What does the Bible say about polygamy and open relationships?

Rick Brentlinger Answers

Polygamy - According to the Bible, polygamy was a Biblical family value which began in Genesis 4:19. Some (not all) ancient Biblical heroes lived in polygamous marriages and still enjoyed the blessing of God.

At least two of the human authors of scripture, King David and King Solomon, were in polygamous marriages when they wrote part of the Bible (Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes).

God inspired Moses to make legal provision for polygamy by mandating inheritance rights when a man was married to more than one wife, Deuteronomy 21:15-17.

This does not mean that polygamy should be practiced by Christians today. What was culturally acceptable for followers of God thousands of years ago is different today because our culture is different.

These are some of the polygamists mentioned in the Bible.

1. Lamech - Genesis 4:19
   
   
2. Esau - Genesis 26:34 & 28:9
   
   
3. Abraham - Genesis 16:3, 25:1-6
   
   
4. Jacob - Genesis 29:23-29 & 30:4-9
   
   
5. Gideon - Judges 8:30
   
   
6. Abijah - 1 Chronicles 13:21
   
   
7. David - 2 Samuel 5:13 & 1 Chronicles 3:1-9
   
   
8. Solomon - 1 Kings 11:1-3

Open relationships - The Bible says nothing positive about an open relationship with your partner, where either partner is free to have sexual relationships outside the marriage relationship.

The Bible always takes a negative view of open relationships, regarding all sexual relationships outside of a committed, faithful partnership as sin. Notice how scripture describes sexual relationships in 1 Corinthians 7:1-9.

We are told that, "to avoid fornication," people should be married, i.e., in committed partnership. In that committed partnership, both individuals are to recognize that for purposes of sex, their body belongs to their partner and neither partner should defraud the other sexually (should not withhold sexual fulfillment).

This scriptural view is also found in 1 Thessalonians 4:2-6 and I Corinthians 10:8-13 (based on Exodus 32:6-28).

As you can see, marriage in the Bible is often different than our modern western Christian concept of marriage.

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