concubine

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “concubine” in English is translated in Kutu as “slave made to be his woman” or “female slave he married” and similarly in Makonde, “a slave who is/was a wife.”

In Kwere it is translated as “small wives.” This is the term for subsequent wives when polygamy is practiced among the Kwere. While they enjoy most of the same rights and privileges as the first wife, their status is not necessarily the same. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Kalanga it is likewise translated with balongwana or “small wives.” (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Concubine .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 2:48

Maacah, Caleb’s concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanan: Some versions render concubine as “another concubine” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente; similarly New Living Translation), since verse 46 refers to Ephah, a different concubine of Caleb. The Hebrew verb rendered bore is third person masculine, but the context clearly requires that the verb be corrected to read “she bore.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .