What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy?

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

“And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.”

“And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.”

“And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:”

“Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife. Mahalath: or, Bashemath”

“And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.”

“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.”

“And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.”

“When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.”

“And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.”

“If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.”

“Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. a wife: or, one wife to another”

“Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.”

“If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:”

“Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:”

“But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. that: Heb. that is found with him”

“And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. of his: Heb. going out of his thigh”

“And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.”

“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.”

“And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.”

“Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.”

“And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. let: Heb. let thy name be called upon us to take: or, take thou away”

“Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. father: or, grandfather taken: Cald. brought forth”

“Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. of wine: Heb. of grapes”

“So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: half: Heb. lethech”

“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.”

“And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. residue: or, excellency godly: Heb. seed of God treacherously: or, unfaithfully”

“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,”

“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?”

“And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.”

“And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?”

“And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.”

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.”

“But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.”

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;”

“And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.”

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; of good: or, modest”

“Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

“If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”