Polygamy in the Bible was permitted to a select few. As is well known, this practice is endorsed in the Old Testament and sanctioned by God (e.g., Genesis 12:16; 16:3; 17:23; 24:3; 28:6; 29:18; 2 Samuel 3:2-5; 1 Kings 11). In Genesis 24, Abraham tells his servant to take a wife for his son Isaac from among Abraham’s kinsfolk. This was done because there were no women left in the “aerie of Chaldees.” Joseph is commanded by Pharaoh to bring his two sons to Egypt—the one married to an Egyptian woman, and the other married to an Israelite (Genesis 41:45). Unlikely as it may seem, some say polygamy had a civilizing influence on men. Polygamy, or polygyny, is the practice of having more than one wife at the same time. Polyandry is the practice of having more than one husband at the same time.
The origin of monogamous marriage can be traced to the beginning of civilization, but with the dawn of Christianity, polygamy began to fall out of favor in Western societies… Polygamy, which literally means ‘multiple marriage’ was permitted by the biblical authors. Famously practiced by patriarchs such as Abraham, Jacob, and David. It was subsequently prohibited for a time under Moses (see also Sotah). Polygamy is one of the most controversial topics in religious and secular circles. Many people argue that it is a violation of human rights, while others argue that it is a simple matter of choice. The Bible, which contains some of the world’s most famous stories, has many examples of polygamy.
In this article, we will explore the history of polygamy in the Bible and why it was so important to ancient civilizations. We will also look at some modern-day cases where polygamous relationships are still common today.
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Polygamy In The New Testament
New Testament. Three passages in the pastoral epistles (1Timothy 3:2, 1Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) state that church leaders should be the “husband of one wife.” This has been read by some Christian denominations as a prohibition of polygamy. Others argue that polygamy is allowed, but not for church leaders.
Why Did God Permit Polygamy in the Bible?
God’s people were corrupt. He promised after the flood never to destroy them again. Instead, since people were set upon sinful acts (slavery, misogyny, adultery), he created rules for the protection of vulnerable individuals such as women. Divorce could leave a woman impoverished, desperate; she might turn to prostitution in order to earn a living.
If men were allowed to take multiple wives, they could satisfy various desires without divorce. If men were intent on objectifying and abusing women, God determined to put a few safety measures in place.
The Pharisees asked Jesus why the marital union of one man to a single woman mattered to Jesus when God appeared to condone polygamy and divorce. Jesus answered, “because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8).
One rule was that “if [a man] takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.” If the man “does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money” (Exodus 21:10,11). A woman was purchased for a man’s son to marry. If she was not treated properly, she could leave without refunding the father’s payment.
And an article in The Christian Post by Allen Parr suggested that “God may have permitted polygamy […] to protect women.” With men going off to war so often, perhaps dying on the battlefield, many women were left unprotected, unsupported. Unless their fathers or brothers were alive and willing to support them, and with so few men available to marry, “the alternative […] for many of these women was slavery or prostitution. Polygamy was considered a better, though imperfect, option.”
Parr says that men were motivated to marry multiple women to perpetuate “their family lineage if their first wife was barren” and to create “alliances between nations.” He distinguishes between description and prescription: The Bible “tells stories of people who fell short of [God’s] standards. Just because God didn’t strike them down doesn’t mean He condoned their actions.” Parr notes that “God’s patience is not permission.”
Polygamy in the New Testament
The Bible is clear about polygamy. It was practiced by many religious leaders, including the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Jewish people were commanded to practice polygamy through matrimony and divorce (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). The Roman Empire also accepted polygamy as an important part of their culture and religion since they had a long history of having multiple wives (Romans 1:27).
The New Testament also talked about how Jesus’ disciples did not have multiple wives or husbands because they wanted to follow him as a disciple instead of being married (Mark 10:2-12; Luke 18:29).
What Is Polygamy?
Polygamy refers to a marriage between two or more people who are legally married to each other at the same time. This can be done by having multiple wives or husbands at the same time or by marrying an already married person (who may have had multiple spouses during their lives). In either case, polygamy involves one person who has multiple spouses at once.
It should be noted that polygamy is not always considered illegal everywhere in the world; however, it has been outlawed in many countries because it is considered unfair or unethical for men or women to have more than one spouse at any given time due to social pressures surrounding gender roles and expectations regarding marriage as well as cultural traditions regarding family structure and
Polygamy is one of the most contested and misunderstood topics in the Bible. While it is true that some kings, including David, Solomon and Jacob had multiple wives, it does not mean that polygamy was condoned or even allowed by God. The Bible clearly states in 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 that marriage should be between one man and one woman. This verse also states that there are times when it is permissible for a Christian to be unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:8).
Polygamy in the Bible can be best understood when looking at the specific situations surrounding each polygamous relationship. For example, Jacob had two wives because they were sisters who had been given to him by their father as compensation after he cheated them out of their inheritance (Genesis 29:15-30). Solomon had 700 wives because God gave him all the women of his kingdom after he asked for wisdom (1 Kings 11:3). The only polygamist who was considered righteous by God was David, whose first wife Michal did not love him anymore after he took another wife named Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:8).
Historical Background
Polygamy is a practice that has been around since at least the Bronze Age. While it is not a common occurrence in modern Western societies, it has been a part of some cultures for thousands of years. Even today, polygamy is practiced by people in some countries, such as Nigeria and Kenya.
During the time period described in the Bible (before A.D. 70), polygamy was widely practiced by many different peoples—including Jews and Romans—who lived throughout Palestine and surrounding regions such as Egypt and Greece (as far north as Turkey). The earliest evidence of polygamy can be found on artifacts from ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) dating back to about 1900 B.C., with other examples found in ancient Egypt as well as Homer’s epic poem Odyssey from around 800 B.C., which includes references to Zeus having multiple wives with whom he had children.[1] Famously, King Solomon had 700 wives; however most scholars believe this number represents ideal rather than actual numbers.[2] Polygamous relationships were also common among Greeks such as Achilles who married both Briseis (while still married) and later Andromache after Patroclus’ death,[3] while Odysseus had Penelope but also Calypso who offered him immortality if he would stay with her forever instead.[4]
Possible reasons for polygamy in the New Testament times
From a historical perspective, it is not surprising that polygamy was allowed during the time of Jesus Christ. Polygamy was common in the Old Testament and Exodus 21:10 even mentions a man having multiple wives. However, monogamy was such an unfamiliar concept back then that it wasn’t until much later on in history between the years 600 and 900 CE (Common Era) that Christianity ended up becoming a monotheistic religion following Judaism’s lead.
Christianity has always had some form of legal document outlining what their beliefs are; however, unlike other religions such as Islam or Buddhism where they have codified laws written down by their founding prophets/messengers/deities themselves–Jesus Christ never wrote anything down himself concerning Christian doctrine (although some say he did leave behind notes but these were lost). Those who claim otherwise say that Paul wrote down all his teachings and passed them off as “truths” but this idea cannot be proven since there isn’t any concrete evidence showing otherwise which means we’re left with only circumstantial evidence at best!
Arguments against polygamy in the New Testament
- Monogamous marriage was the God-ordained “norm”
- Jesus never mentioned polygamy
- Jesus’ words on divorce and remarriage in Matthew 19:9
- Paul’s words on marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:2
Arguments for polygamy in the new testament
Polygamy was practiced in the old and new testaments. It is also still practiced today. It is a practice that has been widely followed by many ancient societies as well as modern ones. Polygamy is not only acceptable according to the Bible but it was practiced by Jesus Christ himself!
In the Old Testament, polygamy was allowed by God when He commanded Abraham to give Hagar (his wife Sarah’s handmaiden) to Abram so that he might have children through her. When asked why he had done this, God said:”This will be a sign between me and you: I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and will give them all these lands.”(Genesis 15:5). In other words, the reason for this commandment was so that his offspring would grow into a nation large enough that they could claim all of Canaan because they would have so many descendants!
The Bible also records several examples of men who took multiple wives including Jacob (Gen 29), Gideon (Judges 8:30-31), Saul/David (1 Samuel 18:27; 2 Samuel 3:7-8), Solomon (1 Kings 11).
Polygamy was allowed, tolerated and practiced in the New Testament times.
Polygamy was not only accepted in the NT times, but also practiced. Some of the biblical patriarchs and kings had multiple wives. The OT (Old Testament) and the NT (New Testament) both support polygamy as an acceptable practice for men who are married to more than one woman.
Polygamy in the Bible
What are the references to polygamy in the Bible? In biblical times it was common to find the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. The truth is that the story of polygamy in the Old Testament is, well, a problem. Although monogamy was clearly God’s intent – Genesis 2:22-24, the picture blurs pretty quickly after Adam and Eve’s Genesis 3 and expulsion from the Garden. By Genesis 4, you have Cain’s son Lamech taking two wives.
Moses had two wives as well. The Mosaic Law likewise accommodated the practice of marrying more than one wife, including captured prisoners from foreign conquests (Deuteronomy 21:1-17). It also made provisions for continuing the family line by marrying a brother’s wife if he died without producing heirs (Deuteronomy 25:5-12). And the stories keep coming: Gideon, one of Israel’s champions, had many wives; Elkanah, a presumably godly man and the father of Samuel, had two wives.
The picture gets even dicier when one considers the practice of the kings of Israel. King David, the “man after God’s own heart,” had eight wives. In 2 Samuel 12 when the prophet Nathan confronts David over his sin with Bathsheba, we read: “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I have given you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom … and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and as if this wasn’t enough, I would have given you even more.” David’s son, Solomon, however, went overboard, flouting a stipulation in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 that kings not accumulate “too many” wives. For the record, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
How does one respond to this situation? The answer begins by seeing that God always points His creation back to the primacy and perfection of the original design. Next, you have to read every book to the end — especially if it is the biblical context. And if you read the stories about the characters referenced above, you’ll quickly find that polygamy was an unmitigated sociological disaster that created heartbreak and sowed familial discord. By the time of the writing of Malachi, God’s command to a thoroughly chastised nation was clear: covenantal monogamy was to be the norm.
Further, through the ministry of Jesus, we see God “reset the clock” so to speak to the original goodness of monogamous marital union — pointing forward to a new society and a new way. He also enacted new provisions to protect women and raise their standing in society. Jesus showed a world that had distorted the meaning of marriage back to the beauty of “the man being joined to his wife, and two will become one flesh.”
1 Chronicles 4:5
5 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.
2 Samuel 5:13
13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
2 Samuel 12:8
8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.
2 Chronicles 11:21
21 Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.
2 Chronicles 13:21
21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
Exodus 21:10
10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.
Genesis 4:19
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
Genesis 30:4
4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her,
Genesis 30:9
9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
Isaiah 4:1
1 In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, “We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!”
Judges 8:30
30 He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives.
Numbers 12:1
1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite.
1 Samuel 1:1-2
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Deuteronomy 21:15-17
15 If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love,
16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.
17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
2 Chronicles 24:1-3
1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest.
3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
Ezekiel 23:1-4
1 The word of the LORD came to me:
2 “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
3 They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.
4 The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 7:1-5
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.
6 The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
7 However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”
8 Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,”
9 his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.”
10 That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.
1 Chronicles 3:1-9
1 These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel the son of Abigail of Carmel;
2 the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
3 the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.
4 These six were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months. David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years,
5 and these were the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.
6 There were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet,
7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
8 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet—nine in all.
9 All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.