Multiple Wives

[steamer]

Is there any ethical reason why a man shouldn't have multiple wives? I suspect a biblical origin in our laws. On the other hand look at all these guys and their multiple wives.

http://www.polyamory.org/Howard/religion.html

Genesis 4: Lamech took two wives
Genesis 28: Esau takes an additional wife, Mahalath
Genesis 29: Jacob, Leah, and Rachel
Genesis 30: Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah
Genesis 36: Esau takes two more Canaanite wives
Deuteronomy 17: A king of Israel shall not "multiply wives unto himself"
A law more often breached than observed.
Deuteronomy 21: inheritance law when a man has two wives
Judges 8: Gideon had many wives
I Samuel 1: Elkanah and his wives Hannah & Peninnah
I Samuel 25: David takes Abigail and Ahinoam as wives
II Samuel 5: David takes further wives and concubines
II Samuel 11: David gets Bathsheba pregnant, has her husband Uriah killed, and marries her
I Kings 11: Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines
I Kings 20: Implies King Ahab had multiple wives
II Kings 24: King Jehoiachin had multiple wives
I Chronicles 2: a lot of begatting via multiple wives
I Chronicles 4: Ashur had two wives, Helah and Naarah
I Chronicles 8: Shaharaim had two wives, Hushim and Baara
I Chronicles 14: David takes more wive at Jerusalem
II Chronicles 11: Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines
II Chronicles 13: Abijah marries 14 wives
II Chronicles 21: King Jehoram had multiple wives
II Chronicles 24: Jehoiada had two wives
Daniel 5: King Belshazzar had wives and concubines

© source where applicable

[flipper]

Yeah, I'm often amused when people quote the Song of Solomon as an example of great love poetry. How many women was Solomon supposed to have knocking around his palaces? It is my theory that the name of the woman he wrote it about was not mentioned because he forgot what it was. Either that or he reused that poem several hundred times.

[Jayrok]

The punishment that comes along with having multiple wives is having multiple mothers-in-law...

that and the multiple "yammering" you will undoubtedly have to endure..

[Gabby]

[technomage]

The punishment that comes along with having multiple wives is having multiple mothers-in-law...

that and the multiple "yammering" you will undoubtedly have to endure..

Well, there is a Biblical injunction specifically against having two wives--I'm fairly sure it can be extended to "multiple." Matt 6: 24a--"No man can serve two masters...."

Justin

(I may rule the roost ... but my wife rules the rooster. )

J

[Gabby]

:rofl1:

[Xmansmommy]

You guys are TOO funny!