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 Kings 11:3

He had seven hundred wives, princesses: The word princesses is in apposition to the word wives. The English word “princess” refers to the daughter of a king. The Good News Translation rendering “Solomon married seven hundred princesses” is perhaps misleading since it may suggest that Solomon married seven hundred women whose fathers were kings. But the Hebrew noun rendered princesses generally refers to a queen. The word princesses is in the text to distinguish these wives from the wives who were concubines. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh accurately renders wives, princesses as “royal wives”

Concubines were servant women who, although not wives, had sexual relations with their masters. They had important legal rights, and their masters were referred to as their husbands. The rendering of Contemporary English Version (“other women”) is a rather weak translation of the meaning of this difficult term. New Century Version “slave women” is somewhat better. They are referred to in Bible en français courant as “wives of second rank.” In some other languages they have been called “servant-wives.”

His wives turned away his heart: These words refer back to the words of verse 2. It is implied in Revised Standard Version and in Hebrew that Solomon’s heart was turned away from God. In many languages this should be made explicit. Compare “they led his heart away from the LORD” (New Living Translation).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .