43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

Whosoever puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whosoever marries her that is put away of her husband commits adultery.

Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.

Now, therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to send away all the women and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those that fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

It was also said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce;

When a man has taken a wife and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her; then let him write her a bill of divorce and give it in her hand and send her out of his house.

It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

He who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who can not be accused of dissoluteness, nor insubordinate.

Neither shall he multiply wives unto himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver or gold.

And did he not make one, having in himself abundance of the Spirit? And why one? That he might seek offspring of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female?

Whosoever puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery, and whosoever marries her that is put away of her husband commits adultery.

Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.

Now, therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to send away all the women and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord and of those that fear the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

It was also said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce;

When a man has taken a wife and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her; then let him write her a bill of divorce and give it in her hand and send her out of his house.

It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

He who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who can not be accused of dissoluteness, nor insubordinate.

Neither shall he multiply wives unto himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver or gold.

And did he not make one, having in himself abundance of the Spirit? And why one? That he might seek offspring of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female?

Neither shalt thou take a woman together with her sister, to make her a rival, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime.

It is expedient, therefore, that the bishop be blameless, the husband of only one wife, vigilant, temperate, of worldly affections mortified, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Let the deacons be the husbands of only one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

He who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who can not be accused of dissoluteness, nor insubordinate.

Neither shall he multiply wives unto himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver or gold.

And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born unto David.

And sons were born unto David in Hebron; and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, of Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital; read more.
and the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD that judged the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept his slave from evil, for the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent word unto Abigail to take her to him to wife. And when the slaves of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke with her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife. And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a slave to wash the feet of the slaves of my lord. read more.
And Abigail hastened and arose and rode upon an ass with five damsels of hers that went after her, and she went after the messengers of David and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives. For Saul had given Michal, his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begat more sons and daughters.

And 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.

If he takes another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, he shall not diminish.

And Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he begat sons and daughters.

And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah and served with him yet another seven years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, Surely the LORD has looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me. read more.
And she conceived again and gave birth to a son; and said, Because the LORD has heard that I was hated, he has therefore given me this son also; and she called his name Simeon. And she conceived again and gave birth to a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me because I have born him three sons; therefore his name was called Levi.

And when Rachel saw that she gave Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said unto Jacob, Give me sons, or else I will die. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her. read more.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife; and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived and gave birth to a son unto Jacob. And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again and gave birth to a second son unto Jacob. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed; and she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing children, she took Zilpah, her maid and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah, Leah's maid, gave birth to a son unto Jacob. And Leah said, Good venture has come; and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah, Leah's maid, gave birth to a second son unto Jacob. And Leah said, Blessed am I, for the daughters will call me blessed; and she called his name Asher. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband and would thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived and gave birth to a fifth son unto Jacob. And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband; and she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again and gave birth to the sixth son unto Jacob. And Leah said, God has endued me with a good dowry; now my husband will dwell with me because I have born him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she gave birth to a daughter and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel and God hearkened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, God has taken away my reproach;

And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband and would thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah and served with him yet another seven years.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. read more.
Then God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman I will make a nation because he is thy seed. So Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child and sent her away; and she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under a tree. And she went and sat her down over against him a good way off as it were a bowshot; for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him and lifted up her voice and wept.

And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon, the Hittite:

Esau went unto Ishmael and took unto the wives which he had, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

And Rehoboam took Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David, to wife, and Abihail, the daughter of Eliab, the son of Jesse; who bore him sons: Jeush and Shamariah and Zaham. And after her he took Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith. read more.
But Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines and begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.) And Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maachah, as head and prince among his brethren, for he thought to make him king. And he caused him to be instructed and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he desired many wives.

When a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have born him sons, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is of the one that was hated, then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the right of the firstborn unto the son of the beloved in preference over the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn; but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

When a man has two wives, one beloved and the other hated, and they have born him sons, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son is of the one that was hated, then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not give the right of the firstborn unto the son of the beloved in preference over the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn; but he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David, his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. read more.
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites, of the Gentiles concerning which the LORD had said unto the sons of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. read more.
For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David, his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And when the day would come, Elkanah would sacrifice, and he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters. But unto Hannah he would give a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah, even though the LORD had shut up her womb. And her rival provoked her to anger and sorrow because the LORD had shut up her womb. read more.
And this would happen year by year when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she would provoke her; therefore, she would weep and not eat.

But Rehoboam loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines and begat twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death; and their widows shall not weep.

He likewise carried Jehoiachin away to Babylon and the king's mother and the king's wives and his officers, and the mighty of the land; he carried them all into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

behold, the LORD shall smite thy people with a great plague, and thy sons and thy wives and all thy goods;

But Abijah waxed mighty and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that is too little, I shall add unto thee such and such things.

Then the LORD said unto me again, Go, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the sons of Israel, who look to other gods and love flagons of wine. So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and an homer and a half of barley:

And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah and served with him yet another seven years.

And Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he begat sons and daughters.

But unto Hannah he would give a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah, even though the LORD had shut up her womb.

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.

And 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.

And Gideon had seventy sons that came out of his loins, for he had many wives.

And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

And Ashur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

Azariah was the son of Ethan.

Belshazzar, under the influence of the wine, commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and of silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had brought from the temple of Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, might drink with them.