What does the Bible say about multiple wives?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible presents marriage as God’s covenantal union of one man and one woman, while honestly recording and regulating the broken practice of polygamy in Israel. Genesis establishes the creation pattern, and Jesus reaffirms its exclusivity when he condemns divorce and remarriage apart from biblical grounds in Matthew 5:32 and Luke 16:18. Exodus 21:10 and Deuteronomy 21:15-17 regulate obligations toward wives in a fallen society, but do not commend taking more than one. Deuteronomy 17:17 warns kings against multiplying wives, and Solomon’s many wives turned his heart from the Lord in 1 Kings 11:3. For Christian leaders, 1 Timothy 3:2 and 3:12 require faithfulness as the husband of one wife, reflecting the church’s calling to honor God’s design.