Pilegesh פִּלֶ֫גֶשׁ

Pilegesh (Hebrew פִּלֶ֫גֶשׁ, Strong's H6370) is a Hebrew feminine noun meaning “concubine”. It occurs 37 times in 35 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Pilegesh, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Genesis

• Genesis 22:24
  And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bare also Tebah, and Gaham, and Thahash, and Maachah.Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
• Genesis 25:6
  But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.But while he was still alive, Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.
• Genesis 35:22
  And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
• Genesis 36:12
  And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.

Judges

• Judges 8:31
  And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.His concubine, who dwelt in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
• Judges 19:1
  And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Beth–lehem–judah.Now in those days, when there was no king in Israel, a Levite who lived in the remote hill country of Ephraim took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah.
• Judges 19:2
  And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Beth–lehem–judah, and was there four whole months.But she was unfaithful to him and left him to return to her father’s house in Bethlehem in Judah. After she had been there four months,
• Judges 19:9
  And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel’s father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
• Judges 19:10
  But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.But the man was unwilling to spend the night. He got up and departed, and arrived opposite Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine.
• Judges 19:24
  Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
• Judges 19:25
  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.But the men would not listen to him. So the Levite 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 19:27
  And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.In the morning, when her master got up and opened the doors of the house to go out on his journey, there was his concubine, collapsed in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold.
• Judges 19:29
  And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.When he reached his house, he picked up a knife, took hold of his concubine, cut her limb by limb into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout the territory of Israel.
• Judges 20:4
  And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered: “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.
• Judges 20:5
  And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.
• Judges 20:6
  And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.Then I took my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout the land of Israel’s inheritance, because they had committed a lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 3:7
  And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish–bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father’s concubine?Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
• 2 Samuel 5:13
  And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.After he had arrived from Hebron, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
• 2 Samuel 15:16
  And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
• 2 Samuel 16:21
  And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”
• 2 Samuel 16:22
  So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
• 2 Samuel 19:5
  And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines;Then Joab went into the house and said to the king, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, of your wives, and of your concubines.
• 2 Samuel 20:3
  And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
• 2 Samuel 21:11
  And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 11:3
  And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.

1 Chronicles

• 1 Chronicles 1:32
  Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.
• 1 Chronicles 2:46
  And Ephah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Haran, and Moza, and Gazez: and Haran begat Gazez.Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza, and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.
• 1 Chronicles 2:48
  Maachah, Caleb’s concubine, bare Sheber, and Tirhanah.Caleb’s concubine Maacah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah.
• 1 Chronicles 3:9
  These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.
• 1 Chronicles 7:14
  The sons of Manasseh; Ashriel, whom she bare: (but his concubine the Aramitess bare Machir the father of Gilead:The descendants of Manasseh: Through his Aramean concubine, Asriel, as well as Machir the father of Gilead.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 11:21
  And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Esther

• Esther 2:14
  In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.

Song of Solomon

• Song of Solomon 6:8
  There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number,
• Song of Solomon 6:9
  My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the favorite of the mother who bore her. The maidens see her and call her blessed; the queens and concubines sing her praises.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 23:20
  For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.and lusted after their lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).