Why did God allow polygamy in the Bible? Abraham Was NOT a Polygamist. There are a few key items to consider. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines… Although the Bible hints that protection of women is probably the main reason why God allowed polygamy, most polygamous marriages were not so altruistic. Why not punish the polygamist and invalidate all polygamous marriages? Why did God not just forbid polygamy outright? In fact, he specifically said not to have more than one wife because, in … So why would God allow that? Polygamy is the state of being married to more than one partner, regardless of whether it’s a man having many wives or a wife having many husbands. Solomon clearly did not use God’s wisdom and disobeyed God, but God permitted it. A woman who had been married and divorced was shamed. Why Polygamy Is Allowed And Even Blessed By God – Part 1. In the beginning, God created one for one. The Scripture doesn’t specifically say so we have to take Biblical principles and see if we can extrapolate something elsewhere and apply it to this situation. By J.R. Ensey Answer: The question of polygamy in the Bible is an interesting one in that most people today view polygamy as immoral while the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns it. So why, then, did God allow polygamy? Polygamy did not start among those who were true worshipers of Jehovah God. In marriage how do the two become one flesh? God’s permitting of polygamy seems more like the case of divorce, which God tolerated for a while under certain conditions because of the hardness of their hearts. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. Why did God allow polygamy (man marrying more than one woman)? So, since God’s standard for Christians is one wife or one husband, why did God allow his ancient covenant people Israel to have more than one wife? But it was not the way it was intended from the beginning (Matthew 19:8). Why Did God Allow Polygamy? Transcript. First, polygyny (a form of polygamy) was allowed under the Law of Moses.That is, men were allowed to have multiple wives. God never condoned polygamy but like divorce he allowed it to occur and did not bring an immediate punishment for this disobedience. In more stable times, polygamy resulted in many men remaining single because wealthy men could have many wives. In today’s marriage talk, Pastor Priji enlightens us about the idea of multiple partners in the form of extra-marital affairs or polygamy. The question of polygamy is an interesting one in that most people today view polygamy as immoral, while the Bible nowhere explicitly condemns it. What is Polygamy? Marriages were very often contracts between families. It’s important to understand that the Bible was written to a culture that did not prioritize protecting or providing for women. Why did God let these men have more than one wife? We can only speculate on why God did not give more clear prohibitions against polygamy, but the ancient attitudes towards women would have made punishing polygamy incredibly hard on the wives. Why did God allow Polygamy? Why Does God Allow Polygamy in the Old Testament? That’s a good question. If God is opposed to polygamy, why does 2 Samuel 12:8 say that God gave David wives? The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah” and in 1 Kings 11:3 wherein Solomon “had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. I have held this position on Biblical polygamy for 20 years(and no I am not a practicing polygamist) . We will discuss why God had brought polygamy into the world. G od did not sanction polygamy in Old Testament times. God’s purpose for marriage was to help individuals find mutual support in families. Answer prepared by Gaylon West www.BibleStudyLessons.net THE BIBLE AND MULTIPLE WIVES and CONCUBINES Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. He created Adam and Eve to cleave together, the two becoming one (Genesis 2:24). Was it a command or was it forbidden? Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines (2 Chron. Solomon surely loved women (1 Kings 11:3), but it's safe to say most of his wives were given to him to gain political favor. Assuming … A man would take multiple wives and serve as the provider and protector of all of them. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3) and he started serving false gods. The first record of polygamy is with Lamech, a descendant of unfaithful Cain. Did God allow polygamy after the Law was fulfilled? So why did God allow polygamy? Question: Did God Allow Polygamy After the Law was fulfilled? July 8, 2014 jefferchan Leave a comment. 18:27; 2 Sam. Abraham, Jacob, David (2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3), Solomon (1 Kings 11:3), and others (In 2 Chronicles 11:21, King Solomon's son Rehoboam had … 3:2-5; 1 Chron. We will discuss why God had brought polygamy into the world. Contrary to the suppositions many have accepted, God forbade it--and PUNISHED for it! God didn’t stop him. OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY. (1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? (1 Kings 11:1-4) Clearly, the Bible paints a negative picture of polygamy. So one possible reason Parr says that God may have permitted polygamy was actually to protect women. Closer to home, in the state of Utah, polygamy is technically illegal but not enforced. Today we hear of extremely violent crimes. … God did not have a problem with Abraham taking Hagar as second wife, but the problem was in his wife seeing this child of the slave woman as Hagar to Abraham to produce an heir in direct contradiction to God’s promise that Sarah would bear Abraham’s heir. Before you answer, Pastor John, of course we should keep in mind a number of African countries do allow polygamous civil marriage, as of course is ... read more. Is God pro-polygamy? If God is opposed to polygamy, then why does 2 Samuel 12:8 say that God gave David wives? The answer is found, in part, by asking why God allows anything. So one possible reason Parr says that God may have permitted polygamy was actually to protect women. 0 0. Due to the “one flesh” aspect of marriage, the need for oneness and harmony in marriage, and the lack of any real … God never approved of polygamy nor did he intend it to be the norm. You may be surprised to learn that Abraham was not a polygamist -- that David completely repented of it -- that God's legal statutes made polygamy illegal in ancient Israel! There has always been some debate about it, but in the early church non-leaders were permitted multiple wives. When Jesus came, He restored marriage to it's ideal in regards to divorce. It wasn't God's ideal from the start, and certainly isn't today, but He did allow it without condemning those who had more than one wife for a season. Answer prepared by Gaylon West www.BibleStudyLessons.net The question as given: Polygamy # 4. Copyright 2011-2021 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. Hosted by Then why did God allow it? It was only for the hardness of their hearts. Lusting after another woman is not really adultery, but it does violate the (ten commandments) of 'not covet thy … He also gave them the joint mission to rule over and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). The first instance of polygamy / bigamy in the Bible was Lamech in Genesis 4:19—“Lamech married two women….” Why did God let these men have more than one wife? 11:21-12:1) and they foresook the Law of God. 14:3), and there were problems because of it. "The first instance of polygamy / bigamy in the Bible was Lamech in Genesis 4:19, “Lamech married two women…” Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. Statistics show that about 50.5% of the current global population is female. God’s design is a man to be married to a woman and not to have multiple marriages. Despite the many examples of polygamy in the Bible, it was never God's intent for people. Matthew 19:4–5, “And He answered and said, 1 Corinthians 7:2, “But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.”, Ephesians 5:31, “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”, 1 Timothy 3:2, “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”. ... Why Polygamy Is Allowed And Even Blessed By God – Part 2. Why did God allow polygamy? Whay is polyandry? Why did God allow polygamy in the Bible? Deut. Wives were never allowed to have more than one husband. Many people recall at once a few Old Testament instances of plural wives, and assume that God sanctioned polygamy. Polygamy was not a problem in the OT and was allowed for all. Daughters were not as valuable to the family in ancient times, since they were unable to work in the fields. So one possible reason Parr says that God may have permitted polygamy was actually to protect women. A Brief History of Polygamy . What does it mean for wives to submit to their husbands? Was it a command or was it forbidden? Polygamy only leads a married person far from God. Gideon had many wives (Judges 8:30), whose son was Abimelech who was wicked. Due to patriarchal societies, it was nearly impossible for a woman in the ancient world to provide for herself. According to a Gallup poll taken in May of 2013, 83% of Americans believed polygamy … While polygamy may not have been God’s plan, He did use these sinful relationships for His good. - Read online for free. When there were too few men due to warfare, this purpose was accomplished by allowing polygamy to ensure male heirs. Here's the Plain Truth About. Question: "Why did God allow polygamy / bigamy in the Bible? “In this culture,” Parr explains, “there were a lot of men who were going off to war, and they were dying, leaving a disproportionate amount of men to women.” In … W hy did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? Does the Bible say anything about interracial marriage. Posted by biblicalgenderroles May 31, 2020 May 31, 2020 Posted in For Both, polygamy Tags: Bible, Biblical Polygamy, Christian, Concubines, Ezra, Gideon, Hosea, marriage, patriarchy, Solomon. For example, a man marrying multiple women could give the women protection. 3) Why did it change? The best anyone can do is “informed” speculation. Why did God allow polygamy in the Bible? Current statistics show that approximately 50.5% of the world population are women, with men being 49.5%. Some Biblical Principles to Understand Polygamy. Polygamy did not start among those who were true worshipers of Jehovah God. That’s a good question. God allowed polygamy (as well as divorce) in the Old Testament because of the hardness of people’s hearts (Matt. So, it seems that God allowed polygamy to protect and provide for the women who could not find a husband otherwise. Best Answers. Polygamy is the state of being married to more than one partner, regardless of whether it’s a man having many wives or a wife having many husbands. Many people ask questions; if God does not allow polygamy, why then did He allow the likes of king David and his son king Solomon, plus many other characters in the Bible to have many wives? People began to value God's gifts less. Here are some things to consider: First, throughout much of history, there have been more women than men. Although Scripture doesn't tell us specifically why God allowed men to have multiple wives, we can make an "informed" speculation. Just because humans do something does not mean that God approves of it. Christian Web Hosting, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’?”, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.”. Contrary to the suppositions many have accepted, God forbade it--and PUNISHED for it! So, since God’s standard for Christians is one wife or one husband, why did God allow his ancient covenant people Israel to have more than one wife? Why did so many men in the Bible have multiple wives? Even some of the famous Bible characters, Abraham and David, committed polygamy. David had many wives (1 Sam. They argue that man was originally made by God with a monogamous nature, and only because of sin did polygamy enter the picture. Tragically, Solomon’s heart did indeed turn aside from Jehovah because of the bad influence of his many wives. This is a very interesting question and as someone who grew up in the church I knew who Abraham … While definitely not ideal, living in a polygamist household was far better than the alternatives: prostitution, slavery, starvation, etc. In the New Testament, polygamy appears to be prohibited (Timothy, Titus) but for church leaders only. Women relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection. 3) Why did it change? W hy did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? In a recent conversation, the topic of multiple wives came up, and also the fact that Abraham and David, and many others who were well known in the Old Testament had multiple wives. Popular opinion is not always right . 2) How does God view polygamy today? October 24, 2020 . G od did not sanction polygamy in Old Testament times. Due to patriarchal societies, it was nearly impossible for an unmarried woman to provide for herself. Now, I do believe God is opposed to polygamy. In today’s marriage talk, Pastor Priji enlightens us about the idea of multiple partners in the form of extra-marital affairs or polygamy. Why did God allow humans to lie, cheat, kill, divorce etc.? Why? Furthermore, virtually every instance of polygamy recounted in the Torah is related directly by the narrative to some sort of calamity—whether strife between competing wives, as was the case with Hannah and Peninah,1 or between rivaling half-siblings, e.g. It seems to me that polygamy falls into a similar camp. The result of this was they encountered problems that they did not wish they had. God didn’t stop him. Once sin entered the world, that mission and the way in which it could be fulfilled, was warped. Why? Let us keenly listen and understand the Biblical perspective and know the consequences of indulging ourselves in such activities. That assumption is absolutely false! Still, some might wonder why God chose to tolerate polygamy among his people. Source: desiringgod.org. One of those gifts was a committed marriage relationship between a man and woman who were devoted to each other and God. “In this culture,” Parr explains, “there were a lot of men who were going off to war, and they were dying, leaving a disproportionate amount of men to women.” In the ancient world, women were generally not educated. Lamech was the first to have more than one wife (Genesis 4:19, 23), but he was a wicked man, a murderer. A Brief History of Polygamy. 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