Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Exodus

[Newbie]

How is this not adultery, or is polygamy OK in the Bible? If adultery is such a big issue, and cheating on your spouse gets you stoned to death, how can a man take more than one wife?

[jimwalton]

Polygamy was not encouraged or endorsed in the Old Testament. God never tells or commands someone to take more than one wife. It's not specifically forbidden, either. Many of the important people in the OT had multiple wives, but there's never any sense that God approved of that, or even thought it was a great idea. In Israel, as in most of the ancient world, monogamy was generally practiced. And although there were no specific laws forbidding it, it was usually not economically feasible. We also know that from many Bible stories polygamy was the source of a truckload of family conflict and problems.

Now, with regard to Exodus 21.10, you may be jumping the gun assuming polygamy. It says, "If he marries another woman..." Possibly the man and his first wife are divorced. The law is saying he can't just throw her out on the street, but he still has responsibilities to her (like our alimony). It's also possible, as you say, that in the case of polygamy, he has to take care of them both. It's a law to protect the women from being put out on the curb or abused by their husbands.

But the context of v. 10 is that of slave girls. If a man takes a slave girl and gets engaged to her ("selected her for himself", v. 8), and she is displeasing to him (8), her rights are protected. He can't just sell her off like a piece of property. In v. 9 we find out he has a son, which means he was previously married. But maybe his wife died, or he has divorced her. The verse doesn't specify, and so we shouldn't just jump to the "polygamy" conclusion and assume the worst. That's not fair. There may have been other things going on. But if he does give her to his son, her rights are protected. She's not just a slave now, but a daughter. And if he marries another woman (v. 10, whether because of divorce or polygamy—it isn't specified), he can't deprive her of food and clothing, but has to provide for her. Again, the woman's rights are being protected.