Polygamy in the Bible

[ForeverBlessed]

Originally Posted by ILG

In the beginning, God gave Adam one wife, Eve. He didn't add Jane or Sally and tell Adam to have fun since populating the earth would be easier with more wives. Thank God for that. After that, men took the reigns and decided that they knew better than God on the subject and thought things would be better with more than one wife. (More wives equals more sex.) The Bible bears out that there is much jealousy with polygamy. I think the Bible does not condemn it or women who are in polygamous situations, yet hated, would be thrown out on their ear. I think we can view this as a protection of women and not a condoning of polygamy. Since God made Adam one wife and said that only men of one wife can be leaders, that tells you that men who have more than one wife are not leadership material and not in the perfect will of God. End of story.

I agree with you and Miss Brat...

I believe that in many ways people adopted the culture around them... even as we do today..not the perfect will of God... but I think the laws were given to govern.

I feel God's perfect will for man/woman is to be in the relationship as Christ is with the church... two becoming one...oneness in him.

Eph 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. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

In that two becoming one doesn't leave room for multiples.. sorry.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by ForeverBlessed

I agree with you and Miss Brat...

I believe that in many ways people adopted the culture around them... even as we do today..not the perfect will of God... but I think the laws were given to govern.

I feel God's perfect will for man/woman is to be in the relationship as Christ is with the church... two becoming one...oneness in him.

Eph 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. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

In that two becoming one doesn't leave room for multiples.. sorry.

Hi FB!

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by Rico

Why any man would want to put up with more than one woman, especially an American one, is beyond me.

YEP! This type of culture with it's type of laws would be bad, VERY bad!

[LUKE2447]

Baron I would disagree but it doesn't matter anyway.

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Baron I would disagree but it doesn't matter anyway.

Disagree with what?

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

Disagree with what?

Example: Abraham "probably" remarried and the other speculation.

Wives - Sarah, Hagar and Keturah

"Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar." Genesis 16:1

"And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." Genesis 16:3

"Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah." Genesis 25:1

Moses maybe as it is speculation on both parts but more support goes to he did have multiple as the text shows he did and does not change the status of the other wife.

[Baron1710]

Originally Posted by LUKE2447

Example: Abraham "probably" remarried and the other speculation.

Wives - Sarah, Hagar and Keturah

"Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar." Genesis 16:1

"And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife." Genesis 16:3

"Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah." Genesis 25:1

Moses maybe as it is speculation on both parts but more support goes to he did have multiple as the text shows he did and does not change the status of the other wife.

I had already conceded Hagar but the lateness of the mentioning of Keturah would indicate that this was after Sarah’s death. I do understand there is some debate on that.

But less so Moses and two wives.

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by Baron1710

I had already conceded Hagar but the lateness of the mentioning of Keturah would indicate that this was after Sarah’s death. I do understand there is some debate on that.

But less so Moses and two wives.

ok

[Aquila]

Actually in time God did add additional women to the population. And yes, men took the reigns and decided to have more than one wife. But here’s the deal…God never forbade them from taking more than one wife. I think that it’s hard to understand the ancient worldview in our modern sexualized society. We by default think that polygamy is about more sex. But in reality that was a very small part of it. Again, women were viewed as property. Having more than one wife was a sort of status symbol (today we judge people by their homes or automobiles). Having many children was considered a blessing and ensured the family dynasty. Many children provided many additional workers and hands to tend crops and lands. Children were also a form of “social security”, the children cared for their aging parents. So the more children the more prosperous one’s old age would be and the less of a burden aging parents would be on their children. It also provided care and for the needs of women. A single woman couldn’t just go out and get a career and support herself. A single woman was most likely going to end up being sold into slavery or prostitution (and sadly for women there wasn’t much of a difference). I imagine that one could argue that polygamy developed out of social necessity. Today the only real “benefit” (I speak as a man of flesh and blood) that it would provide is multiple partners with which to fulfill one’s desires. I predict that if there were a massive war in which the entire world system was devastated and an agrarian clan like society developed in the ruins of our modern world we’d see a resurgence of polygamy based on necessity and survival.

God doesn’t condemn polygamy. In the Scriptures marriage wasn’t a “static institution” in ancient times. Marriage was viewed more like a contractual agreement between nations, families, and couples. The husband was to provide for necessities and protection and the woman was to provide him with conjugal rights and children. The stipulations of that contract were primarily determined by the individuals involved. For example Sarah gives her servant Hagar to Abraham. That was agreed upon by them both, therefore it wasn’t “adultery” in that it didn’t violate the marriage contract, nor did it attempt to take from another man what was his. That’s why Abraham wasn’t condemned as an adulterer. David had wives and concubines; however David is only condemned for adultery when he secretly takes Uriah’s wife; again taking property that wasn’t his. God’s concern appears to be with maintaining the marriage contract (covenant), not necessarily the forms it might take. Even concubinage was primarily viewed as a contract with limited entitlements, rights, and obligations. The stipulations of the marriage contract were determined primarily by the husband (sometimes with the participation of first wife). We have to understand how marriage was viewed, what it provided, and how it was observed in ancient times to fully understand the development and practice of polygamy in the Bible.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Actually in time God did add additional women to the population. And yes, men took the reigns and decided to have more than one wife. But here’s the deal…God never forbade them from taking more than one wife. I think that it’s hard to understand the ancient worldview in our modern sexualized society. We by default think that polygamy is about more sex. But in reality that was a very small part of it. Again, women were viewed as property. Having more than one wife was a sort of status symbol (today we judge people by their homes or automobiles). Having many children was considered a blessing and ensured the family dynasty. Many children provided many additional workers and hands to tend crops and lands. Children were also a form of “social security”, the children cared for their aging parents. So the more children the more prosperous one’s old age would be and the less of a burden aging parents would be on their children. It also provided care and for the needs of women. A single woman couldn’t just go out and get a career and support herself. A single woman was most likely going to end up being sold into slavery or prostitution (and sadly for women there wasn’t much of a difference). I imagine that one could argue that polygamy developed out of social necessity. Today the only real “benefit” (I speak as a man of flesh and blood) that it would provide is multiple partners with which to fulfill one’s desires. I predict that if there were a massive war in which the entire world system was devastated and an agrarian clan like society developed in the ruins of our modern world we’d see a resurgence of polygamy based on necessity and survival.

God doesn’t condemn polygamy. In the Scriptures marriage wasn’t a “static institution” in ancient times. Marriage was viewed more like a contractual agreement between nations, families, and couples. The husband was to provide for necessities and protection and the woman was to provide him with conjugal rights and children. The stipulations of that contract were primarily determined by the individuals involved. For example Sarah gives her servant Hagar to Abraham. That was agreed upon by them both, therefore it wasn’t “adultery” in that it didn’t violate the marriage contract, nor did it attempt to take from another man what was his. That’s why Abraham wasn’t condemned as an adulterer. David had wives and concubines; however David is only condemned for adultery when he secretly takes Uriah’s wife; again taking property that wasn’t his. God’s concern appears to be with maintaining the marriage contract (covenant), not necessarily the forms it might take. Even concubinage was primarily viewed as a contract with limited entitlements, rights, and obligations. The stipulations of the marriage contract were determined primarily by the husband (sometimes with the participation of first wife). We have to understand how marriage was viewed, what it provided, and how it was observed in ancient times to fully understand the development and practice of polygamy in the Bible.

Sure, it was viewed in this way because women were viewed as property. God never meant for women to be viewed as property.