Why Did God Allow Some Men to Have Multiple Wives in the Old Testament?

A Daily Little Lesson

Read the transcript of this video below.

We’re going to talk about the question of polygamy, which is an all-encompassing term that just means having more than one spouse. It can apply to a man having more than one wife or a woman having more than one husband.

Polygamy concept - Why did God allow men in the Old Testament to have multiple wives?

There are specific terms that describe each one of those phenomenon, but, regardless, what’s common in the Old Testament to a degree is some men having more than one wife. There are some pretty well-known Bible characters who had more than one wife. Abraham did and Caleb did and David, of course, did. I think he had like eight wives and 10 concubines.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Polygamy (But Were Afraid to Ask)

By David Servant

You might be wondering why I would write on the subject of polygamy. Let me assure you it is not because I’m advocating it for anyone or considering it myself. I think polygamists—whether they be ancient biblical characters or their modern counterparts—generally err on a grand scale. I also think, however, there are some good reasons to study what Scripture has to say on the subject. One is because it can teach us something about our own relationship with God. I hope to provoke your thinking, as always. But first, some trivia:

Polygamy concept - Everything you wanted to know about polygamy (but were afraid to ask)