Does the Bible Prohibit Polygamy?

[Sunstone]

Does the Bible prohibit polygamy? Does it even encourage monogamy? Or, is it more or less neutral towards whether a marriage is monogamous or polygamous?

 

[may]

Does the Bible prohibit polygamy? Does it even encourage monogamy? Or, is it more or less neutral towards whether a marriage is monogamous or polygamous?

Keep in mind that Jehovah did not originate the practice
when Jehovah chose the Israelites as his people, polygamy already existed among them, although it apparently was far more common to have just one wife.
Jehovah’s toleration of polygamy came to an end with the formation of the Christian congregation some 2,000 years ago.
At that time, the standard for marriage returned to what it was at the beginning of God’s creation of man and woman: one husband, one wife. It is the standard today among God’s people throughout the entire world.—Mark 10:11, 12; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.

 

[Quiddity]

Polygamy is contrary to conjugal love which is undivided and exclusive, but it is not contrary to natural law. The relative scarcity of males, arising sometimes from numerous destructive wars is but one reason as to the practice of polygamy that would be justified.

In short, the Bible is pro-monogamy, but the patriarchs of the Old Testament also understood that certain situations arised that could severely compromise the progress of their civilization. It is to be noted that they more then likely took advantage of these situations beyond what was needed.

 

[SoyLeche]

The only time that I can think of in the Bible that the issue comes up is in 1 Tim. 3:2 - and that is talking specifically about bishops.

Am I missing some more referrences to the topic? Seems to me that the Bible in general is pretty quiet on the subject.

 

[may]

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He said: "Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh." (Matthew 19:4-6, 9) From this it is obvious that taking one or more additional wives is also adultery.

 

[SoyLeche]

When Jesus Christ was on the earth, He said: "Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh." (Matthew 19:4-6, 9) From this it is obvious that taking one or more additional wives is also adultery.

Only if you extrapolate.

 

[Lindsey-Loo]

Ephesians 5:33 says "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she repsects her husband."

It doesn't say "each of you love his own wives as himself, and let the wives see that they respect their husband." I think the Bible is pretty clear that God's idea of marriage is one man married to one woman. Never anywhere does the NT talk about having more than one wife, except where it says that elders must be married to only one woman.

 

[may]

Ephesians 5:33 says "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she repsects her husband."

It doesn't say "each of you love his own wives as himself, and let the wives see that they respect their husband." I think the Bible is pretty clear that God's idea of marriage is one man married to one woman. Never anywhere does the NT talk about having more than one wife, except where it says that elders must be married to only one woman.

yes i agree, so elders or those who are setting a good example would be sticking to Gods way of doing things, not going along with beliefs of the nations, those were the sort of people that God wanted to be elders

 

[may]

Only if you extrapolate.

Jehovah has not changed his view of polygamy. It was not part of his arrangement for humans from the beginning, and it is not now. When he created Eve as a wife for Adam, Jehovah stated that the divine standard was one wife for one husband. "That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh."—Genesis 2:24. and Jesus pointed to this , and we should as christians listen to Jesus.

 

[almifkhar]

polygamy was not practiced in rome, therefore it was not practiced in christendom. it was a concept that had to be squashed for the efforts of selling the faith to rome.

 

[Ody]

polygamy was not practiced in rome, therefore it was not practiced in christendom. it was a concept that had to be squashed for the efforts of selling the faith to rome.

It is also the reasoning for many other things, I'll go into that some other time...

 

[JerryL]

Am I missing some more referrences to the topic? Seems to me that the Bible in general is pretty quiet on the subject.

Well, there is a requirement to marry your brother's wife if she had no children by him at the time of his death. There is no exception mentioned for being already married.

Of course, Solomon the wise was also known for having wives and concubines beyond count.

I believe the Bible fails to mention it because there was no question on it. Poligamy was accepted practice.

 

[JerryL]

It doesn't say "each of you love his own wives as himself, and let the wives see that they respect their husband." I think the Bible is pretty clear that God's idea of marriage is one man married to one woman. Never anywhere does the NT talk about having more than one wife, except where it says that elders must be married to only one woman.

Firstly, you are creating a singular-vs-plural argument with the translation, not the original. What you are quoting was created long after Biblical cannon was established.

Also, obviously, if everyone was supposed to have no more than one wife, asserting that the elders were allowed no more than one wife would be redundant. It would be like taking the "no adultry" rule and adding "and blonde married woman can't cheat"

 

[JerryL]

yes i agree, so elders or those who are setting a good example would be sticking to Gods way of doing things, not going along with beliefs of the nations, those were the sort of people that God wanted to be elders

Paul says you shouldn't be married at all... that it's a distraction from the worship of God. Further, God has no wife; so "God's way of doing things" certainly isn't monogomous pair-bonding.

Jehovah has not changed his view of polygamy. It was not part of his arrangement for humans from the beginning, and it is not now. When he created Eve as a wife for Adam, Jehovah stated that the divine standard was one wife for one husband. "That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh."—Genesis 2:24. and Jesus pointed to this , and we should as christians listen to Jesus.

There's nothing in there that restricts this to "one occurance per person per lifetime".

 

[Smoke]

Obviously, there's no explicit prohibition of polygamy in the Bible. The biblical rule that a bishop must be "the husband of one wife" makes no sense at all unless there were men among the early Christians who were the husbands of more than one wife. Granted, that's often interpreted as referring to digamy rather than polygamy, but I don't see a lot of support for that position among Western Christians.

 

[Quiddity]

Obviously, there's no explicit prohibition of polygamy in the Bible. The biblical rule that a bishop must be "the husband of one wife" makes no sense at all unless there were men among the early Christians who were the husbands of more than one wife. Granted, that's often interpreted as referring to digamy rather than polygamy, but I don't see a lot of support for that position among Western Christians.

Most support unfolds in early writings outside the Bible and in Oral Tradition. If anything, those denominations that don't follow anything outside the Bible would find it difficult to justify.

 

[DavyCrocket2003]

This is a very interesting thread!
It would seem that at times polygamy was authorized by God. After all Jacob, the father of the Children of Israel, had two wives and two concubines. And I am sure he wasn't disobeying God. Sarah gave Abraham Hagar to wife. And as we know, Solomon and David had numerous wifes.
So what is God's will on the matter?

Here is a passage from the Book of Mormon that might be interesting to read:
Jacob 2:27 and 30
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.

Whether or not you believe in the Book of Mormon, it clearly states what seems to be the case. Unless otherwise commanded by the lord, as in the case of the old testament prophets, no one is to have more than one wife.
Well at least that's how I look at it.

 

[PHOTOTAKER]

This is a very interesting thread!
It would seem that at times polygamy was authorized by God. After all Jacob, the father of the Children of Israel, had two wives and two concubines. And I am sure he wasn't disobeying God. Sarah gave Abraham Hagar to wife. And as we know, Solomon and David had numerous wifes.
So what is God's will on the matter?

Here is a passage from the Book of Mormon that might be interesting to read:
Jacob 2:27 and 30
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.

Whether or not you believe in the Book of Mormon, it clearly states what seems to be the case. Unless otherwise commanded by the lord, as in the case of the old testament prophets, no one is to have more than one wife.
Well at least that's how I look at it.

:clap good points :clap

i have alway had the impression that multible wives were commanded not chosen by man but by God...

 

[Booko]

Sarah gave Abraham Hagar to wife.

fwiw, Abraham had a 3rd wife, Keturah, whose 6 sons went on to become the tribes of the Medes.

 

[jonny]

Ephesians 5:33 says "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she repsects her husband."

It doesn't say "each of you love his own wives as himself, and let the wives see that they respect their husband." I think the Bible is pretty clear that God's idea of marriage is one man married to one woman. Never anywhere does the NT talk about having more than one wife, except where it says that elders must be married to only one woman.

The Bible is clear as mud on the subject. How many of the prophets of the Old Testament were polygamists? I don't think the example you gave really says anything about the subject.