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Bible Encyclopedias
Concubinage
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Concubinage, in a Scriptural sense, means the state of cohabiting lawfully with a wife of second rank, who enjoyed no other conjugal right but that of cohabitation, and whom the husband could repudiate, and send away with a small present (). In like manner, he could, by means of presents, exclude his children by her from the heritage (). Such concubines had Nahor (), Abraham (), Jacob (), Eliphas (), Gideon (), Saul (), David (;; ), Solomon (), Caleb (), Manasseh (), Rehoboam (), Abiah (), and Belshazzar (). To judge from the conjugal histories of Abraham and Jacob (Genesis 16, 30), the immediate cause of concubinage was the barrenness of the lawful wife, who in that case introduced her maid-servant, of her own accord, to her husband, for the sake of having children. Accordingly we do not read that Isaac, son of Abraham, had any concubine, Rebekah, his wife, not being barren. In process of time, however, concubinage appears to have degenerated into a regular custom among the Jews, and the institutions of Moses were directed to prevent excess and abuse in that respect, by wholesome laws and regulations (; ). It would seem that the unfaithfulness of a concubine was not regarded as an act of real adultery (). When a son had intercourse with the concubine of his father, a sort of family punishment, we are informed, was inflicted on him (; ).
In the Talmud, the Rabbins differ as to what constitutes concubinage; some regarding as its distinguishing feature the absence of the betrothing ceremonies, and of the portion of property allotted to a woman by special engagement, and to which she was entitled on the marriage day, after the decease of the husband, or in case of repudiation; others, again, the absence of the latter alone.
The Roman law calls concubinage an allowed custom. When this expression occurs in the constitutions of the Christian emperors, it signifies what we now sometimes call a marriage of conscience. The concubinage tolerated among the Romans, in the time of the Republic and of the heathen emperors, was that between persons not capable of contracting legal marriage. Inheritances might descend to children that sprung from such a tolerated cohabitance. Concubinage between such persons they looked on as a kind of marriage, and even allowed it several privileges; but then it was confined to a single person, and was of perpetual obligation, as much as marriage itself. Concubinage is also used to signify a marriage with a woman of inferior condition, to whom the husband does not convey his rank. Dajos (Paratilla) observes, that the ancient laws allowed a man to espouse, under the title of concubine, certain persons who were esteemed unequal to him, on account of the want of some qualities requisite to sustain the full honor of marriage; and he adds, that though such concubinage was beneath marriage both as to dignity and civil rights, yet was concubine a reputable title, and very different from that of 'mistress' among us. The connection was considered so lawful that the concubine might be accused of adultery in the same manner as a wife.
This kind of concubinage is still in use in some countries, particularly in Germany, under the title of halb-ehe (half-marriage), or left-hand marriage, in allusion to the manner of its being contracted, namely, by the man giving the woman his left hand instead of the right. This is a real marriage, though without the usual solemnity, and the parties are both bound to each other forever, though the female cannot bear the husband's name and title.
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Concubinage'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/c/concubinage.html.
