43 Bible Verses about Polygamy

Whoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery.

Art thou bound to 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 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 hath been said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it shall come to pass that she findeth no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give 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 is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly.

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

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

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

Whoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery.

Art thou bound to 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 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 hath been said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it shall come to pass that she findeth no favor in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give 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 is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly.

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

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

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

Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness besides 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 is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly.

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

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

And to David were sons born 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, 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 pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to himself for a wife. And when the servants of David had come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, David hath sent us to thee, to take thee to him for a wife. And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. read more.
And Abigail hasted, 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. But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti 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 shall take him another wife; her food, her raiment, 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 to 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 made her fruitful: but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath 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 hath heard that I was hated, he hath 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 adhere 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 to 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 hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? And she said, Behold, my maid Bilhah, go in to 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, for a wife: and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore she called 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 left bearing, she took Zilpah, her maid, and gave her Jacob for a wife. And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a son. And Leah said, A troop cometh: 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 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 hast taken my husband? and wouldest 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 from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in to me; for surely I have 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 the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, 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 hath endowed me with a good dower; 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 rendered her fruitful. And she conceived, and bore a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

And she said to her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest 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 to 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, which she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Wherefore, she said to Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman, and her son: for the son of this bond-woman 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.
And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight, because of the lad, and because of thy bond-woman; in all that Sarah hath said to thee, hearken to her voice: for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And also of the son of the bond-woman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose 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 Beer-sheba. And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. And she went, and sat her down over against him, a good way off, as it were a bow-shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and raised her voice, and wept.

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

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

And Rehoboam took to himself Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; Who bore him children, 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.
And 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 and eight sons, and sixty 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 children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he desired many wives.

If a man shall have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not prefer the son of the beloved first-born, before the son of the hated, which is indeed the first-born: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first-born, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the first-born is his.

If a man shall have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not prefer the son of the beloved first-born, before the son of the hated, which is indeed the first-born: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first-born, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: 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 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 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 burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

But king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said to the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in to you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon cleaved 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 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 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 burnt incense and sacrificed to 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 to Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah; but the LORD had rendered her barren. And her adversary also provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because the LORD had made her barren. read more.
And as he did so 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 sixty concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and sixty 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 smite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods:

But Abijah became mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and 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 moreover have given to thee such and such things.

Then said the LORD to me, Go yet, love a woman beloved by her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD towards the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. 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 went in also to 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 to Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah; but the LORD had rendered her barren.

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 of his body begotten: 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 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 princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.