22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
24Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
The Test
Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah. Genesis 22:24 · Berean Standard Bible
You're also told that Nahor had a concubine named Reumah who bore him four additional sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
In the ancient world, it was common for men of means to have both wives and concubines. This wasn't something the biblical writer is endorsing — it's just documenting the reality of Nahor's household. By including this detail, you get a complete picture of Nahor's descendants, not just those from his primary wife Milcah.
The writer of Genesis, completing the genealogical record
This finishing detail shows you the full scope of Nahor's family. While Bethuel and Rebekah (from Milcah) connect directly to Abraham's covenant line, these other descendants represent the broader ancient Near Eastern peoples. It's all part of the rich tapestry of the world into which God's chosen line is born and grows.
The verse concludes the genealogy by recording four children born to Nahor through his concubine Reumah: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
The distinction between Milcah's eight legitimate sons and Reumah's four offspring through concubinage reflects ancient Near Eastern social stratification—concubines held recognized but subordinate status, and their children, while counted in the genealogy, possessed inferior inheritance claims. This social distinction, documented here with apparent neutrality, reveals the hierarchical structures within which patriarchal kinship operated in the ancient world.
The genealogical source, maintaining the comprehensive cataloging impulse that characterizes Priestly genealogies throughout Genesis.
The inclusion of Reumah's offspring—despite their subordinate status—demonstrates the biblical tradition's interest in comprehensiveness rather than selective legitimacy; even the extended and secondary branches of Abraham's family are preserved in the record, suggesting that God's purposes extended beyond the primary covenantal line, though the narrative focus remains fixed on the legitimate succession through Milcah's line to Rebekah and eventually to Jacob.
22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”
23And Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. Milcah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.
24Moreover, Nahor’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
Read all of Genesis 22 — Abraham faces an impossible request. This chapter casts a long shadow over everything that follows.
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