What Does the Bible Say About Polygamy?
The Bible presents a nuanced perspective on polygamy. While the Old Testament records examples of it, these accounts often show the relational difficulties and spiritual consequences that follow. The consistent biblical ideal, rooted in creation, is monogamous marriage—one man and one woman in covenant for life. Understanding the Bible’s treatment of polygamy helps us see how God’s design for marriage reflects His covenant love for His people.
1. What Was God’s Original Design for Marriage?
The Bible’s first teaching on marriage appears in Genesis 2:24: “A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This verse sets the standard pattern for marriage as a union between two people, not multiple spouses.
Marriage in creation is:
Exclusive – One man and one woman forming a unique, covenant bond.
Permanent – A lifelong commitment, reflecting God’s enduring faithfulness.
Unifying – The “one flesh” language speaks to deep relational and spiritual unity.
This original design stands in contrast to the distortions that appear later in the biblical narrative, including polygamy.
2. Why Did Polygamy Appear in the Old Testament?
Though never presented as the norm, polygamy was practiced in certain periods of Old Testament history, often among the wealthy or powerful who could afford multiple bride prices. The Bible’s first polygamist, Lamech (Genesis 4:19), is portrayed negatively, hinting at early disapproval of the practice.
Some key observations:
Wealth and status – Kings and influential men like Solomon took many wives, often for political alliances.
Not universally practiced – Most ordinary Israelites lived in monogamous marriages.
Often led to conflict – Biblical accounts of polygamy frequently highlight jealousy, rivalry, and family division (e.g., Sarah and Hagar, Leah and Rachel).
While the Mosaic Law included regulations for polygamous households (e.g., Deuteronomy 21:15–17), these instructions managed an existing reality rather than endorsing it.
3. How Does the Bible Implicitly and Explicitly Oppose Polygamy?
Several biblical principles and commands push against polygamy:
Moral commands – Some scholars suggest that polygamy is implicitly at odds with the command against adultery, as the one-flesh ideal allows for only one spouse at a time.
Wisdom literature – Proverbs upholds the joy and faithfulness of devotion to a single spouse (Proverbs 5:18–19).
Prophetic imagery – God’s covenant relationship with His people is consistently portrayed as monogamous, reinforcing the exclusivity of marriage.
By presenting the strife caused by polygamy and holding up monogamy as the ideal, the Bible indirectly critiques the practice.
4. What Does the New Testament Teach About Polygamy?
The New Testament gives clearer support for monogamy as the norm for Christian marriage. Church leaders are required to be “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6), setting a standard for the whole congregation.
Jesus’ teaching on marriage in Matthew 19:4–6 reaffirms the creation pattern from Genesis 2:24. In the light of the Gospel, marriage is a living picture of Christ’s exclusive and sacrificial love for the Church (Ephesians 5:25–32), making polygamy incompatible with the covenant it is meant to display.
Conclusion
While the Bible records instances of polygamy, it never celebrates or commands the practice. From the creation account to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, monogamy is consistently upheld as God’s design. Polygamy, though present in Old Testament history, is shown to bring relational strife and falls short of the covenant love that marriage is meant to reflect. In Christ, believers are called to live out God’s original vision for marriage—exclusive, faithful, and rooted in His love.
Bible Verses About Polygamy
Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Genesis 4:19, “And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.”
Deuteronomy 21:15–17, “If a man has two wives, the one loved and the other unloved, and both the loved and the unloved have borne him children, and if the firstborn son belongs to the unloved, then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.”
1 Samuel 1:2, “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.”
2 Samuel 5:13, “And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.”
1 Kings 11:3, “He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.”
Proverbs 5:18–19, “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.”
Matthew 19:4–6, “He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’”
1 Timothy 3:2, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”
Titus 1:6, “If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.”
