# verses that support polygamy/concubines?



## thistle93 (Jul 28, 2012)

Hi! Wondering if you know of any verses in Bible where God actually sanctions or says He approves of polygamy/concubines? If it does, defense of how and why and not applied today? 

If it does not, then it seems many people are purposefully or unintentionally misinterpret Scripture to say the Bible promotes such things. Seems that many today are using the verses that explain that people such as Abraham, David and Solomon had so many wives and concubines as proof we cannot use the Bible to defend "traditional" marriage as between one woman and one man. The interesting thing is the Bible is explicitly clear about homosexual relationships and adultery. My thought is just because David/Solomon did have many wives and concubines does not mean that it was the will of God. It was cultural to that time and not theological. There is alot the the Bible describes which it does not prescribe. My question is why did God not explicitly prohibit it? 

Thoughts? 

For His Glory-
Matthew


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## Quatchu (Jul 28, 2012)

Multiple wives as well as a harem were status symbols for kings in those days. It was one of many ways Israel conformed the the other nations around them.


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Jul 28, 2012)

I struggled with this for a while and the answer was right under my nose. It is actually very explicitly stated in the first book of the Bible, reinforced by Jesus and further instructed by Paul:

Genesis 2:22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall *a* man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his *wife*: and *they* shall be one flesh.

Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall *a *man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his *wife*;8 And they *twain* shall be one flesh: so then they are no more *twain*, but one flesh.

Ephesians 5:31
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they *two *shall be one flesh.

Personally for me, it was like seeing Jesus precision response to the question of life after death and the resurrection:

Mark 12:18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, 19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I *am *the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 *He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living*: ye therefore do greatly err.

But in terms of the passages on marriage, notice the command/precept of *a* man and his *wife *(not wives). The TWO (not 3, 4, 6, 100) shall be one flesh. There are certainly several passages that are DESCRIPTIVE in nature (simply telling us what happened without a command to follow suit like with David, Abraham, Jacob, etc.) but in terms of PRESCRIPTIVE (a command), it is always commanded that one and one is the foundation of a marriage. Not unlike divorcement, God gave a precept via Moses to cover a bad situation from being worse. Divorce was allowed, but never commanded or encouraged. I would argue that this REGULATION of Polygamy in the Mosaic commands were simply "hardness of heart" regulations. To follow what Jesus describes, I believe plural marriage fits rightly under this regulation:

Mark 10:2 "And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the *hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept*."

Many indulged in it from Christian history in the Old Testament Church. Consider the horror if it had no regulation. Men could have as many wives as they wished, but no standard for how they were to be treated and cared for. The law came to them in that situation and served to keep even worse excesses from occurring. Our missionaries in the OPC run into this often in Uganda. They don't go in and command men (even Christians) to divorce all their wives but one. But, as they evangelize unmarried, they steer them to the command of one and one union. But even plurally married men are forbidden from church offices.

This I believe gives us a reason to consider the nature of plural marriage. Ponder that for a moment - if it is normal and morally ok, why would the Scripture restrict office to men married to only one woman? Clearly, something about it is not Biblical.

There is also the marvel of glorious union with the Savior. In terms of our own salvation, we are pictured with Christ as his Bride (not brides.) Even in example, penultimate example for that matter, our own soteriology is described as a marriage of one man and one bride.

In terms of concubines, it is never regulated or suggested in Scripture (despite descriptive examples) as a legitimate sexual union. It is fornication and never anything less.

If someone supporting concubinage or plural marriage presses that point, this is how I answer. Of course I like you could never say I know for certain WHY God handled it that way. But your reference to descriptive and prescriptive is pretty key here as one reasons with someone about the matter. Are you being challenged by someone, or just generally asking?


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## Jackie Kaulitz (Jul 28, 2012)

They use the example of OT people who had more than one wife as examples. Since the Bible does not outright "forbid" or "declares these godly men as having sinned in taking additional wifes" they believe God might have sanctioned it (even though the Bible also does not state this either). 

Abraham
o	Sarah (wife)
o	Hagar (wife), Gen 16:3, 21:1-13
o	Keturah (wife), Gen 25:1
o	Concubines & sons, Gen 25:6

Jacob
o	Leah
o	Rachel (Genesis 29:28)
o	Bilhah (She gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife…" Genesis 30:4)
o	Zilpah (When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife." Genesis 30:9)

Moses
o	Zipporah (And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter." Exodus 2:21. (See also Exodus 18:1-6.))
o	Ethiopian Woman And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman." Numbers 12:1)

Gideon (Jerub-Baal)
o	Judges 8:29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek. 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

David (8+ wives +10+ concubines)
o	1) Michal
	"… And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife." 1 Samuel 18:27. (See also 1 Samuel 19:11-18; 25:44; and 2 Samuel 3:13-14; 6:20-23.) But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife," 1 Samuel 25:44, 
o	2) Abigail of Carmel
	David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 1 Samuel 25:39, 1 Chr 3
o	3) Ahinoam of Jezreel
	David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives." 1 Samuel 25:43, 1 Chr 3
o	4) Eglah
	And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron." 2 Samuel 3:4-5, 1 Chr 3
o	More wives, 2 Sam 12:8
	And David took him more concubines and wives" 2 Samuel 5:13, 1 Chronicles 14:3
	And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things." 2 Samuel 12:7-8
o	5) Bathsheba
	And David comforted Bathsheba his wife..." 2 Samuel 12:24
o	6) Maacah
	Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;" 2 Samuel 3:3, 1 Chr 3
o	7) Abital
	And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron." 2 Samuel 3:4-5, 1 Chr 3
o	8) Haggith
	And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron." 2 Samuel 3:4-5, 1 Chr 3
o	10+ concubines
	And David took him more concubines and wives" 2 Samuel 5:13, 1 Chronicles 14:3 
	And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house." 2 Samuel 15:16. (See also 2 Samuel 16:21-23
	2 Sam 12:11 Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in [a]broad daylight.

Solomon
o	700 wives, 1 Kings 11:3
o	300 concubines, 1 Kings 11:3
	And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart." 1 Kings 11:3

Their case is: "If the Bible states any of the men above "followed all the way of the Lord" or "obeyed all the laws", then a case be made for "God must not have considered polygamy a way AGAINST the Lord?" 

And also, they argue a cultural case: There have always been more women than men. If these women were unable to find husbands, what would become of them if they couldn't be self-sufficient due to laws of those days (no property ownership, limited job opportunities, etc)? Polygamy might be considered "necessary" for the survival of women in some cultures. Example: In today's world, some cultures make it nearly impossible for a woman to survive unless she has a man who can take care of her. Or else her only job option is prostitution. Examples are India and some other Middle Eastern countries.

Also, there are many laws concerning multiple wives in the OT and none of them forbid polygamy. They only regulate the practice.
Deut 17:17 The king shall not have many wives, that draw his mind to lusts, neither he shall have great weights of silver and of gold. (The king shall not have many wives, who would draw away his mind to lust, or too much fleshliness, nor shall he have great quantities of silver and gold.) (Wycliffe Bible)
Deut 17:17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself. (NLT)
=== So "taking some wives" is implied but taking "many or too many" is considered to "turn his heart away from the Lord". Just like too much money will "turn his heart from God" but "some money is not sin."

Exodus 21:10 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.

Deut 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.


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## Scott1 (Jul 28, 2012)

Scripture clearly condemns all derived forms of violation of the seventh commandment including this one.

Creation patterns the biblical order- God did not create many wives from Adam to be "help meets," etc. By Genesis 2:24, 



> 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.



An analogous situation is where the Israelites had long been "putting away" their wife rationalizing that as consistent with God's law:



> Matthew 19
> 
> 3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
> 
> ...



Our Lord said, despite their practice, despite some of the spiritual leaders practicing it, "teachers of the law" imagining it to be permitted, it was NEVER God's law, not ever, even going back to the creation.

So it is with this form of adultery, on whatsoever pretext.

We live in an age, as in Old Testament days, as blinded by sin, confusion and disobedience that rationalizes such things.

You may find helpful studying the Westminster Larger Catechism summary on this commandment and the attendant Scripture proofs which expound both the specifics and broad application of this part of God's moral law, binding on all men in all generations:



> Westminster Larger Catechism
> 
> Q. 138. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
> 
> ...





> Scripture proofs
> 
> [767] 1 Thessalonians 4:4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour. Job 31:1. I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? 1 Corinthians 7:34. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
> 
> ...


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