Why are there so many examples of polygamy in the Bible?
The following excerpt from an article in Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary accurately presents the history and the Bible's teaching:
"The practice of having several spouses, especially wives, at one time. Polygamy includes polygyny (marriage to more than one woman) and polyandry (marriage to more than one man). The term polygamy is more often used, however, as a synonym for polygyny, which was common throughout the ancient world.
"According to the custom of the times, Abraham took Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant of his wife Sarah, to be his wife when Sarah was unable to bear a child (Gen. 16:1-4). Abraham's son, Isaac, had only one wife; but Abraham's grandson, Jacob, took two wives (Leah and Rachel) and two concubines, Zilpah and Bilhah (Gen. 29:15-30:13).
"The Bible presents monogamy as the divine ideal. The Creator made marriage as a union between one man and one woman (Gen. 2:18-24; Matt. 19:4-6; 1 Cor. 6:16)...
"After the time of Moses, polygamy continued to be practiced, especially by wealthy individuals, such as Gideon, Elkanah, Saul, and David (1 Sam. 1:2; 2 Sam. 5:13; 1 Kin. 11:3). But the most famous polygamist in the Bible was King Solomon: 'And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart' (1 Kin. 11:3). The criticism of polygamy expressed in (Deuteronomy 17:17), therefore, is not surprising: the ideal king to whom Israel's obedience can be rightly given shall not 'multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away'" (1986, "Polygamy").
Scripture shows that it was God's intention for man to be monogamous. When a group of religious leaders approached Jesus on the related subject of divorce, Jesus pointed them back to the creation (Matthew 19:4-6). God had created only one wife for Adam, and it was clearly stated that the two of them were to become one. Later, Paul specified to Timothy that Church leaders must have only one wife (1 Timothy 3:2, 12).
For more information, please read our booklet Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension.
