Surrogate vs. Concubine
In the early days of Israel, the Law permitted men to take concubines in addition to their wife. It was a committed relationship but considered lower than a marriage. Still, no other man was permitted to have sexual relations with a concubine but her lord and he was not to have sex with anyone other than his wife or concubine. Sometimes, but not all the time, these women would serve as surrogate mothers if the wife could not bear children herself.
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Surrogacy
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The first surrogate mentioned in the Bible was Hagar. Hagar was Sarah's maidservant whom she gave to her husband Abraham since she was barren. Hagar became pregnant with Abraham's child, a boy they named Ishmael. Only a few years later, Sarah became pregnant herself with Isaac. Tension between the women mounted until finally Sarah demanded Hagar and Ishmael were banished from the land so that Ishmael would not be Abraham's heir instead of Isaac.
Concubines
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The first concubine mentioned is Reumah, the concubine of Abraham's brother, Nahor. She bore Nahor children, and they are listed in Genesis 22:24. Concubines and their children continue to be common in the Scriptures, mentioned another 21 times in the Old Testament specifically. These women were typically sold into their status as maidservants with the expectation of a secondary or concubine marriage as referenced in Exodus 21:7-11. The rules regarding her treatment were strict to ensure her fair treatment.
Functions
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A woman could be a concubine without being a surrogate but could not be a surrogate without becoming a man's concubine. To become a surrogate, it was necessary for a woman to become a man's concubine to protect her and her children from mistreatment under the Law. A woman had some status and protection under a concubine marriage, though her sole purpose was a conjugal relationship with the man. A woman could only become a surrogate by custom if the wife offered her maidservant to her husband as a surrogate because she was not able to get pregnant.
Time Frame
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Concubines, or secondary wives, were permitted under the Mosaic Law though morally condemned (see Deuteronomy 17:16-17). Most Christian scholars have taken Jesus' words condemning divorce, except in cases of adultery in Matthew 19:4-9, as a condemnation of the practice. The apostle Paul refers to singular marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 which Christian scholars use in addition to the verses in Deuteronomy to further condemn polygamy. There are a few Christian sects that still practice polygamy, but it is rare.
Modern Debate
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Interestingly, nowhere in the New Testament are surrogate mothers mentioned let alone condemned, which leaves the issue open to debate. Now that science has created a way for surrogates to bear children without sexual intimacy between the surrogate mother and the man, new debates have formed. Conservative Rabbinical scholars debated the issue in detail in the paper, "On the Use of Birth Surrogates," published in 1998 without a definite answer for or against the practice. Christians also have struggled with the implications of surrogate mothering, with each denomination giving a different answer.
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