what does the bible say about polygamy

Despite these benefits, polygamy was never God’s intended goal for marriage. The Meaning of Marriage Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God. 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. In the Bible, it is always shown to have negative repercussions, and even played a role in Israel embracing false gods for a time. In the Book of Revelation, the new Jerusalem is where those who received salvation will live for eternity as the Bride. Because some cultures and societies do sometimes engage in polygamy, God does set boundaries, rules, and guidelines which were meant to protect the wives. As a foreshadow of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church, marriage is shown to be sacred and meant to bring two people together to grow closer to Christ, not to be divided between multiple spouses. The record of Solomon’s wives are in 1 King 11. Abraham and his descendants were also shepherds, who were away for half the year taking sheep places to eat and drink. What are the references to polygamy in the Bible? The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament. So her father tricked Jacob into marrying his oldest - Leah. of “Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well” (1 Timothy 3:12). When considering the blessing of marriage, it is important to remember one of the most poignant pictures of it in the Bible, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31). 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." The Bible does not mention her name. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. For example, Jacob became a polygamist in part as a byproduct of the deceit of Laban - Leah and Rachel’s father - and he took concubines because of inappropriate competition between the sisters; ultimately God used these painful situations to lay the foundations for the twelve tribes of Israel. God views marriage as a sacred covenant, which should only be contracted between two people. How does one respond to this situation? Proud member Jacob: In Genesis, Jacob labored for seven years to marry the beautiful Rachel. Again, what repentance and baptism does for the person outside the church, repentance and prayer does … He had two wives named Adah and Zillah. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry. There are verses in which the Bible expressly forbids from taking multiple wives: “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’...And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold” (Deuteronomy 17:14, 17). What Does the Bible Say about Polygamy? These tensions are documented in Genesis 29 and Genesis 30. So, polygamy was permitted by God in the Old Testament but it was not his design. Genesis 3:6 and Surah Araf 7:22 show that as per Bible it was woman who disobeyed God and also made Man to ate from the Tree while as per Quran they both erred. It did not properly represent the relationship between Christ and his bride the church (Ephesians 5:25-27). This idolatry eventually led to the nation turning its back on God, which eventually led to the exile to Babylon. In biblical times it was common to find the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. David's son, Solomon, however, went overboard, flouting a stipulation in Deuteronomy 17:16-17 that kings not accumulate "too many" wives. This poem is about love, about completion, and God’s divine will. If one wealthy man had more than one wife who could also vet the character of his employees, that man gave protection to the women he married, and to other women in their families, who could possibly marry men in his employ. While today in most western cultures, it is commonly accepted that marriage is a partnership, through the centuries many have established polygamous marriages, commonly where one man has more than one wife, though some have one woman with multiple husbands. However, this decision has consequences which increase in magnitude over the centuries. Does Happiness Depend on Marriage? New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015. They even gave their husband handmaids as concubines in attempts to undermine one another and maintain status. God does not then change the commandment or say it’s now OK to kill, Hudson says. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Bethany Verrett. If God sees a husband and a wife as one flesh, then they should function as one. He does not have multiple brides, he is one bride. New York: Penguin Books, 2011. By Genesis 4, you have Cain's son Lamech taking two wives. How can you build strong relationships? Lamech is a violent man whose forefather was violent, reacting on impulse. But the Bible is not thereby endorsing polygamy, but indeed is casting doubt on polygamy. In 1 Samuel, Hannah was the barren wife in a polygamous marriage, and the other wife was cruel to her for this barrenness. In the lives of the men in the Bible, polygamy is not overtly condemned, but is not glorified either. What does the Bible say about Wife Spanking? All rights reserved. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. For the record, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The role of Lamech in the text is to show “a progressive hardening in sin” (Waltke, Genesis, page 100). He is the first man to take more than one wife. His poem is not sweet, but about murder and revenge: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 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. Sin includes actions taken or behaviors that fall outside the will of God, so from that perspective polygamy is a sinful act that God works for His glory and man’s good. While David was successful in keeping his throne, his family was broken. In the Old Testament, several important and influential men have multiple wives and concubines. The answer begins by seeing that God always points His creation back to the primacy and perfection of the original design. She was the youngest, however, and tradition dictated he marry the older sister. Daughters were not as valuable to the family in ancient times, since they were unable to work in the fields. Beyond the practical issues of creating tensions, dissension, jealousy, and confusion, polygamy pollutes and confuses the symbolism of what marriage represents. There is no polygamous relationship in the Old Testament that is free of contention. The right of the firstborn is his” (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). Ultimately, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Proud member Salem Media Group. King David, the "man after God's own heart," had eight wives. God’s intent was monogamy, and a true union between two people, an earthly portent of eternal joy to come. Like his father David, Solomon took wives for political expediency and personal pleasure. His first wife was his predecessor’s daughter, another a woman who saved his life after she was widowed. Instead of looking to many gods, people should look only to the one true God, just as a husband should look only at one woman, his wife, and she only at her husband. Is Marriage Just a Social Union? ~ Excerpt from God’s Plan for Marriage: Dealing with Old Testament Polygamy by Gregory Alan Thornbury. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. If a man has multiple wives and becomes a Christian, what is he supposed to do? Next, you have to read every book to the end -- especially if it is the biblical context. Where does the Bible say its okay for heterosexual couples to get married in a church building with a denominationally affiliated pastor officiating? All rights reserved. For political and personal reasons, he took eight wives and multiple concubines. There are many reasons someone may want to have more than one spouse including lust, a desire for more children, or the belief they have a divine mandate to do so. God had determined to destroy Sodom and the neighboring cities because of their gross sexual immorality. Money. 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. The Mosaic Law likewise accommodated the practice of marrying more than one wife, including captured prisoners from foreign conquests (Deuteronomy 21:1-17). God blessed Hannah with a son who went on to be a powerful prophet. There is also the importance of monogamous relationships as a symbol for faithfulness to God. The more marriages the Bible shows, and the more it is discussed, the more the problems of polygamy come to light. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:23-24). 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." Moses had two wives as well. Salem Media Group. Ministry: International Journal for Pastors 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 … Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. He also enacted new provisions to protect women and raise their standing in society. Likewise, women should submit to their husbands like the saved should submit to the will of God. The first marriage God ordained was between Adam and Eve, one for another. “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Timothy 3:2). While polygamy may not have been God’s plan, He did use these sinful relationships for His good. 2020 12 Oct One of the more traditional lines in a wedding ceremony includes, “Marriage is an institution ordained by God,” for the procreation of children, the happiness of the individuals involved, and to act as the foundation for a healthy society. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. What does the Bible say … God allowed both women to bear sons, giving them protection and joy, but the relationship was never right. When a man takes multiple wives, or sometimes when a woman has multiple husbands, that person is a polygamist. How many wives did King David have? God’s expectation is monogamy. “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. David: Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was not perfect. In each of the examples earlier in this article, Jacob, David, and Solomon must face the repercussions of their decision to marry more than one woman, as well as to take concubines. What does the Bible say about a contentious or quarrelsome woman? The Lord often blessed the women in these marriages with sons and daughters, which gave the woman protection for the rest of her life in their culture. What Does the Bible Say About Interracial Marriage? In biblical times it was common to find the custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. When Jacob married Leah and Rachel, he had to deal with their bickering, and even had to accept this affected the relationship between his sons. Solomon: The man with the most wives in the Bible was Solomon, the wise thinker who contributed three books to the Old Testament. 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). Though polygamy created tensions for the women in marriage, in the Old Testament God ensured that each wife who sought Him had protection and security, and often used those children mightily for His kingdom. Should we pay taxes? Polygamy creates tension, inappropriate situations, and pain. Often, the church is spoken of like a bride, and Christ as the bridegroom. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. What was the true issue between Adonijah and Solomon over Abishag? But when someone entered a polygamous relationship, God gave parameters. What did she do? The covenant is sacred, lifelong, and meant to represent the relationship between God and His people. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. However, the Bible never shows these polygamous marriages as successful, or appropriate. Consider what the Bible says about polygamy. Consider some Bible principles that bear on racial equality and marriage. By contrast, the next husband to recite a poem is a descendent of Cain named Lamech - the first bigamist. The truth is that the story of polygamy in the Old Testament is, well, a problem. What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy?, essay by a Christian pastor and radio talk show host highlighted by a debate with a leading polygamist; Biblical Polygyny from God's Word, a thorough series on Biblical polygamy by Righteous Warriors; Siron, Josephat R. (1991). The picture gets even dicier when one considers the practice of the kings of Israel. Is interracial marriage allowed? What does the Bible say about polygamy? Marriage should represent this eternal love through commitment to one person. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. Through these foreign brides, many idols were introduced to Israel, such as the Asherah pole dedicated to a Canaanite goddess. God wanted the leaders in the community to only have one wife. One consequence of this position is that the burden of proof neccesarily falls on those who say that the Bible DOES forbid premarital sex (in either in an explicit direct declaration or in an implicit principle). "Polygamy: an enduring problem". Are couples who live together married? In Ephesians 5, Paul outlines the duty of a husband and a wife like Christ and the church. She disobeyed a command of God. As noted, Solomon’s reign was the height of polygamous behavior in the Old Testament for the men who knew God, and through his wives, idolatry grew deep roots among the Jewish people. Witte Jr., John. Jesus and the Tax Collector. These men are supposed to be pillars of society, models for their communities, and setting the example for those around them. The Western Case for Monogamy Over Polygamy. “If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights” (Exodus 21:10). For example, a man marrying multiple women could give the women protection. Jesus will reign in Heaven forever, over the church from Jerusalem, where the church will live forever. Angered, Jacob worked another seven years to marry Rachel. 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. The question of what that institution should look like is one that has been on the forefront of people’s minds. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005. It often leads people astray and caused dissension within households where multiple wives are present. God’s Plan for Marriage: Dealing with Old Testament Polygamy, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Why did God allow polygamy in the Bible? But we must be careful when we come to the Bible and it does not address a specific case of behavior with either a positive example or a command. Polygamy (called plural marriage by Mormons in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890 by between 20 and 30 percent of Latter-day Saint families. Adam recites a poem in response to meeting Eve, “This shall be bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23). The Bible does record, for example, that “Lamech took two wives” (Genesis 4:19). Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. Kings, deacons, and overseers - another word for bishop or pastor - are obligated to only have one wife. Moving forward, there is contention between the women, since Jacob loved Rachel more. But it does tell us that she had two daughters and that she and her family made a home in the city of Sodom.—Genesis 19:1, 15. 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