Original collection
Polygamy One man having more than one wife. This is in bold contrast to the clear principle of one man, one woman, for life. Gen 2:24, Matt 19:4-6, Mk 10:7-8, 1 Cor 7:2, Eph 5:31
Key KJV Scriptures:
Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:2-4; 1 Timothy 3:2,12
Key KJV Scriptures: Full Text
160 indexed verses · Showing 1–40. Read each passage in its chapter context.
Genesis 2:24 (KJV)
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis 4:19 (KJV)
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
Genesis 16:1 (KJV)
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Genesis 16:2 (KJV)
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
Genesis 16:3 (KJV)
And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
Genesis 16:4 (KJV)
And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
Genesis 16:5 (KJV)
And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
Genesis 16:6 (KJV)
But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Genesis 16:7 (KJV)
And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Genesis 16:8 (KJV)
And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
Genesis 16:9 (KJV)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Genesis 16:10 (KJV)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
Genesis 16:11 (KJV)
And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Genesis 16:12 (KJV)
And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
Genesis 16:13 (KJV)
And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Genesis 16:14 (KJV)
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
Genesis 16:15 (KJV)
And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
Genesis 16:16 (KJV)
And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 21:9 (KJV)
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Genesis 21:10 (KJV)
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
Genesis 21:11 (KJV)
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Genesis 21:12 (KJV)
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Genesis 21:13 (KJV)
And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Genesis 21:14 (KJV)
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:15 (KJV)
And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
Genesis 21:16 (KJV)
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
Genesis 26:34 (KJV)
And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
Genesis 28:9 (KJV)
Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
Genesis 29:30 (KJV)
And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.
Genesis 29:31 (KJV)
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.
Genesis 29:32 (KJV)
And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.
Genesis 29:33 (KJV)
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.
Genesis 29:34 (KJV)
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.
Genesis 30:1 (KJV)
And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
Genesis 30:2 (KJV)
And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
Genesis 30:3 (KJV)
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
Genesis 30:4 (KJV)
And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
Genesis 30:5 (KJV)
And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
Genesis 30:6 (KJV)
And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
Genesis 30:7 (KJV)
And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
Reference selections include Orville J. Nave’s public-domain topical index, via Brady Stephenson’s bible-data (CC BY 4.0). Titles and references have been normalized, duplicates merged, and references checked against the site’s KJV. This is a passage-finding aid; its classifications do not establish doctrine.
Also find this topic by: Bigamy.