43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

Everyone putting away his wife and marrying another commits adultery; and everyone marrying her who is put away from her husband commits adultery.

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

And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the women, and such as have been born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. And let it be done according to the Law.

It was also said, Whoever 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 happens that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorce and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,

if anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having believing children, not accused of loose behavior, or disobedient.

Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself.

And did He not make you one? Yet the vestige of the Spirit is in him. And what of the one? He was seeking a godly seed. Then guard your spirit, and do not act treacherously with the wife of your youth.

And He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female",

Everyone putting away his wife and marrying another commits adultery; and everyone marrying her who is put away from her husband commits adultery.

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

And now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the women, and such as have been born of them, according to the counsel of the Lord, and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God. And let it be done according to the Law.

It was also said, Whoever 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 happens that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorce and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,

if anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having believing children, not accused of loose behavior, or disobedient.

Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself.

And did He not make you one? Yet the vestige of the Spirit is in him. And what of the one? He was seeking a godly seed. Then guard your spirit, and do not act treacherously with the wife of your youth.

And He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female",

And you shall not take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life.

Then it behooves the overseer to be without reproach, husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, well-ordered, hospitable, apt at teaching,

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

if anyone is blameless, husband of one wife, having believing children, not accused of loose behavior, or disobedient.

Nor shall he multiply wives to himself, so that his heart does not turn away. Nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold to himself.

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

And sons were born to David in Hebron. And his first-born was Amnon, the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel. And his second was Chileab, of Abigail of Carmel, the former wife of Nabal. And the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur. And the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital. read more.
And the sixth was Ithream, by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And David heard that Nabal had died, and he said, Blessed is Jehovah who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil. For Jehovah has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head. And David sent and spoke with Abigail, to take her to him for a wife. And David's servants came to Abigail at Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David sent us to you to take you to him for a 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 hurried and arose, and rode on an ass, with five of her maidens who went after her. And she followed the messengers of David and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel. And they became, both of them, his wives. And Saul gave his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

And David took more wives at Jerusalem. And David fathered more sons and daughters.

And he had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

If he takes himself another wife, her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage shall not be lessened.

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

And he also went in to Rachel. He also loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him still seven more years. And when Jehovah saw that Leah was hated, even 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 Jehovah has looked upon my afflictions. Now therefore my husband will love me. read more.
And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, Because Jehovah 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 my husband will return to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi.

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to 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 you the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold my slave woman Bilhah; go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and yea, let me be built up from her, me also. read more.
And she gave him her slave woman Bilhah to wife. And Jacob went in to 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 she called his name Dan. And Rachel's slave woman Bilhah conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had quit bearing, she took her slave woman Zilpah and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Leah's slave woman Zilpah bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, With fortune. And she called his name Gad. And Leah's slave woman Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed. And she called his name Asher. And Reuben went out in the days of the wheat harvest, and found love-apples in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, please give me some of your son's love-apples. And she said to her, Is it a small matter that you have taken my husband? And would you also take my son's love-apples? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with you tonight for your son's love-apples. And Jacob came out of the field in the evening. And Leah went out to meet him, and said, You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's love-apples. And he lay with her that night. And God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I gave my slave to my husband. And she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bore Jacob the sixth son. And Leah said, God has given me a good present. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons. And she called his name Zebulun. And afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah. And God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and she said, God has taken away my reproach.

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

And he also went in to Rachel. He also loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him still seven more years.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian (whom she had borne to Abraham) mocking. And she said to Abraham, Cast out this slave woman and her son. For the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son, with Isaac. And the thing was very evil in Abraham's sight, because of his son. read more.
And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in your sight because of the boy and because of your slave woman. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For in Isaac your Seed shall be called. And also, I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman, because he is your seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder. And he gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. And the water was gone in the bottle, and she cast the boy under one of the shrubs. And she went and sat down across from him, a good way off, about a bowshot. For she said, Let me not see the death of the boy. And she sat across from him, and lifted up her voice, and cried.

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

And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David as a wife for himself, 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 Abijah to him, 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 sixty concubines, and had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brothers, in order to make him king. And he dealt wisely and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to all the fortified cities. And he gave them food in abundance. And he demanded many wives.

If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.

If a man has two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him sons, the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son was of her that was hated, then it shall be in the day when he makes his sons to inherit what he has, he may not cause to inherit the son of the beloved first-born before the son of the hated one, he who is truly the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the first-born by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For he is the beginning of his strength. The right of the first-born is his.

For it happened when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah 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 Jehovah, and did not go fully after Jehovah like his father David. read more.
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill which is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

And King Solomon loved many foreign women, even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; of the nations which Jehovah had said to the sons of Israel, You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to 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 happened when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with Jehovah 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 Jehovah, and did not go fully after Jehovah like his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill which is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

And the time came that Elkanah offered, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters. But to Hannah he gave one double portion, for he loved Hannah. But Jehovah had shut up her womb. And her foe also provoked her grievously, in order to make her tremble, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. read more.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her. And 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 sixty concubines, and had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters).

Those who 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 eunuchs. And the mighty of the land he carried into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

behold, Jehovah will strike your people with a great plague, and your sons, and your wives, and all your goods.

And Abijah became mighty, and married fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-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 was too little, I would have given to you such and such things besides.

And Jehovah said to me, Go again. Love a woman beloved by a friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah toward the sons of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin-cakes of grapes. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley and a half homer of barley.

And he also went in to Rachel. He also loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him still seven more years.

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

But to Hannah he gave one double portion, for he loved Hannah. But Jehovah 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 clothing; only let us be called by your name, to take away our shame.

And he had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

And Gideon had seventy sons, begotten of his body. For he had many wives.

And Lamech took two wives to himself. The name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.

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

And the son of Ethan was Azariah.

When tasting the wine, Belshazzar commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that the king and his rulers, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.