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Lamech
- Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible. According to Genesis 4:19, he had two wives: Adah and Zillah.
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Abraham
- Abraham, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament, was also a known polygamist. He had three wives.
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Abraham
- Abraham's wives were Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah, (Genesis 23:19; 25:1; 16:3).
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Esau
- Jacob's brother, Esau, also had three wives, according to Genesis 26:34; 28:9. They were Judith, Bashemath, and Mahalath.
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Jacob
- Jacob himself was also a polygamist. His wives were named Leah and Rachel.
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Jacob
- Bilhah, and Zilpah were Jacob's concubines. References to Jacob's four partners can be found in Genesis 29:15-35; 30:4, 9.
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Moses
- One of the Bible's most important prophets, Moses had two wives. His most well-known wife was Zipporah, but he also had a Cushite (or Ethiopian) wife, whose name is unknown (Exodus 18:2; Numbers 12:1).
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Gideon
- According to Judges 8:30, Gideon "had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives."
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Caleb
- The Bible mentions at least five wives and concubines of Caleb, namely Azubah, Jerioth, Ephrath, Ephah, and Maachah, (1 Chronicles 2:18-19; 2:46; 2:48).
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Ben-Hadad I
- King Ben-Hadad I, of Aram-Damascus, said that: "Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine," (1 Kings 20:3).
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Saul
- King Saul is yet another polygamist in the Bible. According to the holy book, he had two wives.
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Saul
- Saul's wives were named Ahinoam and Rizpah, (1 Samuel 14:50; 2 Samuel 3:7).
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David
- King David is said to have had at least 18 wives and a handful of concubines. And according to Samuel 12:8, he also took Saul's wives.
© Public Domain
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David
- King David's wives included Michal, Abigail, Ahinoam of Jezreel, Eglah, Maacah, Abital, Haggith, and Bathsheba.
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Solomon
- King Solomon had a rather superhuman capacity for love. According to 1 Kings 11:3, "He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines."
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King Ahab
- According to 1 Kings 20:7, the King of Israel had more than one wife.
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Elkanah
- Samuel's father, Elkanah, is yet another biblical figure who had two wives.
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Elkanah
- According to 1 Samuel 1:1, 2: "The name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah."
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King Rehoboam
- King Rehoboam is another biblical figure who had a lot of women in his life, and, indeed, a lot of children as a result.
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King Rehoboam
- According to 2 Chronicles 11:21: "He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters."
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Shaharaim
- According to 1 Chronicles 8:8, Shaharaim had two wives: Hushim and Baara.
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Belshazzar
- Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, also had many women around him. Daniel 5:2 reads: "That the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein."
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Nahor
- Both Nahor's wife and concubine are mentioned in Genesis 22:20-24. His wife was named Milcah and his concubine was Reumah.
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Jerahmeel
- In 1 Chronicles 2:26, we find a mention of Jerahmeel's second wife. It reads: "Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam."
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King Ahasuerus
- Only two of King Ahasuerus's wives are named in the Bible: Vashti and Esther. The Bible also mentions that King Ahasuerus had a harem (Esther 1:10-12; 2:1-17).
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King Joash
- According to 2 Chronicles 24:3, "Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters."
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Abijah
- The Bible says that King Abijah of Judah "had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters" (2 Chronicles 13:21).
© Public Domain
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Ashur
- According to 1 Chronicles 4:5, Ashud had two wives. They were Helah and Naarah. Sources: (Bible.org) (Biblical Polygamy) (Logos)
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© Getty Images
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Lamech
- Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible. According to Genesis 4:19, he had two wives: Adah and Zillah.
© Getty Images
1 / 29 Fotos
Abraham
- Abraham, one of the most important figures of the Old Testament, was also a known polygamist. He had three wives.
© Getty Images
2 / 29 Fotos
Abraham
- Abraham's wives were Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah, (Genesis 23:19; 25:1; 16:3).
© Public Domain
3 / 29 Fotos
Esau
- Jacob's brother, Esau, also had three wives, according to Genesis 26:34; 28:9. They were Judith, Bashemath, and Mahalath.
© Getty Images
4 / 29 Fotos
Jacob
- Jacob himself was also a polygamist. His wives were named Leah and Rachel.
© Getty Images
5 / 29 Fotos
Jacob
- Bilhah, and Zilpah were Jacob's concubines. References to Jacob's four partners can be found in Genesis 29:15-35; 30:4, 9.
© Getty Images
6 / 29 Fotos
Moses
- One of the Bible's most important prophets, Moses had two wives. His most well-known wife was Zipporah, but he also had a Cushite (or Ethiopian) wife, whose name is unknown (Exodus 18:2; Numbers 12:1).
© Getty Images
7 / 29 Fotos
Gideon
- According to Judges 8:30, Gideon "had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives."
© Getty Images
8 / 29 Fotos
Caleb
- The Bible mentions at least five wives and concubines of Caleb, namely Azubah, Jerioth, Ephrath, Ephah, and Maachah, (1 Chronicles 2:18-19; 2:46; 2:48).
© Getty Images
9 / 29 Fotos
Ben-Hadad I
- King Ben-Hadad I, of Aram-Damascus, said that: "Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine," (1 Kings 20:3).
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Saul
- King Saul is yet another polygamist in the Bible. According to the holy book, he had two wives.
© Getty Images
11 / 29 Fotos
Saul
- Saul's wives were named Ahinoam and Rizpah, (1 Samuel 14:50; 2 Samuel 3:7).
© Getty Images
12 / 29 Fotos
David
- King David is said to have had at least 18 wives and a handful of concubines. And according to Samuel 12:8, he also took Saul's wives.
© Public Domain
13 / 29 Fotos
David
- King David's wives included Michal, Abigail, Ahinoam of Jezreel, Eglah, Maacah, Abital, Haggith, and Bathsheba.
© Getty Images
14 / 29 Fotos
Solomon
- King Solomon had a rather superhuman capacity for love. According to 1 Kings 11:3, "He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines."
© Getty Images
15 / 29 Fotos
King Ahab
- According to 1 Kings 20:7, the King of Israel had more than one wife.
© Getty Images
16 / 29 Fotos
Elkanah
- Samuel's father, Elkanah, is yet another biblical figure who had two wives.
© Getty Images
17 / 29 Fotos
Elkanah
- According to 1 Samuel 1:1, 2: "The name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah."
© Public Domain
18 / 29 Fotos
King Rehoboam
- King Rehoboam is another biblical figure who had a lot of women in his life, and, indeed, a lot of children as a result.
© Getty Images
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King Rehoboam
- According to 2 Chronicles 11:21: "He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters."
© Getty Images
20 / 29 Fotos
Shaharaim
- According to 1 Chronicles 8:8, Shaharaim had two wives: Hushim and Baara.
© Getty Images
21 / 29 Fotos
Belshazzar
- Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, also had many women around him. Daniel 5:2 reads: "That the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein."
© Getty Images
22 / 29 Fotos
Nahor
- Both Nahor's wife and concubine are mentioned in Genesis 22:20-24. His wife was named Milcah and his concubine was Reumah.
© Getty Images
23 / 29 Fotos
Jerahmeel
- In 1 Chronicles 2:26, we find a mention of Jerahmeel's second wife. It reads: "Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam."
© Getty Images
24 / 29 Fotos
King Ahasuerus
- Only two of King Ahasuerus's wives are named in the Bible: Vashti and Esther. The Bible also mentions that King Ahasuerus had a harem (Esther 1:10-12; 2:1-17).
© Getty Images
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King Joash
- According to 2 Chronicles 24:3, "Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters."
© Getty Images
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Abijah
- The Bible says that King Abijah of Judah "had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters" (2 Chronicles 13:21).
© Public Domain
27 / 29 Fotos
Ashur
- According to 1 Chronicles 4:5, Ashud had two wives. They were Helah and Naarah. Sources: (Bible.org) (Biblical Polygamy) (Logos)
© Getty Images
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Biblical figures with multiple wives
Meet the polygamists of the Bible
© Getty Images
While monogamy is prescriptive in most Abrahamic religions, there are many historical biblical figures who have had multiple wives. Polygamy is commonly found across the Old Testament. While the holy book doesn't promote multiple partners at the same time, it doesn't explicitly prohibit it either. This view is, however, challenged in the New Testament, where monogamy is particularly encouraged.
Have we piqued your interest? Click through the gallery to learn about the Bible's most famous polygamists.
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