43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

Every man who divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery, and every man who marries her who has been divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Are thou bound to a wife? Do not seek separation. Are thou free from a wife? Do not seek 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 who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to

And it was said, Whoever may divorce his wife, let him give her a divorce certificate.

When a man takes a wife, and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her ou

The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, without wine, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,

if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not with an accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

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 he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And why one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And having answered, he said to them, Have ye not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,

Every man who divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery, and every man who marries her who has been divorced from a husband commits adultery.

Are thou bound to a wife? Do not seek separation. Are thou free from a wife? Do not seek 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 who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to

And it was said, Whoever may divorce his wife, let him give her a divorce certificate.

When a man takes a wife, and marries her, then it shall be, if she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her ou

The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, without wine, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,

if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not with an accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

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 he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And why one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And having answered, he said to them, Have ye not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female,

And thou shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival [to her], to uncover her nakedness, besides the other in her life-time.

The overseer therefore must be blameless, the husband of one wife, without wine, serious minded, disciplined, loving strangers, able to teach,

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

if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not with an accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

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 for him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife 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, of Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil, and the evil-doing of Nabal LORD has returned upon his ow And when the servants of David came to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to thee, to take thee to him to wife. And she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy handmaid is 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 damsels who followed her. And she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they became his wives, both of them. Now 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 begot more sons and daughters.

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

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

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

And he also went in to Rachel, and also he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And LORD saw that Leah was regarded inferior, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben. For she said, Because LORD has looked upon my affliction, for now my husband will love me. read more.
And she conceived again, and bore a son, and said, Because LORD has heard that I am regarded inferior, 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 be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore his name was called Levi.

And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no sons, Rachel envied her sister, and she said to Jacob, Give me sons, 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 thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees, and I also may obtain sons by her. read more.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid 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 Bilhah Rachel's handmaid conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali. When Leah saw that she had left off bearing, she took Zilpah her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, Fortunate! And she called his name Gad. And Zilpah Leah's handmaid bore Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I! For the daughters will call me happy. And she called his name Asher. And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes. And she said to her, Is it a small matter that thou have taken away my husband? And would thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lay with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes. And Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me, for I have surely hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night. And God hearkened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son. And Leah said, God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband. And she called his name Issachar. And Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will 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 to her, Is it a small matter that thou have taken away my husband? And would thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lay with thee tonight for thy son's mandrakes.

And he also went in to Rachel, and also he loved 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 to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. read more.
And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah says to thee, hearken to her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also I will make a nation of the son of the handmaid, because he is thy 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 the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat herself down opposite him a good way off, as it were a bowshot. For she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat opposite him, and the child lifted up its voice, and wept.

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

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

And Rehoboam took him a wife, Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, [and of] Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse. And she bore sons for him: Jeush, and Shemariah, and Zaham. And after her he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom. And she bore for him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. read more.
And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives, and thirty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and thirty daughters. And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, the ruler among his brothers. For [he intended] to make him king. And he dealt wisely, and dispersed all his sons throughout all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city. And he gave them provisions in abundance. And he sought [for them] many wives.

If a man has two wives, the one beloved, and the other regarded inferior, and they have borne him sons, both the beloved and the one regarded inferior, and if the first-born son be hers who was regarded inferior, then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the one regarded inferior, who is the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the one regarded inferior, 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, the one beloved, and the other regarded inferior, and they have borne him sons, both the beloved and the one regarded inferior, and if the first-born son be hers who was regarded inferior, then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the son of the beloved the first-born before the son of the one regarded inferior, who is the first-born. But he shall acknowledge the first-born, the son of the one regarded inferior, 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 came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with 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 that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and went not fully after LORD as did David his father. read more.
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

Now 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 LORD said to the sons of Israel, Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clave 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 came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods. And his heart was not perfect with 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 that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and went not fully after LORD as did David his father. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions, but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but LORD had shut up her womb. And her rival provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because LORD had shut up her womb. read more.
And [as] he did so year by year when she went up to the house of LORD, so she provoked her. Therefore she wept, and did not eat.

And Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines. For he took eighteen wives, and thirty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and thirty daughters.

Those who remain of him shall be buried in death, and his widows shall make no lamentation.

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

, behold, LORD will smite thy people with a great plague, and thy sons, and thy wives, and all thy substance.

But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and begot 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 had been too little, I would have added to thee such and such things.

And LORD said to me, Go again, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, and an adulteress, even as LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins. So I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley.

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

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

but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but LORD had shut up her womb.

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

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

And Gideon had seventy sons begotten from his body, for he had many wives.

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

And Ashhur 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 Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, m