Is a concubine a second wife?

A wife had more status than a concubine. Secondary wife, is still a wife, which means that she would undergo a wedding ceremony to be part of the family. But a concubine is just a sleeping partner with not much rights.

Can concubines be male?

In the Judeo-Christian world, the term concubine has generally been applied exclusively to women, although a cohabiting male may also be called a concubine.

How many concubines did King David have?

For David, the second king of Israel, we do read about his 7 wives, but the Bible doesn’t give a number about how many concubines. How many wives did Solomon have? Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubine. This can be found in 1 King 11:3 where we read that Solomon “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines”.

Was it ever acceptable for a married man to have a concubine?

“In the ancient Near East, it was acceptable for a married man to have a secondary wife or concubine, so long as he had the resources to support a large family. Apart from working in the home and providing sexual companionship, a major role for a concubine would be to produce children, to increase the work force in a household.

How many wives and concubines did Solomon have?

Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubine. This can be found in 1 King 11:3 where we read that Solomon “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines”. These wives and concubines were from heathen nations that opposed the the worship of the God of Israel.

What are the characteristics of a concubine?

1 A woman’s status as a concubine was higher than a slave but lower than a wife. 2 Concubines were entitled to proper food and clothing. 3 Concubines could not get a bill of divorce like a wife could. 4 A concubine’s children were legitimate, but they may have been socially considered secondary to the children born from a wife.