Polygamy in Christianity

Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners. There are numerous examples of polygamy among close followers, devotees, and the faithful to God in the Old Testament, but it is generally not accepted by contemporary Christians. Some Christians actively debate whether the New Testament or Christian ethics allows or forbids polygamy and there are several Christian views on the Old Covenant. This debate focuses almost exclusively on polygyny (one man having more than one wife) and not polyandry (one woman having more than one husband).

Polygamy is explicitly not forbidden in the Old Testament. The Torah includes a few specific regulations on the practice of polygamy, such as Exodus 21:10: "If he take another wife for himself; her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish".Deut 21:15–17 states that a man must award the inheritance due to a first-born son to the son who was actually born first, even if he hates that son's mother and likes another wife more; and Deut 17:17 states that the king shall not have too many wives. The king's behavior is condemned by Prophet Samuel in . Over 40 important figures had more than one wife, such as Esau (Gen 26:34; 28:6–9), Elkanah (1 Samuel 1:1–8), and Solomon (1 Kings 11:1–3). Moses had 3 wives; Zipporah (Exodus 2: 21), the daughter of Hobab (Numbers 10: 29) and the Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1).

Multiple marriage was considered a realistic alternative in the case of famine, widowhood, or female infertility. The practice of levirate marriage obligated a man whose brother has left a widow without heir to marry her.

Polygamy was a rare exception in post-exilic Israel. The practice began to be criticized and declined during the intertestamental period but there is some extant evidence of polygamy being practiced in the New Testament period. The Dead Sea Scrolls show that several smaller Jewish sects forbade polygamy before and during the time of Jesus. The Temple Scroll (11QT LVII 17–18) seems to prohibit polygamy.

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