren, or serving as a marker of a man's wealth and status.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The term פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh) appears numerous times throughout the Old Testament, illuminating the social customs of the patriarchal and monarchical periods. Notable instances include:
* **Abraham and Keturah:** After Sarah's death, Abraham took Keturah as a concubine, who bore him several sons [[Genesis 25:6]]. These sons, while receiving gifts, were sent away from Isaac, the son of the primary covenant wife.
* **Jacob's Concubines:** Bilhah and Zilpah, the handmaids of Rachel and Leah respectively, served as concubines for Jacob, bearing him sons who became tribal progenitors [[Genesis 30:3-4]], [[Genesis 30:9-10]]. This practice was a means of securing offspring when the primary wives were barren, demonstrating the importance of progeny in the ancient world.
* **Gideon's Concubine:** Gideon, the judge, had a concubine in Shechem who bore him a son, Abimelech [[Judges 8:31]]. Abimelech later tragically seized power and murdered his seventy half-brothers, illustrating the potential for strife within such complex family structures.
* **Saul's Concubine:** Rizpah, the concubine of King Saul, suffered greatly when David handed her sons over to the Gibeonites for execution, highlighting the vulnerability of concubines and their offspring in political power struggles [[2 Samuel 3:7]], [[2 Samuel 21:8-11]].
* **David's Concubines:** King David had a number of concubines, a common practice for kings in the ancient Near East as a display of power and prestige [[2 Samuel 5:13]]. The most poignant narrative involving David's concubines is Absalom's public defilement of them, a deliberate act designed to usurp his father's throne and publicly claim kingship [[2 Samuel 16:21-22]]. This act underscores the symbolic importance of a king's concubines as extensions of his authority and honor.
* **The Levite's Concubine:** The harrowing account in [[Judges 19]] depicts a Levite's concubine who is brutally abused and murdered, leading to a civil war among the tribes of Israel. This narrative starkly portrays the precarious and often unprotected status of concubines, particularly when societal norms and moral order had disintegrated.
These occurrences reveal that concubinage was a recognized, though often morally ambiguous, social institution in ancient Israel, frequently tied to issues of lineage, inheritance, status, and power dynamics.
### Related Words & Concepts
The term פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh) exists within a semantic field related to marriage and household structure. It is distinct from `{{H802}}` *'ishshah* (wife), which denotes a primary, full-status spouse. While a concubine might be a former handmaid (`{{H519}}` *'amah* or `{{H8198}}` *shiphchah*), her elevation to concubine status granted her a higher position than a mere slave, often with the right to bear legitimate children for her master.
Concepts closely associated with פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh) include:
* **Polygamy:** The practice of having multiple wives, which was common in the Old Testament period and often included both primary wives and concubines.
* **Levirate Marriage:** Though distinct, the concept of ensuring a man's lineage through his brother's widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) shares the underlying concern for perpetuating the family name and inheritance, a concern also addressed by concubinage.
* **Household Structure:** Concubines were integral parts of extended patriarchal households, contributing to the family's size and social standing.
* **Inheritance:** The status of children born to concubines was often recognized, though they might receive a lesser inheritance or be distinguished from the heirs of the primary wife, as seen with Abraham's sons by Keturah.
### Theological Significance
The presence of concubinage in the biblical narrative reflects a descriptive account of ancient Near Eastern societal norms rather than a prescriptive endorsement of the practice by God. While the Bible records the existence of concubines among patriarchs, judges, and kings, it never presents this arrangement as the divine ideal for marriage.
The foundational biblical ideal for marriage, established in [[Genesis 2:24]], speaks of a man leaving his father and mother and being united to *his wife* (singular), becoming "one flesh." This monogamous union is consistently upheld as the divine standard in the New Testament (e.g., [[Matthew 19:4-6]], [[Ephesians 5:31-33]]).
Narratives involving concubines often serve to highlight human fallenness, family dysfunction, and the consequences of departing from God's original design. The tragic story in [[Judges 19]] is a stark example of how the breakdown of moral order and respect for human dignity (including that of a concubine) can lead to horrific violence and societal chaos. Absalom's public defilement of David's concubines [[2 Samuel 16:21-22]] is presented as a heinous act of rebellion and a fulfillment of divine judgment against David's own sin.
Thus, while concubinage was a socio-legal reality in the Old Testament, the biblical text, particularly when viewed holistically through the lens of progressive revelation, does not affirm it as God's will. Instead, these accounts often serve as sober reminders of human sin, cultural compromise, and the need for God's redemptive work to restore human relationships to His perfect design.
### Summary
The Hebrew word פִּילֶגֶשׁ (pîylegesh) denotes a "concubine" or "secondary wife" in ancient Israel, a woman who held a recognized but subordinate position within a man's household. Her role was often tied to the production of heirs, especially when a primary wife was barren, and could also signify a man's wealth and status. Biblical narratives frequently feature concubines, from the patriarchs to the kings, illustrating the social customs of the time. However, these accounts often reveal the precarious status of concubines and are sometimes used to portray the consequences of human sin, family strife, and societal decay (e.g., [[Judges 19]], Absalom's actions). The biblical record of concubinage is descriptive of historical practice, not prescriptive of divine will, standing in contrast to the foundational and New Testament ideal of monogamous marriage established in [[Genesis 2:24]].
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