43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

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

Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

It has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of rebellion or unruly.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

And did not he make them one? Yet had he the remnant of the spirit. And why one? That he might seek a godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And he answered and said unto them, Have you 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 from her husband commits adultery.

Are you bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.

Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.

It has been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of rebellion or unruly.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

And did not he make them one? Yet had he the remnant of the spirit. And why one? That he might seek a godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

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

Neither shall you take as a wife her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

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

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of rebellion or unruly.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

And David took himself more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; 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 has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept his servant from evil: for the LORD has returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and talked with Abigail, to take her to be his wife. And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying, David sent us unto you, to take you to be his wife. And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let your handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. read more.
And Abigail hastened, and arose, and rode upon a donkey, with five of her young women that attended 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. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

And David 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 him another wife; her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he 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 seven other years. And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bore 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 bore 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 bore a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from you 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 as his wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan. And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her to Jacob as his wife. And Zilpah Leah's maid bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop comes: and she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah's maid bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy 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 you, of your son's mandrakes. And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? and would you take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, You must come in unto me; for surely I have hired you with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God has given me my reward, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bore Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God has endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God has taken away my reproach:

And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? and would you take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes.

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

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne 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 displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son. read more.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be displeasing in your sight because of the lad, and because of your bondwoman; in all that Sarah has said unto you, listen unto her voice; for in Isaac shall your descendants be called. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is your descendant. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a skin 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 used up in the skin, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat down apart from 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 away from 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 Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

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

And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as his wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; Who bore him children; Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; who bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. read more.
And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.) And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king. And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city: and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he procured many wives for them.

If a man has two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before 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.

If a man has two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he makes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before 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 Sidonians, 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 did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

But king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, You 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 clung 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 Sidonians, 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 did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. And her adversary also provoked her severely to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. read more.
And as year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Behold, with a great plague will the LORD strike your people, and your children, and your wives, and all your goods:

But Abijah grew mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

And I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto you more things.

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

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

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

But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but 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 your 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 threescore and ten sons, his own offspring: 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.

And the sons of Ethan; Azariah.

Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, might drink from them.