This is the 5th reading of this Torah Cycle, Hayyei-Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18
In this week's teaching, Sarah and Abraham Died and Issac married Rebecca.
38 thoughts on “Polygamy and Arranged Marriage In The Bible (Torah Portion #5)”
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I like how you don’t quote the entire verse:
1 Timothy 3
2 A BISHOP then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
The requirement here by Paul is just for the office of bishop. A man would find it hard to tend to the congregation effectively with the additional responsibility of multiple wives and children.
You continue to keep inserting your own prejudice into the text.
well actually you see that with Rachel and Leah… they “bargained” for their husbands body – Jacob. they were sisters…. which was not supposed to be… but that’s a different story.
God didn’t create us to eat meat originally either…but the Torah permits it. The Torah did permit multiple wives – with the caveat that a man had to take care of them and all their children. Basically that’s why you only see it with rich men in the scriptures. That said today’s day is different. Women are breadwinners themselves now – so they “don’t need men” now… which brings about it’s own problems.
Sounds like a fulfillment of Isaiah 3. Oh yeah! The one that precedes Isaiah 4:1!
you are very correct…. but you also have to go by the law of the land – so it depends on what country you were in anyway.
This is the stance of Augustine of Hippo. However, this does not tell us how we should vote on this issue. In fact, there are legal ways to do things for which laws have been written to outlaw. There is a legal remedy known as a waiver, which governments often grant in cases where those in authority recognize the law has overstepped basic human freedoms that in some cases should not be outlawed.
The point was they were Pagan not that they were more than one, First let me point out that a marrying more that one wife is not against the Commandments of Yehuwah,rather it is a contract between a man and his future bride. He should make that a condition in the contract if that is what he want and she has the right to refuse the term of the contract. Once the contract is agreed upon then she is promised to him.
How do you know that he did not. How many did Esau brother have đ Unless you can show were it says that we can not have more than 1 wife stop putting your moral standards on YHVH please.
there are a few things we don’t know about life after the Garden of Eden – which we won’t know until the new heavens and the new earth. Where did the other women come from that Adam’s sons married? Obviously in other places 1st cousins and close relatives married… but by the time of the Torah – which is the path for humans to follow – those relationships were outlawed… but provision was made in Torah under certain circumstance for marriage to multiple wives.
Not that the Book of Jubilees is on par with Scripture, but it does not contradict Genesis, when it claims that Adam’s sons married sisters.
With Rachel and Leah…trickery was involved. Scripture speaks of Jacob wanting Rachel, and that is who he asked for. The Father Lavan tricked him, he slept with her older sister in the night figuring he was bethrothing his Bride. He favored her because she was whom he chose. she was beautiful. Her sister was not as pretty. It caused strife and jealousy from the jump.
OK, so modern day Bible teachers would either advise Jacob to divorce Leah, which would be putting asunder what God had joined together, or they would tell Jacob that he cannot marry Rachel. How do you reconcile that with Psalms 84:11?
Ho w can three four or five become one flesh. I know two can become one. Not other spouse to be jealous of there. I would not share my husband…no way no how…
How can two become one flesh? Jealousy is an act of the sinful nature, which you appear to struggle with, without sharing your husband.
+Daniel DeLuca Your attitude sounds similar to New Age free love philosophies. be careful.
I’m struggling to find the source on this, but I recall that after Sarah died in Gen. 25:1, the naming of this wife ‘Keturah’ is actually naming Hagar being renamed in her eventual embracing of the Torah-Life so-to-speak & naturally leads 2 the detailing of the children of “Keturah”, 1 being Midyan in Gen.25:4 who relates 2Yitro later in Exo. Then Gen. 25:9 showing Yishmael’s role w/ Yitzak in burying their father despite some clarification earlier of sending away sons of concubines ~ pre-role
You did not find that in Scripture. Perhaps a desperate attempt to explain Abraham marrying Keturah while still married to Hagar.
cont’d post below:
Hagar’s pre-role of a concubine was now elevated 2 a ‘sweet incense’ in that she was ready 2B Abraham’s wife & a true Hebrew ima/ mother that would raise the children of ‘Keturah/ Incense’ to be a sweet smelling savour to YHWH & comfort to Abraham as he mourned the loss of his spiritual prayer covering in Sarah’s death. Our prayers are to rise up as sweet incense.
Hopefully next post will tie this all together… C next post…
CONNECTING THE DOTS:
We read that Avraham came2 mourn Sarah; &2 weep 4 her. In Hebrew is âvâ la vak chahâ spelled âvav-lamed veit-kaf chet-heyâ. The âkafâ in the middle of the phrase was written 1/2 size in the Torah Scroll. Why? The phrase “& 2 weep for her”, the letter âkafâ is the âpalm of the handâ or âcoveringâ& that a wife is her husbandâs spiritual covering; when Sarah died, Avrahamâs spiritual covering diminished significantly. &, thatâs 1 reason why, within a yr, he would marry again.
Through the sexual act. And that can be done with multiple wives to one man as the Bible clearly shows.
But there no where does it say a man is commanded to have more than one wife. I wouldn’t want multiple wives either…lol. Paul stated a “bishop” should be husband to ONE wife (or even unmarried/celibate as himself) for the purpose of him being able to fully handle sheparding the local church.
Back in those times multiple wives was a common thing and layed out in the Torah.
MountainRecluse Your new testament contradicts the real bible. The laws of God clearly says a man can have more than 1 wife. What Bible are you reading.
No, it sounds more like a Straw Man, except for the fact that FLDS believes that polygamy is commanded.
I think it’s pretty obvious when you read the Bible that multiple wives always brought its share of trouble. Not God’s plan, but man’s plan and there were certainly repercussions for it…some of which we are still dealing with today.
Christian Cadette In the end of days after the war of Gog and magog 7 women will hold on to 1 man.
dude i know you heard this crap of god making himself out to be apolygamist cause you read it off some website but you are ridculus always remeber isreal was never meant to be divided into two houses but to become ONE
charles brace Who sai that because the person is present with bridegroom they r too b married to one bridegroom. Around the globe they celebrated virgin girls. In Christianity men are supposed to be virgins until marriage. Furthermore, let address whether or not it’s healthy for the family plan as commented. 2 cor 2:7 God said, let each man/each woman have his and her own spouse. Why didn’t God create more than one wife for Adam? In my view, all this constant battle for polygamy from men display is fleshy desires. That’s why spiritual women don’t want to be bothered. In many interviews of Muslim women and African women in polygamy marriage they constantly say they aren’t happy. Great! Men having sex with women living in misery and the men are happy with sex with many. Better to bed a brick. No warmth. Why should women love a polygamist?
Didn’t know males weren’t virgins. Michael Jackson, said he was a virgin. My brother, a Christian man say he was a virgin until he married a non-virgin female. An uneducated statement from Charles. Who said, the virgins were males or females? Who said, they all r to be wedded to this particular bridegroom?
Why does God give rules if polygyny – the marrying of more than one wife – is a sin? Why did God not call this sin and tell everyone to not do this? But instead God gave a rule.
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
Deuteronomy 21:15-17 King James Version (KJV)
If polygyny is sin then why did God tell men – her husband’s brother to take her as a wife and to perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her? Does not sound like Sin and it is Prescribed and not Described.
5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
Deuteronomy 25:5 King James Version (KJV)
And God killed Onan for not doing this.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
Genesis 38:9-10 King James Version (KJV)
This is not about masterbation like the Catholic Church likes to teach. This is about Onan not getting his brother’s wife pregnant by spilling his seed on the ground so that he would not give seed to his brother. Onan did this because he knew that the seed would not be his. This was disobeying God and God killed him.
God Instituted a law here that could constitute polygyny . . . If the brother was already married he still had to marry his brother’s wife. That does not sound like Gods’s Permissive Will! Maybe that sounds more like His Perfect Will. That, also, sounds more like Prescribed than Described.
Thank you Paul. This is a beautiful and powerful teaching of the blessing that comes from obeying the leading of Ruach Ha Kadosh of YHVH Elohim.
Shabbat Shalom… shared on fb, too.
Abraham was a man and he made mistakes like the rest of us. He and Sarah did not wait for her to have the baby as God had promised. They took matters in their own hands and caused a lot of problems in Abraham’s tent between two woman. The maid servant birthed Ismael and even to this day the two half brothers descendants continue to fight. The Garden of Eden showed the example of one man and one woman. God told Abraham that he would be the Father of many nations…..which he would have without taking other woman. All those that believe in Yeshua come in through Father Abraham’s promise thus the Father of many nations.
You realized that God gave Abraham many wives and concubines after sarah’s death right. Yes I agree if Adam didnt eat from the fruit then it might been a monagamic world but every since they eat it laws of nature changed.
Well Israel had problems with Midian, yet you never hear anyone criticizing Abraham for marrying Keturah.
Scriptures touching polygamy..Â
All from the Most High..
Exo 21:10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
Deu 21:15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
*[[Isa 4:1]] KJV* 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.
+Maahd Chaanan Man you are dead right. Thanks for sharing
Slavery back then? Hmm I never knew it ended.
You sold yourself into tslavery kidnepping is aginst Torah
G-d gave David his wives. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8Â 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 unto thee such and such things.
Endless winding confusion & discordance with seeking this wayward path called Torah Keeping! Pharisaical rat’s nest!