43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

Whosoever forsaketh his wife, and marrieth another, breaketh matrimony. And every man which marrieth her that is divorced from her husband committeth adultery also.

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

for now will we make a covenant with our God, that we shall put away all the wives - and such as are born of them - according to the counsel of the LORD and of them that fear the commandment of our God, that we may do according to the law.

It is said, Whosoever put away his wife let him give her a testimonial also of the divorcement.

When a man hath taken a wife and married her, if she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath spied 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.

Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach,

If any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.

Also he shall not have too many wives, lest his heart turn away, neither shall he gather him silver and gold too much.

So did not the one, and yet had he an excellent spirit. What did then the one? He sought the seed promised of God. Therefore look well to your spirit, and let no man despise the wife of his youth.

He answered, and said unto them, "Have ye not read, how that he which made man at the beginning, made them man and woman?

Whosoever forsaketh his wife, and marrieth another, breaketh matrimony. And every man which marrieth her that is divorced from her husband committeth adultery also.

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

for now will we make a covenant with our God, that we shall put away all the wives - and such as are born of them - according to the counsel of the LORD and of them that fear the commandment of our God, that we may do according to the law.

It is said, Whosoever put away his wife let him give her a testimonial also of the divorcement.

When a man hath taken a wife and married her, if she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath spied 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.

Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach,

If any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.

Also he shall not have too many wives, lest his heart turn away, neither shall he gather him silver and gold too much.

So did not the one, and yet had he an excellent spirit. What did then the one? He sought the seed promised of God. Therefore look well to your spirit, and let no man despise the wife of his youth.

He answered, and said unto them, "Have ye not read, how that he which made man at the beginning, made them man and woman?

Thou shalt not take a wife and her sister thereto, to vex her that thou wouldest open her privities as long as she liveth.

Yea, and a bishop must be faultless, the husband of one wife, sober, discreet, honestly appareled, harborous, apt to teach,

Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife and such as rule their children well, and their own households.

If any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient.

Also he shall not have too many wives, lest his heart turn away, neither shall he gather him silver and gold too much.

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

And David had children born him in Hebron: his eldest son was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; read more.
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 hath judged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil, and hath turned the wickedness of Nabal again upon his own head." And David sent to commune with Abigail, to the intent to take her to his wife. And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her saying, "David sent us unto thee, to take thee to his wife." And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold thy handmaid, to be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord." read more.
And Abigail hasted and arose and gat her up upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went at her feet, and went after the messengers of David and was his wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were both his wives. But Saul gave Michal his daughter David's wife to Palti the son of Laish of Gallim.

And David took yet more wives at Jerusalem and begat more sons and daughters.

which had two wives, the one called Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

If he take him another wife, yet her food, raiment and duty of marriage shall he not minish.

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

So lay he by Rachel also, and loved Rachel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more. When the LORD saw that Lea was despised, he made her fruitful: but Rachel was barren. And Lea conceived and bare a son, and called his name Reuben, for she said, "The LORD hath looked upon my tribulation. And now my husband will love me." read more.
And she conceived again and bare a son, and said, "The LORD hath heard that I am despised, and hath therefore given me this son also." And she called him Simeon. And she conceived yet, and bare a son, and said, "Now this once will my husband keep me company, because I have borne him three sons." And therefore she called his name Levi.

When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, she envied her sister and said unto Jacob, "Give me children, or else I am but dead." Then was Jacob wroth with Rachel saying, "Am I in God's stead which keepeth from thee the fruit of thy womb?" Then she said, "Here is my maid, Bilhah: go in unto her, that she may bear upon my lap, that I may be increased by her." read more.
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife. And Jacob went in unto her: And Bilhah conceived and bare Jacob a son. Then said Rachel, "God hath given sentence on my side, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son." Therefore called she him Dan. And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, conceived again; and bare Jacob another son. And Rachel said, "God is turned, and I have made a change with my sister, and have gotten the upper hand." And she called his name Naphtali. When Lea saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Lea's maid bare Jacob a son. Then said Lea, "Good luck," and called his name Gad. And Zilpah, Lea's maid, bare Jacob another son. Then said Lea, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed." And called his name Asher. And Reuben went out in the wheat harvest and found mandragoras in the fields, and brought them unto his mother Lea. Then said Rachel to Lea, "Give me of thy son's mandragoras." And Lea answered, "Is it not enough, that thou hast taken away my husband, but wouldest take away my son's mandragoras also?" Then said Rachel, "Well, let him sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandragoras." And when Jacob came from the fields at even, Lea went out to meet him, and said, "Come in to me, for I have bought thee with my son's mandragoras." And he slept with her that night. And God heard Lea, that she conceived and bare unto Jacob the fifth son. Then said Lea, "God hath given me my reward, because I gave my maiden to my husband." And she called him Issachar. And Lea conceived yet again and bare Jacob the sixth son. Then said she, "God hath endued me with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." And called his name Zebulon. After that she bare a daughter, and called her Dina. And God remembered Rachel, heard her, and made her fruitful: so that she conceived and bare a son, and said, "God hath taken away my rebuke."

And Lea answered, "Is it not enough, that thou hast taken away my husband, but wouldest take away my son's mandragoras also?" Then said Rachel, "Well, let him sleep with thee this night, for thy son's mandragoras."

So lay he by Rachel also, and loved Rachel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more.

Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, a mocking. Then she said unto Abraham, "Put away this bondmaid and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac." But the word seemed very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his son. read more.
Then the LORD said unto Abraham, "Let it not be grievous unto thee, because of the lad and of thy bondmaid: But in all that Sara hath said unto thee, hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Moreover of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed." And Abraham rose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle with water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulders with the lad also, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered up and down in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water was spent that was in the bottle, she cast the lad under a bush and went and sat her out of sight a great way; as it were a bowshot off. For she said, "I will not see the lad die." And she sat down out of sight, and lift up her voice and wept.

When Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri, an Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon, an Hittite also,

then went he unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which 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 to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, which bare him children: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. And after her, he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom which bare him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. read more.
But Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines for he took eighteen wives and three score concubines, and begat three score daughters and twenty eight sons. And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maacah the chief ruler among his brethren, for to make him king. And he played wisely and scattered of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin in every strong city. And he gave them abundance of victuals, and asked many wives.

If a man have two wives, one loved and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the loved and also the hated; if the firstborn be the son of the hated: then when he dealeth his goods among his children, he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall know the son of the hated for his firstborn, that he give him double of all that he hath. For he is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the firstbornship.

If a man have two wives, one loved and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the loved and also the hated; if the firstborn be the son of the hated: then when he dealeth his goods among his children, he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall know the son of the hated for his firstborn, that he give him double of all that he hath. For he is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the firstbornship.

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods: so that his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon followed Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD and continued not after the LORD as did David his father. read more.
After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his outlandish wives, which burnt cense and offered unto their gods.

But king Solomon loved many outlandish women: the daughter of Pharaoh, and of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites, even of nations of which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "See ye come not at them, nor let them come to you: for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless to such Solomon clave and fell in love with them. And he had seven hundred very Queens and three hundred concubines which turned always his heart. read more.
For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods: so that his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. And Solomon followed Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD and continued not after the LORD as did David his father. After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his outlandish wives, which burnt cense and offered unto their gods.

And it fell on a day, as Elkanah had offered, that he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions. But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren. And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren. read more.
And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not.

But Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines for he took eighteen wives and three score concubines, and begat three score daughters and twenty eight sons.

Look, whom he leaveth behind him, they shall die and be buried, and no man shall have pity of his widows.

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

Therefore, behold, the LORD will smite thee with a mighty plague in thy folk, in thy children, in thy wives and in thy goods.

And Abijah waxed mighty, and took him 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 would, if that had been too little, have given thee twice so much more.

Then said the LORD to me, "Go yet thy way and vow an adulterous woman, whom thy neighbour loveth as the LORD doth the children of Israel: howbeit, they have respect to strange gods, and love the wine cans." So I gat her for fifteen silverlings, and for a homer and a half of barley,

So lay he by Rachel also, and loved Rachel more than Lea, and served him yet seven years more.

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

But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren.

Then shall seven wives take hold of one man, and say, "We will lay all our meat and clothing together in common, only that we may be called thy wives, and that this shameful reproof may be taken from us."

which had two wives, the one called Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

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

And Lamech took him two wives: the one was called Adah, and the other Zillah.

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

The sons of Ethan: Azariah.

and when he was drunken with wine, he commanded to bring him the golden and silver vessels, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at Jerusalem: that the king and his lords with his queen and concubines might drink thereout.