H3904 H3904
concubines, secondary wives in royal harems (Aramaic)
An Aramaic term for concubines, appearing only in Daniel 5 in the context of Belshazzar's sacrilegious feast. The king commands that temple vessels be brought so he, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines can drink from them—a deliberate desecration. The presence of concubines at the banquet underscores its debauched character. The term reflects the polygamous practices of Neo-Babylonian royalty and the setting's Persian-period cultural memory.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Daniel 5:2 initiates the sacrilege: Belshazzar commands the vessels be brought 'that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines (וְלֶחֱנָתֵהּ) might drink from them.' Verse 3 reports compliance: 'the king...his wives and his concubines (וְלֶחֱנָתֵהּ) drank from them.' Verse 23 recapitulates the offense: 'you...your nobles, your wives, and your concubines (וְלֶחֱנָתָךְ) drank wine from them.' The threefold repetition emphasizes guilt. Translations: Spanish 'concubinas,' French equivalent, maintaining the harem terminology of ancient Near Eastern courts. 3×
AR["وَ-سَرَارِيكَ", "وَ-سَرَارِيهِ"]·ben["এবং-তাঁর-উপপত্নীরা", "এবং-তোমার-উপপত্নীরা"]·DE["[ולחנתה]", "[ולחנתך]"]·EN["and-his-concubines", "and-your-concubines"]·FR["[ולחנתה]", "[ולחנתך]"]·heb["ו-לחנותיו", "ו-לחנותיך"]·HI["और-उसकी-रखेलियां", "और-तेरी-रखेलियां"]·ID["dan-gundik-gundikmu", "dan-gundik-gundiknya"]·IT["[ולחנתה]", "[ולחנתך]"]·jav["lan-para-selir-panjenengan", "lan-para-seliripun"]·KO["그리고-그-의-후궁들-이", "그리고-당신-의-후궁들-이"]·PT["e-suas-concubinas", "e-tuas-concubinas"]·RU["и-наложницы-его", "и-наложницы-твои"]·ES["y-sus-concubinas", "y-tus-concubinas"]·SW["na-masuria-wake", "na-masuria-wako"]·TR["ve-cariyeleri", "ve-cariyelerin"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-داشتائیوں-نے", "اور-اُس-کی-داشتائیں", "اور-تیری-داشتائیں-نے"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [לְחֵנָה] n.f. concubine (𝔗 לְחֵינְתָא; FlLevy NHWB ii. 534 f. cp. Arabic لَخْنَا, indelicate epithet for woman; Batten Ezr 2:65 cp. Arabic لَحْنٌ note, tune, song; still otherwise WetzstDe, HL u. Koh. 454);—pl. sf. לְחֵנָתָךְ Dn 5:23, הּ—ֵ v 2, 3.