What does the Hebrew term 'pilegesh' mean?

'Pilegesh' is a Hebrew term for a concubine, a marital companion of social and legal status inferior to that of a wife. Among the Israelites, men commonly acknowledged their concubines, and such women enjoyed the same rights in the house as legitimate wives.

In the Hebrew of the contemporary State of Israel, 'pilegesh' is often used as the equivalent of the English word "mistress"—i.e., the female partner in extramarital relations—regardless of legal recognition.

Several biblical figures had concubines when they were not able to create natural children with their wives. The most famous example of this was with Abraham and Sarah. Sarah gave her maidservant Hagar to Abraham while maintaining ownership of both maidservant and offspring. Their union produced Ishmael. Hagar gained the status of full wife in regards to Abraham, but nonetheless Sarah retained the status of main wife.

Any offspring created as a result of a union between a 'pilegesh' and a man were on equal legal footing with children of the man and his wife.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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15 Comments

Rick Gray

this is, or should be, called, sexual slavery

Player

Paragraph 3 is the inspiration for Handmaid's Tale but less dystopian.

klmilles

With all the legal manipulating lately over who controls a woman's body and her ability to choose when or if to have kids, every woman remains a Handmaiden. That pesky right to vote will be next.

Jeannie Ellis

klmilles, That's not, strictly speaking, if you read the OT book of Exodus, you'll find that when Moses was planning the land division for the "Promised Land" that a couple of sisters came to him and asked to be given land in their own right--and it was done. In ancient times, as well as today, in nations that embrace Judeo/Christian beliefs women are not considered chattle.

klmilles

klmilles, why, sorry

klmilles

Joe Mangan , I wonder wht the Israelites never had a word for an accepted male partner for a married woman? Sexism, perhaps?

klmilles

Jeannie Ellis, Because the woman's opinion had no value and was not involved in the decision to "cement" anything. Property, after all, has no standing to offer an opinion.

Jeannie Ellis

krkyates, don't wonder about it--the Old Testament didn't say that you should do that, it's an example of a bad practice. In every instance, the lesson at the end of the day is that plural marriages or taking concubines ends poorly. The Bible is full of life lessons on things that people do that just don't work out well for them. Also, it isn't mentioned in the text above, but in a lot of instances in ancient (old testament times) when a leader took extra wives or concubines they were often merely to cement relationships between tribes, both for trade or military.