BibleMarriages

Topic

Polygyny

Plural marriage in Scripture — one structure within biblical marriage, examined honestly and without apology.

Video2:20:58

Live with Pete Rambo – Diggin’ in the Word

A long roundtable with Pete Rambo, Mike Allen, and Bible Marriages on why headship, patriarchy, and polygyny are load-bearing walls in restoring all Israel — and the awakening the church is unprepared to meet.

Video1:00:05

HonestYouthPastor – Polygamy Response Part 2

Part 2 of the Berean response to HonestYouthPastor on biblical polygyny: Leah crediting God for opening her womb, the Matthew 19 eunuch “calling,” whether Paul could overrule Torah, the 1 Corinthians 7 “his own wife” Greek argument, and Isaiah 4:1’s seven women.

Video1:18:41

HonestYouthPastor – Polygamy Response Part 1

Part 1 of a Berean response to HonestYouthPastor’s case against biblical polygyny: testing his 1 Timothy 4 “doctrine of demons” claim, the Rachel and Leah “dysfunction” charge, his 2 Samuel 12 “property transfer” reading, and Matthew 19’s one flesh.

Video15:49

Mike Winger Still Can’t Find a Verse Banning Polygyny

Mike Winger argues that 1 Timothy 3:2 disqualifies polygynists and that polygyny is sin. We test his case against Scripture: he reads “only” into “husband of one wife,” never cites a law forbidding it, and his David and Solomon examples backfire.

Video3:21:07

Polygyny and Rich Tidwell — A Week-In-Review Roundtable

When Pastor Rich Tidwell disclosed a second wife, the Christian world erupted. A roundtable with Abrie Kilian, Pete Rambo, Ryan Ridgely and Biblical Marriages tests the monogamy-only doctrine against Scripture.

Video3:21:08

Pastor Rich Tidwell – What Scripture Actually Says

After Pastor Rich Tidwell publicly took a second wife and broke the internet, four men test the monogamy-only doctrine against Scripture and ask where the ban on biblical polygyny actually came from.

Video57:39

Reply to TimcastIRL on the Polygamy Debate

A point-by-point reply to TimcastIRL and Andrew Wilson mocking Pastor Rich Tidwell for taking a second wife. The objection that biblical polygyny is immoral is tested against Torah, the patriarchs, and YAH Himself.

Video40:00

Why Did God Allow Polygamy?

Scriptural Focus argues God merely “allowed” polygamy as a flaw outside His design. This response tests that claim against the text — sin is transgression of the law, Yah gave David wives, regulated plural marriage, and never once condemned a man for it.

Video10:12

Did Jesus Command Monogamy When He Said “Two Become One”?

“The two become one flesh, not three or four” is the go-to proof that Jesus banned polygyny. But in Matthew 19 the question was divorce, and “one flesh” means union, not a head count. We trace the phrase through Genesis, Paul, and the prophets.

Video7:16

‘He Shall Not Multiply Wives’ — Does This Mean Polygyny is Sin?

Deuteronomy 17:17 says a king must not multiply wives — so does that forbid more than one? The same chapter says he must not multiply horses or gold. We test the Hebrew rāḇâ, the Greek plēthýnō, and why David kept many wives yet stayed wholly devoted: the warning is excess, not a number.

Video9:42

God Said “You’re a Dead Man.” It Wasn’t for Polygamy (Gen 20)

In Genesis 20, God warns a married king he is a dead man — but for taking another man’s wife, not for being polygynous. We slow down through the chapter to show why the sin hangs on the woman’s marital status, and why God then blesses the king’s household.

Video23:45

What is adultery, biblically?

A close study of how Scripture actually defines adultery. The law in Leviticus 20:10 hinges on a married woman: an adulterer is a man who takes another man’s wife. This “Rosetta Stone” reframes marriage, divorce, and why the laws for man and woman differ.

Video57:16

Debunking the Christian Myths About Polygamy

A Berean reply to Once Lost Ministries' case against polygamy. Their myths about Abraham, David, and Genesis 2:24 are tested against Scripture, exposing eisegesis and the failure to show one verse forbidding plural marriage.

Article
Article5 min read

1 Tim 3:2 says a leader must be a husband of one wife

Some argue that Paul's requirement for church leaders to be a "one woman man" (μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα) in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 is a clear prohibition against polygamy or remarriage for church leaders, and by extension, all Christians.

Article
Article2 min read

Genesis 2:24 sets the standard for marriage

This verse describes an event, it describes what "a marriage" is, what it doesn't do is tell us how many marriages a man can have. We need to look further into scripture to see if there are any limitations on how many marriages a man, or woman, can have.

Article
Article3 min read

Deut 17:17 says he shall not multiply wives

As a general rule, we must not draw conclusions from any one witness regarding a matter. The LORD says that on account of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established:

Article
Article6 min read

Jesus said that even looking at a woman with lust is adultery

As with everything, context matters. What is the context of this passage? Let's back up one verse to find out, the majority of people who use this verse as a monogamy-only proof text fail to include the verse prior to it which sets the context.

Article
Article2 min read

Jesus said the two become one

Jesus was responding to a question from the Pharisees about divorce, not addressing the issue of polygyny directly. The Pharisees asked:

Article
Article4 min read

Polygamy always ended in disaster in the Bible

While it's true that the Bible records conflicts in polygynous families, this argument falls into the logical fallacy of hasty generalization, it is also objectively false if you read through all the examples of polygyny in the scriptures. If you really go and look at all of the issues that people…

Article
Article3 min read

Polygamy is illegal almost everywhere

While it's true that legal polygamy (having multiple state-recognized marriages) is prohibited in many countries, this objection misunderstands both the nature of biblical marriage and the distinction between civil and divine law.

Article
Article11 min read

Why Abimelech Taking Sarah Confirms Polygyny as Righteous in Scripture

If you tasked me with proving polygyny is righteous and limited me to one chapter in the scriptures, it would be a difficult choice, but I believe I'd ultimately go with Genesis 20. If you breeze through this story without actually considering the details, you will likely miss it. Let's spend a…

Video32:33

A “Wretched” Argument Against Biblical Polygyny

Wretched tells a young man polygamy is always a disaster and clearly forbidden. This response tests each claim — Deuteronomy 17, Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5, the Judges 19 “unmentioned sin” argument — and shows enforced monogamy rests on tradition, not the text.

Video44:51

Were All Biblical Polygamous Marriages Disasters? A Response to Taco Talks

Taco Talks claims polygamy is never condoned in Scripture and that men like Solomon, David, and Jacob were committing rampant adultery. This response tests each claim against the text — and shows that getting the definition of adultery wrong is what breaks the whole reading.

Article
Article18 min read

Rebuttal to GotQuestions.org "Does the Bible Truly Teach Monogamy?"

The popular Christian website GotQuestions.org presents an article titled "Does the Bible truly teach monogamy / monogamous relationships?" which argues that God's original design for marriage was exclusively monogamous. This rebuttal examines their claims in light of the full biblical witness.

Article
Article1 min read

Biblical Polygamy - The Mike Winger Reply

Mike Winger recently released a series of videos on biblical marriages, or polygamy as he terms them. In response, Rob B Kowalksi, BibleMarriages, Peter Rambo Sr, and Glenn Braunstein have collaborated to provide a comprehensive reply. Our goal is to clarify misconceptions, address objections, and…

Article
Article21 min read

Why is there polygamy in the Bible?

If you start reading your Bible from the front of the book it won't take very long for you to come across scripture that records a man taking more than one woman, or wife, to himself. Today we call this polygamy, or specifically, polygyny. It happens within the first four chapters of Genesis.

Article
Article18 min read

What is adultery, biblically?

Have you asked, what is adultery? In truth I would be willing to wager that nearly everyone personally knows someone accused of, or someone who has actually committed adultery at some point in their lives. All sin is terrible, but adultery is one transgression of the law (sin) that is worthy of…

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