Concubinage
Culture & Societyâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
Concubinage functioned as a secondary marital arrangement in ancient Israelite society, distinct from full marriage, where a man took a concubine primarily to expand his household lineage and secure offspring. This practice was prevalent among patriarchal figures and served to address issues of infertility or social advancement within the kinship structure.
What is the meaning of Concubinage in the Bible?
Concubinage functioned as a secondary marital arrangement in ancient Israelite society, distinct from full marriage, where a man took a concubine primarily to expand his household lineage and secure offspring. This practice was prevalent among patriarchal figures and served to address issues of infertility or social advancement within the kinship structure.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding concubinage clarifies the complex kinship dynamics and legal statuses within biblical narratives, revealing how household expansion and inheritance rights were managed through varied marital forms beyond the primary wife-husband relationship.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
- Why did the biblical author mention Concubinage in this passage?
- What cultural or historical assumption does Concubinage clarify?
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Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.