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in Exodus 21:10 and Deuteronomy 21:14. Zeitschrift Fr Altorientalische Und Biblische Rechtsgeschichte / Journal for Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Law, vol. Saul uses her, as he did her older . Her purpose was to provide a male heir in the case of a barren wife, to provide more children in general to enhance the familys workforce and wealth, and to satisfy the mans sexual desires. In other words, the historical data would argue that this incident was not, in fact, a case of public rape of ten women. 23 Instances - Page 1 of 1 - Sort by Book Order - Feedback. It probably included only two wives, if one of them could not have children if she was barren. Gods providence. He said, Good! Who Were David's Wives, and Why Should We Know Their Names? They are recorded in 1 Kings 11:1-8. When this happened, the law allowed a man to take a second wife so that the family could have an heir. Michal scolded her husband for publicly dancing before God. Crosswalk.com, Gods Plan for Marriage: Dealing with Old Testament Polygamy. Gregory Alan Thornbury, 2012. There are a variety of reasons to learn about them, with two particularly clear ones. The Lord granted her request and gave her Samuel, the gift-child she offered back to Him. JSTOR. Also, the heinous sin David committed with Bathsheba resulted in David writing Psalm 51, which has long been a staple for all believers when we have given in to sin and need to repent. Rizpah was a concubine of King Saul. 1 Kings 1:4 says Abishag looked after the king and took care of him. Listen to our episode on David right now: G. Connor Salter is a writer and editor, with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing from Taylor University. Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. Or more? Is Michal's childlessness a consequence of her criticism to David's It included DAM EN, women of the king, who lived in their own building and who were assisted by a group of officialsThese women were sometimes placed in charge of important sectors of palace work, especially the manufacture of textiles. [OT:CANE:1224, note that the ten concubines were left in charge of the palace, an administrative tasknot just housekeeping!]. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. Solomon replied, you might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! (1 Kings 2:22). Her dignity had to be guarded, and she could not be treated like a slave. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. In all of Scripture, the life of David may be the most dramatic recorded. 5. While reading through Davids life, it is evident he did not always make good decisions. After this woman reconciled with her husband, she left her fathers house with him to travel back to their home in another city. However, these lists only mention the wives that David had sons with, and the 1 Chronicles list ends with "these were the. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself! This was an act of loyalty on the part of the vassal, who would then have a personal stake in preserving the dynasty. The account is given for our instruction and encouragement. You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. Why Was David Allowed to Take so Many Wives (and Who Were They)? Davids family life was by far his biggest failure. However, after Solomon became king, Adonijah used Bathsheba to ask Solomon a favor: he wanted Abishags hand in marriage (1 Kings 2:13-23). In the Bible, a concubine was a woman acquired by a man as a secondary wife. Even in light of Davids polygamy, we can trust God worked through all things for His glory. In the New Testament, Jesus uses the example of a man born blind to explain that the seemingly inexplicable suffering we endure is not a result of sin (see John 9 ). applicable to all Jewish men, although not to Jewish women (Yev. The King James Version renders it as "tender eyed," while the New Living Translation says "There was no sparkle in Leah's eyes," and the Amplified Bible says "Leah's eyes were weak and dull looking.". 6. 2. The list of wives married during his exile is repeated in 2 Samuel 3:2-5. Free Will. Like several other mothers in the Bible, she knew what it meant to suffer long years of barrenness. She was barren but prayed to God year after year for a child. There are six barren women in the Bible: three of the four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel) in Genesis; Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2); the anonymous wife of Manoah, mother of Samson (Judges 13); and the "great woman of Shunem," also called the Shunammite, an acolyte of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-44).In some cases, the presence of a fertile, though less . These marriages (and wives) were not Davids possession in any sense of the word-they were more like national assets (like a king would be). A concubine was endowed with rights and protections by . cemented political alliances with neighboring states and countries. None of this is necessary and it can be avoided if Christians take their studies of the Scripture seriously instead of shying away from difficult passages in the Bible. may have strengthened the resolve of Absaloms supporters since this final humiliation of David was a deliberately public act, at least according to the narrator.. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. - In Deuteronomy 24:5, God made instructions for a husband to prioritize his wifes happiness. I think that most people would agree that isn't true, regardless of one's definition of rape. - In Genesis 2:22-24, God clearly designed marriage to be a union of one man and one woman. According to Smiths Bible Dictionary, a concubine would usually be either: 1. This plan failed as Uriah faithfully refused to even go home, lest he sleep with his wife. David slept with Bathsheba and arranged for Uriahs death when he discovered Bathsheba was pregnant (2 Samuel 11:14-27). Who Were King David's Wives in the Bible - Names and Importance - Crosswalk The Bible isn't specific about why God allowed his people to continue in sinful systems like this. What Does the Bible Say about Visiting Graves? The Bible doesnt outright say which of Davids wives he favored the most, nor does it give us enough information to guess. I found this article and thought Id put it up because I never could offer an explanation for this. Pruning Season - Greg Laurie Devotion - July 17, 2023. Pastor and therapist Ted Roberts gives an interesting theory in his book Pure Desire and other resources: David may have been stuck in a cycle of sexual bondage. Like many men struggling with pornography or sexual issues, David had a harsh relationship with his father, who called David his youngest son, using a Hebrew word that also means unimportant. Men with sexual issues also have illicit behavior they try to hide (David hid his affair with Bathsheba), and pass on their dysfunctional behavior to their children without ever confronting the problem (Amnon rapes his half-sister, David got angry but did nothing about it). A concubines children were legitimate, but they may have been socially considered secondary to the children born from a wife. To establish his authority as the new king, Absalom took ten of his fathers concubines and slept with them in public (2 Samuel 16:15-23). When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Regardless of which one is correct, the fact remains David made a mistake having so many wives. One last word: read Proverbs 31 for a description of The Perfect Wife. Zavada, Jack. Christianity.com, Smiths Bible Dictionary Concubine. So she gave her Egyptian slave Hagar to Abraham, to be his secondary wife and give him a son read Hagars story. We know Abigail was unusually wise, and nothing about how she related to David later in life. Why I Think President Donald Trump Was Called ByGod, The Prophetic Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Judas ofIscariot. Genesis 25:6 suggests that Keturah was Abrahams concubine. If he changed his mind after they were married, she had to be granted her freedom. These 10 women were also sexually violated by a political rival to the throne, Absolom. Leah was a loving and faithful wife. A WOMAN WHO MOCKED DAVID REGRETTED HER ACTION - 2 Samuel - Biblearena The fact that female prisoners of war could be taken as wives by the Israelites does not sanction the practice so much as regulate and transform an existing evil.. She was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of Milcah and Iscah. Leah bore more children, a highly honored achievement in ancient Israel. Concubines could not get a bill of divorce like a wife could. Who Was Childless in the Bible? - Bible Study Genesis 11:30 KJV, "Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the barren land his dwellings." Although a rare practice, it was considered a parental right to sell ones child as a slave. Leah's story in the Bible is told in Genesis chapters 29-31, 33-35, 46, and 49. 2 Samuel 3:4. and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 2 Samuel 3:5. and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. And his wife was barren and had no children. All rights reserved. GotQuestions.org, Who was Keturah in the Bible?. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord. Sarai, Being Barren, Gives Hagar To AbramIsaac Prays For Rebekah, Being BarrenHe Cherishes Hannah, Though Barren, And Provoked By PeninnahMore BarrenPatmosWildernessGilboaLeafElementsSaltMore "But Sarai was barren; she had no child." After Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom killed him (2 Samuel 13:23-38). f. That this event was understood as a marriageinstead of a rapeis also supported by Davids actions upon his return and after the death of Absalom: the women were placed in a separate harem-house, provided for, and treated as royal widows: David went to his palace in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines he had left to mind the palace and put them in a guarded place; he provided for them, but he did not cohabit with them. Ahinoam: Introduced in 1 Samuel 25:43, Ahinoam is mostly mentioned alongside Abigail, since both wives accompanied David together while He fled Saul. It may be shocking to suggest King David had sexual issues, but its not out of the question. Hagar was Sarahs handmaid. Historical Old Testament accounts should be approached and applied differently than, for example, Apostolic letters in the New Testament. So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. Michal was the wife who found herself in the kind of family feud that many women face, except that Michal's family feud was on a scale that determined the future of Israel. (LogOut/ In the morning, she found her way to the front door of the house and died there. Given that Biblical genealogies are not always definitive (sometimes they just mention notable family members or the notable offspring), there could be wives the Bible doesnt mention. You read that correctly, God recorded Davids polygamous lifestyle for our instruction and encouragement. Concubines were entitled to proper food and clothing. Leah's name is variously said to mean "wild cow," "gazelle," "wearied," and "weary" in Hebrew. David clearly struggled with this many times. Then Saul dies, David comes to the throne and he decides that he wants Michal back as his wife, (most . Why didnt God step in to say this practice is harmful and should not be done by Gods people? Article Images Copyright . When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. Affliction: Punishment from God orBlessing? Stephen Baker is a graduate of Mount Union University. They remained in seclusion until the day they died, in living widowhood. More and more I am finding out that itll be good to understand the cultural background of the period in which the Old Testament was written in to have a better understanding of why some things were done the way they were. This raises what is for me a more disturbing point of logic: that marriage and rape appear to be defined as mutually exclusive. Ironically, David's second response to Michal failed to contribute to God's worship. Does God Tempt? Im going to add a few more books in a couple of days or so. https://www.learnreligions.com/leah-first-wife-of-jacob-701187 (accessed July 18, 2023). Of course, rich men probably took advantage of the situation to marry several wives simply because they wanted to, and were able to do so. Eventually, Absalom was ousted and killed (2 Samuel 18), but the troubles continued. This does NOT mean they were placed or confined in a prison of sorts. The story of poor, lovely Rachel and her older sister, the under-appreciated Leah, has the same scenario. (Because God punished her for criticizing her husband David for dancing nearly naked in front of God and everybody.) As a result, David took up arms with 400 of his men to seek . 300 Concubines are the unnamed concubines of King Solomon. When Jacob found out he had been tricked, he labored another seven years for Rachel. There are several key places in the Bible that describe Davids wives. arranged a marriage with a daughter of the Mitannian king to demonstrate good relations and end a series of wars with that middle Euphrates kingdom. [BBCOT: at 2 Sam 5.13]. When Jonie quit college to marry Alex, he was a Boy Scout leader with short hair, leading the upright life of a Mormon fundamentalist. However, for people seeking the truth in earnest, it would be disingenuous to ignore any of the relevant factors revealed in Scripture pertaining to this question. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the, He said, Good! But Scripture tells us that he had other wives plus a number of unknown concubines. According to the law, a Hebrew slave would be set free after 6 years of service unless they decided to stay in the household as a slave (Deuteronomy 15:12-17). But both women made the same mistake as Sarah, offering their maidservants to Jacob during times of barrenness. 13, 2007, pp. Zavada, Jack. BibleStudyTools.com, Bakers Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Concubine. Monday Morning Prayers with Rev: 17th July 2023 - Facebook Zavada, Jack. Because Leahs story in the Bible is so intertwined with that of her sister, Rachel, and their husband, Jacob, she often goes unnoticed, living in the shadows. Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. Here are the eight wives: Michalwas Davids original wife, Sauls daughter whom David won by killing 100 Philistines (1 Samuel 18:24-27). This situation was unrecognized by the law because the law insisted that concubines not be treated as slaves (Deuteronomy 21:14). As Old Testament characters go, King David is probably the most famous. The purpose of the law was to expose human sin and point to humanitys need for Christ. Eventually, on Sarahs orders, Abraham expelled Hagar from the tribe the primary wife ruled the other women of the tribe, so Sarah could insist that this be done which she did. (LogOut/ All in all, the Bible makes it clear that Davids polygamy created an enormous amount of pain. . As the mother of Judah, Leah was part of the ancestry that led to the birth of Jesus Christ, the . Why did Michal despise her David? - BibleAsk The Bible also mentions a woman who was not strictly a wife or a concubine, but close enough that it became a problem. The average man had one wife, but was allowed to take a second wife if his first wife was barren. well. 30 Sarai was barren, so she had not borne children. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Choosing a husband or wife. Rather, they are included to show the depth of human depravity the depth of every humans need for Jesus Christ. Bible Answer: Have you ever wondered how many wives David had? 65b-66a).The world was created to be inhabited (Isa. For example, in Ebla a couple of millennia earlier: The royal harem was structured like its equivalents in Old Babylonian Mari. Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. "Polygamy and concubinage were also allowed in ancient Israel and seem to be have been quite common in the patriarchal period (age of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), but after that most marriages of commoners were monogamous.. And the angel of . We can learn much from his mistakes. Feminist writers have portrayed Hagar as a victim, but by the standards of the time she was not. God does not love us because we are beautiful or handsome, brilliant or successful. 10 Concubines are King Davids unnamed concubines. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The Ammonites weren't highly regarded by the Israelites. Its a non-Semitic loanword borrowed to refer to a phenomenon not indigenous to Israel, according to Bakers Dictionary of Biblical Theology. The sixth childless woman in the Bible was the first wife of David, Saul's daughter Michal. They would not relent, so he took his concubine and sent her outside to them, and they raped her and abused her throughout the night, and at dawn they let her go (Judges 19:25). As he took note of her beauty, David abused his authority as King and forced her to lie with him. In the most authoritative Hebrew texts of 2 Samuel 21:8 Merab is not mentioned but Michal is. Many Bible experts say the verse refers to Leah's lack of attractiveness rather than her eyesight. Love in the Bible: From God's Love to the Most Romantic Scriptures, Meet Isaac in the Bible: Abraham's Miracle Son, 8 Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well, Bathsheba, Mother of Solomon, Wife of King David, A Profile of Abraham of the Jewish Nation, Meet Eve: The First Woman, Wife, and Mother of All the Living, 20 Bible Verses for Your Christian Wedding Ceremony, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Ideally, worship propels us from the throne room back to practical Christlike love. God uses infertility along with everything else that happens to us, good or bad for His plan and purposes. Luke 1:36 KJV, "And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not." Who Was Isaiah & Why Was He Important? Learn Religions, Dec. 6, 2021, learnreligions.com/leah-first-wife-of-jacob-701187. Even though God favored his second son with Bathsheba, this doesnt mean that God wanted their relationship to happen. Michal - Wikipedia