By holy example concubinage is stated for Abraham in Genesis 25:6.

By holy example concubinage is stated for Abraham in Genesis 25:6. The word appears here in the plural, indicating that Abraham had more than one concubine. One difference between wife and concubine is stated: the children of the wife inherit, while those of the concubine are given gifts at the father's discretion. This is the one characteristic limitation of concubinage which the Bible states. It otherwise seems to assume that concubinage is well-known and needs no further description.

The extensive marriage description in Genesis twenty ­four adds little legislation. Genesis 24:4 suggests by holy example that relatives are preferable mates than non­relatives, but the real sense of the…