Polygamy in the Bible vs. Modern Christian Interpretation

 

(Generated by ChatGPT 2025)

 

Biblical Examples of Polygamy:

• Abraham – Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16)
• Jacob – Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah (Genesis 29–30)
• Moses – Married Zipporah and possibly an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1)
• David – Multiple wives (2 Samuel 5:13)
• Solomon – 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3)

Biblical View on Polygamy:

• Permitted, not commanded – Never explicitly banned in the Old Testament, but monogamy is the ideal in the New Testament.
• Consequences often negative – Family strife, jealousy, and national problems (e.g., Solomon’s wives leading him astray).
• Righteous men not condemned directly for polygamy, but later scriptures emphasize monogamy.

New Testament Teaching:

• Jesus: “The two shall become one flesh” (Matthew 19:4–6).
• Paul: Church leaders should be “husbands of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2).
• Monogamy becomes the Christian norm, seen as a restoration of Edenic marriage.

Conclusion:

Biblical polygamy existed under divine allowance, not as the eternal ideal. LDS 19th-century polygamy was similar in form, believing it was temporarily restored by divine command, but it’s no longer practiced or encouraged.

Note: Plural marriage is certainly a rare practice, and few do well with it.