Avraham's Many Wives/2

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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.

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.
  • 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.17
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.18

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,19 how is it possible that he would bear six more children over forty years later?20
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. 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.21
"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.22 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.23 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.24 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.25
  • Full wife – Y"M Immanueli asserts that Keturah was a full wife.26 He claims that the concubines of verse 6 refer to yet other women whom Avraham married, but as lesser wives.27
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"‎.28
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.