I’ve heard many ministers respond to why God allowed polygamy by saying that it’s like divorce. God allowed it but it wasn’t His will. I disagree with that response. After King David sinned with Bathsheba God said to David if you had only asked “I” (God) would have given you more wives.\u00a0 Now, why would God not only offer but give something that wasn’t his will?\u00a0 There are no examples in the bible of God giving someone a divorce.\u00a0 He would only allow it to happen in particular cases. In the case of David, it was God that offered to give him more wives.\u00a0 Why would He offer something that was bad? It’s one thing for David to go out and get more wives and another for God to offer him more.<\/p>\n\t
“Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon'”<\/em>” (II Samuel 12:7-9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
God, through Nathan the prophet, told David that God had given him his position. The reference to David’s master was referring to Saul. David lived in Saul’s home. He had completely replaced Saul, even Saul’s wife (I Samuel 14:50) and concubine (II Samuel 21:8) were now David’s responsibility. Some conclude from this statement that David married Saul’s wives, but this isn’t a necessary conclusion and there is no mention of David having children by Saul’s wives even though David’s own wives are mentioned by name.<\/p>\n
It appears that during this time, the wives of the prior king belong to the successor. That is why Abner was upset with being accused of wanting Rizpah (II Samuel 3:8) and why Adonijah asking for Abishag cost him his life (I Kings 2:23). To lay claim to the former king’s wives was to lay claim to the kingship.<\/p>\n
God said to David that He gave David everything he currently had, his wealth, power, and authority, and if these had been too little, He could have given David more. You assumed that God meant more wives, but that isn’t what is stated. God could have made David the emperor of many nations. God’s point is that David had it all, so his taking another man’s wife was all that more despicable.<\/p>\n
There is nothing in this passage that indicates God sanctioned polygamy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: I’ve heard many ministers respond to why God allowed polygamy by saying that it’s like divorce. God allowed it but it wasn’t His will. I disagree with that response. After King David sinned with Bathsheba God said to David if you had only asked “I” (God) would have given you more wives.\u00a0 Now, why…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[111,533],"class_list":["post-26101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-david","tag-polygamy"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6880,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-god-allow-polygamy-and-concubines\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":0},"title":"Why did God allow polygamy and concubines?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 14, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been wondering for a while about why polygamy and concubines were allowed.\u00a0 Why was God okay with this stuff? Answer: We are not specifically told, but I can make some reasonable guesses. But to put it into context, as you were growing up were there not things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8851,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-god-allow-polygamy-under-the-old-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":1},"title":"Why did God allow polygamy under the Old Testament?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Wondering if anyone has any materials on \"multiple marriages\" in the Old Testament? Would like to hear your views on why this was tolerated among God's people. I understand this was not God's choice, however, there is no outcry from the prophets against such. The practice of multiple wives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4063,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-divorce-is-allowed-then-shouldnt-polygamy-be-allowed\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":2},"title":"If divorce is allowed, then shouldn’t polygamy be allowed?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 13, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm replying to a question I asked earlier, to which you posted your answer as \"If a country permits polygamy, is there a biblical reason not to have multiple wives?\" You said this: \"Mankind often practices things of which God disapproves. God regulates the practices, but it would be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84955,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-study-of-polygamy\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":3},"title":"A Study of Polygamy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Dudley Ross Spears via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 Polygamy is probably the least important issue Christians face today. Yet, issues associated with it are becoming more and more prominent as they relate to the general issue of marriage. Few, if any, would dare to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4009,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-country-permits-polygamy-is-there-a-biblical-reason-not-to-have-multiple-wives\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":4},"title":"If a country permits polygamy, is there a biblical reason not to have multiple wives?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: When I read the Old Testament, I find many passages glorifying men who had multiple wives, and, in fact, glorifying the possession of multiple wives. When I read the New Testament, I find nothing telling me, a man who doesn't seek to become an elder or a deacon, from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33564,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-was-david-condemned-for-having-sex-with-bathsheba-when-he-already-had-multiple-women\/","url_meta":{"origin":26101,"position":5},"title":"Why was David condemned for having sex with Bathsheba when he already had multiple women?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, This is a question that came to mind in response to a post about King David. King David had the daughter of Saul and also the widow of the rich man as his wives. 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