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Why does the Bible seem to wink at polygamy in the Old Testament? If God commands men in the New Testament to have one wife and to love/cherish our one spouse as if Christ loved the church, why does God seemingly neglect to punish or exhort these prominent men of the Bible for taking the way of the world and have concubines?

 

First, the Bible clearly presents God's pattern for marriage. The key passage is Gen. 2:24 which unarguably presents marriage as one man and one woman becoming one flesh. The importance of this passage is highlighted in the fact that it's repeated in Matt. 19:5, Mark 10:7-8, 1 Cor. 6:16, and Eph. 5:31. Clearly Jesus and Paul believed this was essential.

Second, the Bible clearly presents polygamy as a perversion of marriage. This begins with the story of Lamech in Genesis 4:19, 23-24, but continues throughout the Bible (and into the present).

But what about polygamists in OT who are Bible "heroes"? Men like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, David, Solomon, and others. How can the Bible present these men as exemplars? Why doesn't the Bible record God's punishment against these men for their sin?

It helps to remember the distinction between description and prescription. Just because the Bible is describing an activity doesn't mean it's prescribing that activity. What the Bible does is clearly and carefully demonstrate the painful consequences of perverting God's design for marriage. Consider the following:

  • Abraham—jealous feud between Hagar & Sarah leads to Hagar’s expulsion. The hatred between the descendants of Hagar & Sarah still remains to this day
  • Jacob—feud between Rachel & Leah leads to a family rivalry so great that one child gets thrown into slavery
  • Gideon—the hatred among his 70 sons led to civil war & widespread slaughter in Israel
  • David—David's 8-wive home is not exemplary—inter-sibling rivalries were so great they led to incestuous rape, murder, and a brief civil war
  • Solomon—Solomon's 1000 wives led him into idolatry & the kingdom into ruin

But why doesn't the Bible clearly condemn these men for their polygamous sin? Why is there no verse saying, "and God judged so-and-so for having more than one wife"?

Think of a movie like Schindler’s List, a powerful story telling us about one of the darkest moments in Western history. At great risk to himself, Oskar Schindler acts to rescue Jews from the barbaric and inhumane treatment they endured by the racist Nazi regime.

Now imagine, at the end of the movie, as you’ve been hit with the human horror of the holocaust, just before the credits, a commandment comes up on the screen: “The director would like to point out (in case you missed it) that you should not be racist."

Not only would this be unnecessary, it would destroy the power of the story. The story itself clearly and compellingly demonizes the sin of racism by showing the heinous consequences of this sin.

I believe the Bible does the same thing. The story itself clearly and compellingly demonizes the sin of polygamy by showing the heinous consequences of the sin.

And one more thing: the Bible painstakingly tarnishes every single one of it’s Old Testament heroes. Yes, there are things to learn from the courage of David, the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson, and more. But none of them can be followed completely. They are all fallen heroes. All but One.

1 Peter 2:21—For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.