By Genesis 4, you have Cain's son Lamech taking two wives. Id want to know WHY the change occurred, what the SPECIFIC change wad, etc. Polygamy in the Old Testament. I have one question for you which bears on recent discussions I have had. A telling example seems to be the Jewish community associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. The practice of having multiple spouses has been the subject of much debate and discussion over the centuries, with varying opinions and interpretations.. We arent living in the second or 1st millennium BC, so Im not sure why youre worried about OT polygamy. The murderous son then led a near-successful revolt against his father, sleeping with his fathers wives in the process. Browse other questions tagged, Like any library, Christianity Stack Exchange offers great information, but, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. That is, getting rid of polygamy or slavery, or attitudes about the inequality of women, etc. Im trying to wrap my head around this, but might need some help. People whos main aim is to fulfill the OT command to populate the world. The Old Testament holds monogamy as an ideal, and makes no effort to argue that polygamy was a desirable situation for men in general. The language obviously comes from the covenantal marriage ceremony of Gen 2:24. I think my post was clear on this originally, but just in case My point in the post that follows was that polygamy in the OT was the cultural norm and was not viewed as adultery in the biblical text. But why would we assume that is marriage? ** its religion; the question is vague (is it asking about world religions or something in the Judeo-Christian orbit). Are there nice walking/hiking trails around Shibu Onsen in November? Concubinage was much more; it presumed extended care and producing children). A covenantal oath and 2. Why do you bring that up when Gods rules transcend time/culure? 19:8). Im sorry if I dont understand you and I was too quick to say your statement is not correct. And why wouldn't it? In peacetime, however, this practice meant that if rich men had more than one wife, then some poor men had to remain single. Yet tribal infighting continued to be a problem until the carrying away of the northern kingdom. Why did Indiana Jones contradict himself? I cant see where youre getting execution in Deut 22:28-29 was the verse reference correct? I also didnt say God approved of it. Mann records this third marriage as positive because Mahalath was God-fearing.23 Yet there is nothing in the text to suggest that was the case. Lev 20:10; Deut 22:22). I think thats a pretty strong message. Why was David disqualified from building the temple? A concubine was taken into ones home and care for financially / economically (this is what distinguishes her from a prostitute, where the sex act is exchanged for money and that is the only financial obligation). Does the Old Testament Permit Polygamy? . There were no scientific ways to evidence paternity, and once a woman had a child by another man (even if unknown), that child (especially if male) became an inheritance threat should his biological father at some point assert rights of ownership over the property of the son and his mother. What is the biblical basis against polygamy in the New Covenant? polygamy | Biblical Gender Roles By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Today, woman are not property so there is no violation of property rights. He does not affect the argument over polygamy positively or negatively. Polygamy in the Old Testament The Old Testament allows polygamy but doesn't encourage it. What does "Splitting the throttles" mean? The Bible condemns polygamy, it doesn't endorse it: 9 Marks editor Did God tell him to divorce one of the women? If there were any question about where she came from and if she was another mans wife, they just eliminated the witness to the contrary. It follows that people who want to prepare themselves for heaven would have to strive for that balance already here on earth. ** He didnt care enough to forbid it to Israel; the record there is clear. If you think they are the same, you arent reading well, and not thinking clearly. . I see a lot of non-Celiacs who also have clinically-verified gluten intolerance, so I end up telling a lot of people to stop eating gluten. This was so that she would have support during her old age (either from her new husband or from her son) and so that the family name and land would be passed on (Deut 25:56). All that God does is GOOD so polygyny is good unless God would also help 2 gay guys to love each other, as well. Ive run across more than one Reformed person in my Reformed Baptist circles that thinks polygamy is just fine today. However, it could still be useful for Christians who believe that God never ended his Old Testament allowance for polygamy in the New Testament. In light of this, Ive have taken Paul to mean that the act of sexual intercourse in in fact a kind of marriage, but one without covenantal oaths, like the one Adam made at his marriage. None of the prophets had more than one wife and often spoke disparagingly about polygamy, comparing it to polytheism and idolatry. If they wanted her they would murder to get her. Apparently the apostles didnt get that memo since we dont see them setting that up in Acts or assuming they should. They were jealous and miserable. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Through the centuries many have established polygamous marriages. Same for Paul (and the rest of the NT). This is an unbiblical idea. It seems to me that this idea comes from 1 Cor 6:16, Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? How could it be bad for me if its in the BIBLE? Its actually pretty incredible how often I get this response. There are at least sixteen men whose polygamy is a matter of Old Testament record.18 One author, a missionary to Sierra Leone writing an apologetic for polygamy, lists fifteen of them, of which six she describes as having a positive effect.19 It should be emphasized that the fact that though a situation may produce positive effects, the situation was not necessarily a positive good. Polygamy in the Old Testament: Joseph Succeeds Where His Forefathers I would assume based on the context that this refers to a spiritual connection for the very next verse says he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. I think about the boast of Wilt Chamberlain that he had sex with over 20,000 different women (none of which would have been considered his wife) what kind of bond (if any) was Paul referring to that existed between Wilt and these 20,000 women. or is it referring to a deeper, spiritual connection? The reasons for the gravity of this crime are never explicitly stated in the OT, yet the patrilineal nature of Israelite society strongly suggests that mistaken paternity would surely be dreaded. As time went on and patriarchal culture faded (in to urban, settled life), the biblical indication (descriptions in stories) is that polygamy faded. Joseph Smith. Polygamy was beneficial when the number of men was reduced by warfare. The Bible doesnt prescribe a specific culture; cultures are the product of humans, not God. Joash served the LORD while Jehoida lived; but after his death he turned from the LORD and eventually slew Jehoiadas son, a sin for which he paid with his own life. The Bible doesnt have God endorsing one culture, so the patriarchal lifestyle is not being endorsed. Lastly, since God did not step into the culture of the biblical writers and change it, or insist that the practice stop before he would give them revelation, we have to assume some apathy on Gods part toward it. According to Galatians 3 and other passages, the real Israel = believing Israel, which included Gentiles as heirs of Gods original covenantal promises to Israelites (who only benefited if they beleived). Why Is Polygamy OK in the Old Testament? | Catholic Answers Abraham, Jacob, David (2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3), Solomon (1 Kings 11:3), and others (In 2 Chronicles 11:21, King Solomon's son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines . PCA Derivation with maximizing projection length, Sci-Fi Science: Ramifications of Photon-to-Axion Conversion. Its clearly no since we are not a theocracy under the Mosaic law, and also (moving further back in time) not a pastoral nomadic culture-church. Adultery was a capital crime according to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22. A consummation of that oath in a physical act. 2 It certainly existed in Jewish (and Gentile) culture in the Mediterranean, but urban life undermined the economic need and rationale for polygamy. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. In fact, he specifically said not to have more than one wife because, in part, they can turn a person's heart away from God. And Adah bore Jabal. As we speculate about Gods silence, there is at least one key factor to consider. This may be a bit off topic, but is it your understanding that all sexual activity, save that between a man and his wife (or wives or concubines), is considered by God to be a sin? This teaching was established as doctrine in 1843. Humanities Site - Why did God allow polygamy in the Bible? and those items related to the Bibles theological message (the purpose of telling us about Abraham and Israel in the first place what God was up to. He reigned for only three months, and was so evil that Jeremiah prophesied that none of his descendants would occupy the throne (Jer 22:30). These economic concerns are also reflected in laws about (consensual) pre-marital sex (Exo 22:16-17; Deut 22:28-29). Question: Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament Both the Old Testament and the New Testament view extra-marital (a key term) sex as a heinous sin, one dealt with in the most serious way under the Mosaic law (death penalty if the sin was by consent; cp. I tried to engage you here but it seems you arent clearing my comments and Im not sure if its because you have no answers. Extending the Delta-Wye/-Y Transformation to higher polygons. Because you said, the only way to have her (to avoid adultery) was to kill the husband. So they would be fine with murdering Abraham but not adultry? The best Biblical answer is the reason Jesus gave why Moses allowed divorce. Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? Just trying to understand how it all fits together. It says what it says and has its own clear definition of adultery. It suggests that some concubine situations may have also been viewed as marriage. I think we are in agreement, Im just stating it here for clarification. Just like it wasnt intended to be a scientific textbook. Certainly he could not have been a very good father to them, as shall be discussed shortly. The second part involves a different space-time continuum. There are many things recorded in Scripture which most would agree are bad but which God does not explicitly condemn. It assumes we can take a culturally-bounded practice and ask if its divinely ordained today. The text was read as a declarative statement of any legitimate marriage. Permissible (non-violent and consenting) sexual relationships with multiple wives or concubines are not described with either word. The LORD is saying here that he would have given David more wives if he had asked for them, but that would have been short of Gods best for David.
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