From Nave’s Topical Bible
Polygamy
Every passage the 1896 Nave’s Topical Biblegathers under this heading, in Nave’s own arrangement and then in Bible order. MannaFest has not written this page — it is the older index, transcribed, with the Word travelling beside each reference.
- 45Passages listed
- 20Books of the 66
- 1896Nave's edition
How Nave’s arranged it
- ForbiddenDeuteronomy 17:17Leviticus 18:18Malachi 2:14Malachi 2:15Matthew 19:4Matthew 19:5Mark 10:2–81 Timothy 3:21 Timothy 3:12Titus 1:6
- Authorized2 Samuel 12:8
- ToleratedExodus 21:101 Samuel 1:22 Chronicles 24:3
- Practiced byJob 27:15
- LamechGenesis 4:19
- AbrahamGenesis 16
- EsauGenesis 26:34Genesis 28:9
- JacobGenesis 29:30
- Ashur1 Chronicles 4:5
- GideonJudges 8:30
- Elkanah1 Samuel 1:2
- David1 Samuel 25:39–442 Samuel 3:2–52 Samuel 5:131 Chronicles 14:3
Show the rest of Nave’s outline (24 more headings) ▾
- Solomon1 Kings 11:1–8
- Rehoboam2 Chronicles 11:18–23
- Abijah2 Chronicles 13:21
- Jehoram2 Chronicles 21:14
- Joash2 Chronicles 24:3
- Ahab2 Kings 10
- Jehoiachin2 Kings 24:15
- BelshazzarDaniel 5:2
- See1 Chronicles 2:8
- HoseaHosea 3:1Hosea 3:2
- Mosaic law respecting the firstborn inDeuteronomy 21:15–17
- Sought by womenIsaiah 4:1
- The evil effects of
- Husband' s favoritism inDeuteronomy 21:15–17
- Jacob' sGenesis 29:30Genesis 30:15
- Elkanah' s1 Samuel 1:5
- Rehoboam' s2 Chronicles 11:21
- Domestic unhappiness
- In Abraham' s familyGenesis 16Genesis 21:9–16
- In Jacob' s familyGenesis 29:30–34Genesis 30:1–23
- In Elkanah' s family1 Samuel 1:4–7
- With Solomon1 Kings 11:4–8
- See Concubinage
- See Marriage
The passages, in Bible order (45)
The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.
- Genesis 4:19
And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
Commentary on Genesis 4:191 voice
And Lamech took unto him two wives,.... He was the first we read of that introduced polygamy, contrary to the first institution of marriage, whereby only one man and one woman were to be joined together, and become one flesh, Gen 2:24. This evil practice, though it began in the race of wicked Cain, was in later ages followed by some among the people of God, which was connived at because of the hardness of their hearts; otherwise it was not so from the beginning.
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Genesis 16:1
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar.
Commentary on Genesis 16:11 voice
Therefore Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. She said to her husband, "Behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, so go into my maidservant; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And when he …
Bede· Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron), 735Patristic
- Genesis 21:9–16
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking her son,
Commentary on Genesis 21:9–161 voice
(Chapter 21, Verse 9) And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she bore to Abraham, playing. What follows, with his son Isaac, is not present in the Hebrew. Therefore, this is interpreted in two ways by the Hebrews: either that she made idols out of play, according to what is written elsewhere: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play (Exodus 32:6); or that she claimed the rights of the firstborn against Isaac, as if he were older, through play and jest.
Jerome· Hebrew Questions on Genesis, 420Patristic
- Genesis 26:34
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Commentary on Genesis 26:341 voice
And Esau was forty years old,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Genesis 28:9
Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
Commentary on Genesis 28:91 voice
Then went Esau unto Ishmael,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Genesis 29:30
Jacob slept with Rachel as well, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. So he worked for Laban another seven years.
Commentary on Genesis 29:301 voice
In that journey Jacob took two wives, and those two wives prefigured the two people of the Jews and the Gentiles. For at Christ's coming not a small number even of the Jewish people are read to have believed in him, and again in the …
Caesarius of Arles· SERMON 88.2, 542Patristic
- Genesis 30:1–23
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob.
Commentary on Genesis 30:1–231 voice
Leah bore Reu-ben, Simeon, Levi and Judah and then ceased giving birth, whereas Rachel was barren. Because she heard Jacob say that Abraham had prayed over the barren Sarah and was heard and that Isaac had also prayed for Rebekah and was answered, she thought …
Ephrem the Syrian· COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 28.1.1, 373Patristic
- Genesis 30:15
But Leah replied, “Is it not enough that you have taken away my husband? Now you want to take my son’s mandrakes as well?” “Very well,” said Rachel, “he may sleep with you tonight in exchange for your son’s mandrakes.”
Commentary on Genesis 30:151 voice
And she said unto her,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Exodus 21:10
If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
Commentary on Exodus 21:101 voice
If he take him another wife,.... The father takes another wife for his son, or the son takes another wife to himself after he has betrothed and married his father's maidservant: her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish; neither deny it her in whole, nor lessen it in part, but give her her full due of each. What is meant by the two former words is easy, and admits of no difficulty, the latter is differently interpreted.
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Leviticus 18:18
You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.
Commentary on Leviticus 18:182 voices
A wife to her sister - Thou shalt not marry two sisters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah; but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to marry a sister-in-law when her sister was dead; therefore the text says, Thou shalt not take her in her life time, to vex her, alluding probably to the case of the jealousies and vexations which subsisted between Leah and Rachel, and by which the family peace was so often disturbed. Some think that the text may be so understood as also to forbid polygamy.
Adam Clarke· Commentary on the Bible, 1832Evangelical
Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Deuteronomy 17:17
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 17:171 voice
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- Deuteronomy 21:15–17
If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son,
Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:15–171 voice
And inasmuch as my discourse took as a proof of its assertion that passage in the Book of Deuteronomy which speaks of the man who had two wives, one beloved and the other hated, you seem to have felt much concern lest any one should suppose this man had taken to himself two souls, which is impossible.
Ambrose of Milan· Letters 31-40, 397Patristic
- Judges 8:30
Gideon had seventy sons of his own, since he had many wives.
Commentary on Judges 8:301 voice
And Gideon had seventy sons of his body begotten,....
John Gill· Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)Reformed
- 1 Samuel 1:2
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:21 voice
In this [figurative] way, therefore, I think the marriages of the elders are interpreted more fittingly; in this way the unions entered by the patriarchs in their now final and weakened age are understood nobly; in this way I hold the necessary begetting of children should be reckoned. For young men are not so well fitted as old men for such marriages and for offspring of this kind. For to the extent that someone is feeble in the flesh, to such an extent will he be stronger in virtue of the soul and more fit for the embraces of wisdom.
Origen of Alexandria· HOMILIES ON GENESIS 11.2, 253Patristic
- 1 Samuel 1:4–7
And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:4–71 voice
14. What day do we believe this to be, except the one which Isaiah established by the testimony of the sacred Scriptures, saying: "He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer shall be silent, and shall not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7)? For the day came when the brilliance of the promised oracle revealed the time of the Lord's passion. Then Elkanah sacrificed, because our Redeemer offered himself to the eternal Father in the sacrifice of our absolution through the death of the cross.
Gregory the Dialogist· Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 1, 604Patristic
- 1 Samuel 1:5
But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:51 voice
(Moral Exposition) The sons of Peninnah are the counsels of the holy mind, which grow through the pursuit of piety in the active life. These sons receive portions with their mother when the counsels of piety grow rich in devotion to good works unto the splendor of heavenly grace. For the pious mind, the more sublimely it is raised in divine contemplation, the more devoutly it extends itself in holy action. For the portions of this mother and her sons are the preparations for holy works.
Gregory the Dialogist· Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 2, 604Patristic
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1 Samuel1
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2 Kings2
1 Chronicles3
2 Chronicles5
Job1
Isaiah1
Daniel1
Malachi2
Matthew2
Mark1
1 Timothy2
Titus1