Avraham's Many Wives/2

Avraham's Many Wives

Exegetical Approaches

Overview

Commentators explore competing options as to when Avraham married Keturah and fathered additional children, and these have possible ramifications for understanding Avraham's motivations, Keturah's identity, and the message of the story. The majority view assumes that the story is in chronological order, and that Avraham sought a new wife at 140. Its Midrashic variation portrays a mostly monogamous Avraham, suggesting that Keturah was none other than Hagar, whom Avraham waited to remarry until after Sarah's death.

Radak and others, though, maintain that Keturah is a new wife, and the story shows how Avraham until the end of his life continued his efforts to realize the Divine blessing of becoming the father of many nations. Finally, a minority opinion adopted by Shadal argues that the story took place earlier, but the Torah presents it only much later as an appendix to Avraham's life in order to close the circle and show how Hashem fulfilled all of His original promises to Avraham.

Avraham Remarried at 140

The story is told in chronological order, and Avraham indeed married Keturah after Sarah's death and Yitzchak's marriage.

Sources: JubileesChapter 19Chapter 20About Jubilees, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)Bereshit 25:1About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Bereshit Rabbah60:1461:4About Bereshit Rabbah, TanchumaChayyei Sarah 8Chayyei Sarah 9About the Tanchuma, RashiBereshit 24:36Bereshit 25:1Bereshit 25:6About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 25:1Bereshit 25:5About R. Avraham Maimonides, RadakBereshit 25:1Bereshit 25:6About R. David Kimchi, AbarbanelBereshit 23About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, R. S"R HirschBereshit 25:1About R. S"R Hirsch, R. D"Z HoffmannBereshit 25Bereshit 25:1Bereshit 25:5-6About R. D"Z Hoffmann

Marriage in old age

• Fulfilling Hashem's promise – Radak and Abarbanel propose that Avraham married again later in life in order to fulfill Hashem's promise that he become the father of many nations.¹ R. Yaacov Medan explains that by sending his other sons "eastward", Avraham was trying to ensure that the Land of Israel would be buffered by friendly neighbors, his other progeny.² 
• Long life – R. Hirsch and R. D"Z Hoffmann point out that Avraham lived for another 35 years after marrying Keturah. As this is a normal duration for an entire marriage, Avraham's advanced age is not surprising.
• Caregiver – Radak suggests that one of the reasons Avraham married was precisely because he was looking for someone to care for him in his old age.

"וַיִּתֶּן לּוֹ אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ"

• Avraham kept his word – R. Avraham b. HaRambam suggests that this took place before the search for a wife for Yitzchak, but is repeated here to show how Avraham did not change his mind even after bearing more children.³
• Promise versus actualization – Rashi appears to suggest that Avraham had merely committed to giving Yitzchak all he owned before the servant's search for a wife,⁴ but the actualization of the promise only took place in Chapter 25 at the end of his life.⁵

Who is Keturah?

• New wife – Jubilees, Radak, Abarbanel and R. D"Z Hoffmann think Keturah is a third and new wife.
• Hagar – According to the Targum, Rav in Bereshit Rabbah, Tanchuma, and Rashi, Keturah is simply another name for Hagar.⁶ This fits with the general midrashic tendency to identify unknown characters with more well-known figures.⁷ In this case, the choice to identify Keturah with a previous wife lessens the difficulty presented by Avraham marrying at such an old age and might be further motivated by the context which mentions באר לחי ראי, Yishmael, and concubines.⁸

Keturah's status and relationship to the concubines

• Two concubines – Jubilees maintains that both Hagar and Keturah are the "פִּילַגְשִׁים" (concubines) mentioned in verse 6.⁹
• Only one concubine – Rav in Bereshit Rabbah and Rashi assert that the concubines of verse 6 refer to just one woman, namely, Keturah, whom they identify with Hagar. They point to the defective spelling of "הפלגשם" as proof that the verse actually refers to only one person.¹⁰ According to this position, Avraham was monogamous except for the period when Hagar was serving as a surrogate mother for the barren Sarai,¹¹ and he never married anyone other than Sarah or Hagar.
• Full wife – According to Radak, Keturah (and Hagar) had the status of a full wife, as the verse says "וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה"‎.¹² Thus, Radak suggests that the "פִּילַגְשִׁים" of verse 6 refer to the concubines of Avraham's household servants and not Avraham himself.¹³ Alternatively, RambanBereshit 25:6About R. Moshe Nachmanides attempts to argue that Keturah could have had full wife status and still be referred to (in verse 6) as a concubine, as the text is simply highlighting her inferior position vis a vis Sarah, the main wife and mother of the chosen son.¹⁴

Canaanite? Radak suggests that Keturah is likely not from Avraham's family or hometown, and Abarbanel goes a step further, raising the possibility that she was in fact a Canaanite.¹⁵ Both agree that, although Avraham cared about the lineage of the mothers of his chosen line, he was not concerned about the origins of the others.¹⁶

Purpose of the story

• Fulfillment of promise – Abarbanel and R. D"Z Hoffmann point out that the story serves to emphasize how Hashem kept His promise to Avraham that he become the father of a multitude of nations. The contrast between Yitzchak and the sons mentioned in the narrative further highlights Yitzchak's chosen status.¹⁷
• Magnification of miracle – R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Abarbanel note how the story magnifies Hashem's original miracle which enabled Avraham to bear children, by showing Avraham's virility, even at this advanced age.
• Atoning for Hagar's expulsion – The commentators who identify Keturah with Hagar might suggest that the story serves to soften the harshness of the original expulsion.¹⁸

Crux of the position – This approach preserves chronological order and also depicts Avraham as mainly monogamous.

Avraham Married Keturah Earlier

Although the marriage is recounted only at the end of Avraham's life, Avraham actually married Keturah earlier, while Sarah was still alive.¹⁹

Sources: ShadalBereshit 25:1About R. S.D. Luzzatto, Hoil MosheBereshit 25:1About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi, Y"M ImmanueliSefer Bereshit Hesberim VeHaarot pp.340-341About Yitzchak Moshe Immanueli

Marriage in old age – Y"M Immanueli questions the episode's chronology on natural grounds. If when Avraham was 100, it was considered surprising that he should bear a son,²⁰ how is it possible that he would bear six more children over forty years later?²¹

Achronological placement – Shadal points out that since the story is tangential to the main narrative which focuses on the formation of Am Yisrael, it is put in an appendix to the Avraham stories rather than in its proper chronological place.²² Thus, before moving into the Yitzchak narratives, the verses emphasize Yitzchak's status as the sole heir, in contrast to Avraham's other rejected children.²³

"וַיִּתֶּן לּוֹ אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ" – This position holds that the bequeathal to Yitzchak, like the rest of the story, occurred before the servant searched for a wife for Yitzchak.²⁴ It is repeated here as a contrast to the giving of gifts to the concubines, to highlight how Avraham prevented any disputes over his estate, thereby ensuring that Yitzchak would be his sole heir.

Who is Keturah? Keturah is not identified with Hagar.²⁵ These commentators do not discuss whether she was Canaanite or not.

Keturah's status and relationship to the concubines

• Concubine – Shadal states that Keturah is one of the concubines referred to in verse 6, and he notes that Divrei HaYamim explicitly refers to Keturah as a concubine.²⁶ He also argues that since Hagar and Keturah are the only two wives of Avraham (besides Sarah) ever mentioned, the verse must refer to them.²⁷
• Full wife – Y"M Immanueli asserts that Keturah was a full wife.²⁸ He claims that the concubines of verse 6 refer to yet other women whom Avraham married, but as lesser wives.²⁹

Purpose of the story – Shadal explains that Avraham's marriage and descendants are mentioned to show how Hashem fulfilled his promise to Avraham that he would become a great nation, an "אב המון גויים"‎.³⁰

Crux of the position – This approach sacrifices chronological order for a more rationalist approach to when Avraham sired additional children. It presents Avraham as polygamous.

¹ They view Hashem's promise of "וְהָיִיתָ לְאַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם", as a charge to Avraham which he was instructed to actively fulfill, rather than merely a blessing. See, though, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Bereshit 25:1About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), who views Avraham's marriage in a negative light, He suggests that Avraham sinned in taking another wife in addition to Sarah, since he was promised that his line would continue through her.  As a result, his other progeny became thorns in Israel's side throughout history. He might understand Hashem's words "וְהָיִיתָ לְאַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם" as a promise that Avraham would lead or guide many nations, not that he would actively sire them.

² R. Medan points to two sets of boundaries given in the Torah for the Promised Land: the larger borders given to the forefathers, from נהר מצרים to נהר פרת, and the smaller borders given to those who left Egypt, from נחל מצרים to לבוא חמת. He explains that these were meant to be concentric circles. The inner circle of the Land of Israel proper was to be populated solely by the Children of Israel. In contrast, the outer circle was to be settled by the Israelites' relatives, i.e. Avraham's other offspring. See his VBM article for elaboration.

³ An alternative resolution, proposed by Dr. Allan Novetsky, is that the subject of "וַיִּתֶּן לּוֹ אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ" in Bereshit 24:36 is Hashem, and that the phrase parallels (or forms part of a כלל פרט וכלל with) the "וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ צֹאן וּבָקָר וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב וַעֲבָדִם וּשְׁפָחֹת וּגְמַלִּים וַחֲמֹרִים" of the previous verse, in which Hashem is clearly the subject. Compare also to Bereshit 24:1 "וַה' בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל". This solution avoids having any duplication between Chapters 24 and 25.

⁴ Rashi says that the servant showed Rivka's family a deed of gift (or "living will"), and Tanchuma (Buber)Vayetze 3About Tanchuma (Buber) and Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer16About Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, who are the Midrashic sources for this motif, cite the verse in 25:3.

⁵ One might similarly suggest that before sending the servant, Avraham had written an original will, bequeathing all to Yitzchak. In Chapter 25, though, when he had additional children, he wrote a second will, again declaring Yitzchak to be his sole heir.

⁶ The Targumim suggest that this name connotes that she had been "tied" (קטר in Aramaic means to tie) to Avraham from the beginning, while Bereshit Rabbah emphasizes that she was adorned (מקוטרת) with good deeds.

⁷ Yitzchak Heinemann termed this "the Law of Conservation of Characters" in his Darkhei HaAggadah (1954), Chapter 4. See Midrash Identifications for additional examples.

⁸ The choice might also be partially driven by a desire to reduce the discomfort felt from the earlier expulsion of Hagar and Yishmael. In Divrei HaYamim, though, a contrast seems to be drawn between Yishmael and Yitzchak on one hand, and the sons of Keturah, on the other, suggesting that Keturah and Hagar might not be identical. See the point below regarding the marital status of each.

⁹ See Shadal below for some of the supporting evidence for this position.

¹⁰ See Radak and ChizkuniBereshit 25:6About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach, though, who note that in all accurate manuscripts the word is written with a plene spelling, and contains the extra yud.

¹¹ Thus, soon after Sarah gave birth to Yitzchak, Hagar was sent away.

¹² Radak does not explain the label "פִּילֶגֶשׁ" given to Keturah in Divrei HaYamim, and in his commentary on Divrei HaYamim, Radak, in fact, suggests that Keturah was a concubine (the opposite of his position here).

¹³ According to Radak, Avraham, at least at this juncture, did not send away any of his own offspring.

¹⁴ Ramban is trying to resolve the contradiction between the verse in Bereshit which refers to Keturah as a wife and the one in Divrei HaYamim which refers to her as a concubine.

¹⁵ Abarbanel is following the lead of RambanBereshit 12:1Bereshit 24:7Bereshit 24:8Bereshit 25:6About R. Moshe Nachmanides who makes a similar suggestion.

¹⁶ Cf. the halakhic justification provided by R. Chaim PaltielBereshit 23:9About R. Chaim Paltiel for Avraham marrying an Egyptian woman.

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¹⁸ The fact that the story does not use Hagar's name makes this suggestion unlikely. It would be counterintuitive to use a new name for the protagonist if the whole point of including the narrative is to portray a different ending to the original story.

¹⁹ Cf. Josephus (Antiquities 1:15:1,1:16:3) who also posits that the story is out of place, but suggests that the marriage to Keturah took place after Sarah's death (when Avraham was 137), while her sons were sent away before Yitzchak's marriage (when Avraham was 140). His position is difficult, as it would require six children to be born and expelled in a period of just three years.

²⁰ See Avraham's thoughts in Bereshit 17:17, "הַלְּבֶן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יִוָּלֵד". Even though the main source of the infertility was Sarah, Avraham apparently also viewed himself as too old to have children.

²¹ Cf. Abarbanel who points out that when Hashem enabled Avraham and Sarah to bear Yitzchak, his youth was somewhat restored, enabling him to have other children in old age as well.

²² For further discussion and other examples of achronology in Tanakh, see Chronological and Thematic Order.

²³ Compare the genealogy lists here to the similar list of Esav's descendants in Chapter 36, at the end of the Yaakov narrative and before the beginning of the history of Yaakov's children. There too, Esav's non-chosen descendants stand in contrast to Yaakov's twelve chosen sons.

²⁴ Thus, the servant was telling Rivka's family what has already transpired.

²⁵ These peshat oriented commentators feel no need to equate the unknown Keturah with a more famous character. In addition, setting the story before Sarah's death makes an identification with Hagar extremely unlikely.

²⁶ As Shadal posits that the episode took place during Sarah's lifetime, it is logical that Keturah had only the lesser status of a concubine. Additionally, those who maintain that Keturah is not included in the "concubines" of verse 6, will encounter difficulty in explaining why the text records what happened to the sons of the concubines, but not what became of Keturah's sons.

²⁷ This matches the position of Jubilees above. Hoil Moshe, on the other hand, agrees with Shadal that Keturah is a concubine, but (like Immanueli below) thinks that verse 6 refers to additional unnamed concubines, and not Hagar. According to him, although Keturah might have had the same status as the other concubines, only her children are named since only they became well known nations.

²⁸ Like Radak, he points to the wording in Bereshit of "וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה" and not "ויקח פלגש", but he also does not explain the label "פִּילֶגֶשׁ" given in Divrei HaYamim. Perhaps, he would maintain like Ramban above, that the term was indicative, not of her actual status, but of how she was viewed in contrast to Sarah, the chosen wife and mother.

²⁹ He maintains (again, like Radak) that Hagar, too, was a full wife, not a concubine.

³⁰ Cf. Radak and Abarbanel above who suggest that the desire to fulfill the promise is what motivated Avraham himself to marry again later in life.