Parashat 7 (Vayetzeh) Portion 28 Ber/Gen 29:31-30:13(12) 1 Samuel 1:2-11 Yesh/Is 60:10-22 Rom 11:25-36

Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah. Amein.

וירא יהוה …YHVH saw – YHVH sees everything, nothing can be hidden from His Eyes. -Pro 15:3  The eyes of יהוה are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. 

Gen 29:31  And יהוה saw that Lĕ’ah was unloved,( H8130  to hate שׂנא ) and He opened her womb, but Raḥĕl was barren.

The Torah describes Rachel as having beautiful features and a beautiful complexion, and Leah as having tender eyes – Ber 29:17.

The Midrash Tanhuma says that Leah’s eyes were weak because of all the tears she shed. The midrash claims that Leah was promised to Esav as a wife she heard how evil he was. Lavan her father saved her from this evil person the best way he knew how – he deceived Yakov in taking her for a wife.

It appears that there was a reconciliation between these two sister- wives of Yakov before Rachel died.

We note Yirmeyahu’s prophecy of Rachel.: Jer 31:15  Thus said יהוה, “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing, bitter weeping, Raḥĕl weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”  (See also Matt 2:18)

Which children is Rachel weeping for? According to the events of Matt 2:18 Rachel is weeping for Leah’s children as well. The events of this prophecy are fulfilled in the days of Yahshua. In those days it was mainly the Yuhadim (Jews) from the tribe of Yahudah living in ‘’Beit – Lechem’’– when this prophecy is fulfilled Herod is killing Leah’s children living in Bethlechem. Rachel’s children had been taken into captivity about 700 years before the events described in Mattitiyahu chapter 2. Ramah is possibly close to where the modern-day Bethlehem is.

Gen 29:32  And Lĕ’ah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Re’uḇĕn, for she said, “For יהוה has looked on my affliction, because now my husband is going to love me.”

Gen 29:33  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because יהוה has heard that I am unloved, He gave me this son too.” And she called his name Shimʽon. 

Gen 29:34  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband is joined to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So his name was called Lĕwi. Gen 29:35  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Now I praise יהוה.” So she called his name Yehuḏah. And she ceased bearing. 

Gen 30:1  And when Raḥĕl saw that she bore Yaʽaqoḇ no children, Raḥĕl envied her sister, and said to Yaʽaqoḇ, “Give me children, or else I am going to die!” 

Gen 30:2  And Yaʽaqoḇ’s displeasure burned against Raḥĕl, and he said, “Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 

Gen 30:3  And she said, “See, my female servant Bilhah; go in to her, and let her bear for me, and let me be built up from her as well.” 

Gen 30:4  So she gave him Bilhah her female servant as wife, and Yaʽaqoḇ went in to her. 

Gen 30:5  And Bilhah conceived and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.

Gen 30:6  And Raḥĕl said, “Elohim has rightly ruled my case, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” So she called his name Dan. 

Gen 30:7  And Raḥĕl’s female servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son.

Gen 30:8  And Raḥĕl said, “With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have overcome.” So she called his name Naphtali. 

Gen 30:9  And Lĕ’ah saw that she had ceased bearing, and she took Zilpah her female servant and gave her to Yaʽaqoḇ as wife. 

Gen 30:10  And Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a son.

Gen 30:11  And Lĕ’ah said, “With Gaḏ!” So she called his name Gaḏ. 

Gen 30:12  And Lĕ’ah’s female servant Zilpah bore Yaʽaqoḇ a second son. 

Gen 30:13  And Lĕ’ah said, “I am blessed, for the daughters shall call me blessed.” So she called his name Ashĕr.

LEAH – means “weary”. She was weary trying to love someone who didn’t love her as much as she desired to be loved.

She has a son – Reuevn – see a son – “now surely Yakov will love me”.

Then she has a second son – Shimeon – heard – “the Father heard how hated I was and He gave me another son”.

Then Levi – means joined or loved – “surely now Yakov will love me and join himself to me”.

Then came Yahudah–"praise the Father “surely now he will love me”.

RACHEL- By this time Rachel got desperate and give Billah her maid to Yakov – Dan is born - means “He has judged in my favour and given me a son”.

Billah bore another son called Naphtali – I have prevailed against my sister and still have the affection of Yakov

Leah saw that she was having no more children so she gave Zilpha her maid to Yakov and Gad was born – means “how fortunate I am to give Yakov another son”.

Then Zilpha bore another son called Asher – “happy look I have another son”.

Then Reuven brings mandrakes – Dudaim – to his mother. Rachel sees and wants them because it was believed to make you fertile etc etc. So Leah trades them for a night with Yakov.

Leah gives birth to fifth son – Isaccar – “you are my wages”.

Those who have been called by YHVH will once again in the last days be joined to and become part of the 12 tribes of Yisrael.

The prophet speaking of when Yahshua returns and rules and reigns over the earth:

Eze 47:21  “And you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Yisra’ĕl. Eze 47:22  “And it shall be that you divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who sojourn in your midst and who bear children among you. And they shall be to you as native-born among the children of Yisra’ĕl – with you they have an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Yisra’ĕl¹. Footnote: ¹Isa. 14:1, Isa. 56:6-8, Rom. 11:17-26, Eph. 2:19, Eph. 3:6, Rev. 21:12. Eze 47:23  “And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger sojourns, there you give him his inheritance,” declares the Master יהוה. 

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs – https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe266.htm

With YHVH’s help we will attempt to address the issue of polygyny – a man having more than one wife.

http://www.ecclesia.org/TRUTH/polygamy.html

This midrash is not promoting the practice or non-practice of polygyny. This midrash does not reflect any personal opinion, or any other teacher’s personal opinion. This midrash is simply reflecting on what scripture says on this topic, and attempts to answer the question, "Is polygyny a sin?"

Have you ever wondered why YHVH never condemned polygyny? It's not hard to prove from the First and Second writings that polygyny was, and still is, a valid form of marriage and is not sinful.

The Scriptures are clear that polygyny was, and still is today, a valid form of marriage. YHVH nowhere condemns set apart men for having more than one wife. Avraham had a wife, and then he married her maid (Genesis 16:2-4); Yakov married Leah and Rachel (Gen.29:23-30; 31:17; 32:22) and then he married Leah and Rachel's handmaids, Zilbah and Bilhah and (Genesis 30:1-24; 37:2); Judge Gideon had many wives and a concubine (Judges 8:30-31); Elkanah married Channah and Peninnah (1 Sam.1:2); David married Abigail and Ahinoam (1 Sam.25:42-43; 30:18), then later took more wives (2 Sam.5:13) at Jerusalem (1 Chron.14:3); In 2 Sam.12:7-8, YHVH gave David these multiple wives as a blessing, just as anointing him as king over Yisrael, protecting him from Saul, and giving him the house of Yisrael and Yahudah were also blessings from YHVH; King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3) (see later about Shlomo (Salomon); Ashur married Helah and Naarah (1 Chron.4:5); Shaharaim married Hushim and Baara (1 Chron.8:8); Aviyah had 14 wives (2Chron.13:21); Yehoiada the priest had 2 wives (2 Chron.24:3).

Also, YHVH never condemned ungodly men for having more than one wife either: Lamech (Gen.4:19), Esav (Gen.36:2,6), King Rehoboam had 18 wives (2 Chron.11:21); King Belshazzar had many wives (Dan.5:2-3). In addition, after war-time, many women would marry more than one man because of the shortage of men available due to their being killed (Isaiah 4:1).

We find our brother Paul referring to the polygyny of Avraham without a hint that it was sinful Gal 4:22  For it has been written that Avraham had two sons, one by a female servant, the other by a free woman. 

When we study the Torah concerning polygyny, we find that when the singular "wife" is used, those laws could apply to monogamy or polygyny (Deut. 22:13, 22), and when the plural "wives" is used, those laws only apply to polygyny. (Deut. 21:15-17). The Torah stated that a man could take another wife as long as he still provided for his first wife (Exo.21:10). This is what the apostle Paul calls "due benevolence" 1Co 7:3  Let the husband render to his wife what is her due, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The law protected the rights of the first born son concerning his inheritance in the case where the father preferred another wife over his mother (Deut. 21:15-17).

The Torah commanded that any man who had sex with a virgin was to marry her (Deut. 22:28-29). There is nothing in this text that supports the idea that only single men are to marry in this instance. This law protected and ensured the woman that her food, clothing, and marital rights and duties would not be diminished. This also protected the woman from the reproach of not being able to find another man to be her husband because she was no longer a virgin and, furthermore the reproach of possibly never being able to have children. The man, single or married, needed to be responsible for his fornication and the woman needed to be protected.

The law commanded a man to marry the widow of his deceased brother's wife if he had no children with her (Deut. 25:5-10). Again, there is nothing in this text that supports that this law was limited to only single brothers.

The Torah did have some restrictions on polygyny, such as a man not marrying the sister or mother of his wife (Lev. 18:17, Lev. 20:14). Another restriction admonished the king against the acquisition of too many wives (Deut. 17:17), and, in particular, foreign wives, because they would tend to tempt him towards their gods (1 Kings 11:1-8). Solomon sinned, not because of the fact that he had many wives, but because he married women from foreign countries, and he did not tear down their places of worshipping false gods (Deuteronomy 7:3). It would also appear that Solomon broke this law in that he multiplied seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines to himself (1 Kings 11:3). Solomon abused the right to take more than one wife and no doubt had difficulty in meeting the sexual needs of so many women. David, on the other hand, did not break this law, as was discussed earlier (2 Samuel 12:7-8).

Yahshua fulfils the law of Polygyny

This subject of polygyny applies to Yahshua and the good news, in that Yahshua came to fulfill the Torah and the prophets (Mat.5:17). Yahshua is a polygynist in the sense that the Assembly is likened to five wise betrothed virgins (Matt. 25:1-13, Matt. 24:34). Yahshua is one with the "members" (plural) of His body, the ‘’ekklessia or Kehelah’’, and one Spirit with them all (1 Corinthians 6:15-17).

Yahshua, in fulfilling the Torah, is the perfect husband to each individual member providing them with "clothing" such as His robes of righteousness (Matt. 22:11-14, Rev. 7:9,13-14, Rev. 22:14), "food" as He is the "bread of life" (Jn. 6:32-35), Could any believer doubt the loveliness of Yahshua as his/her lover? Yahshua will take His people to His banqueting house, and His banner over us is love (So. 2:4). He has provided a place or a dwelling for us (Jn. 14:2). There's no question that YHVH's people are well taken care of.

Objections to Polygyny

1. "Polygyny is adultery."

At one time, many thought that polygyny was the same thing as adultery until some actually took the time to study the matter. Since adultery was punishable by death under the Torah (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22-23), and the Torah allowed, regulated, and as was seen earlier, would command polygyny in certain instances; adultery cannot be seen as synonymous with polygyny. Men and their wives were not put to death for having polygynous marriages! It is very important that we look to the Scriptures to define what "adultery" is instead of holding to a slanted Western definition of adultery. In many westernized countries, adultery is seen as a married individual having sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex, besides their spouse, married or single. This law on this matter reflects the ideas of Roman culture and the apostate Roman Catholic Church and isnot aligned with YHVH’s Torah. 

The Scriptural view of the wife is that she is the property of her husband. Therefore, any man who had relations with her was guilty of breaking the 8th commandment as well, "You shall not steal" and was to be put to death  along with the adulterous wife. As already discussed, if a single or married man had sex with a virgin or unmarried woman, he was commanded to  marry her.

2       "Polygyny violates 'the two shall be one flesh.'"

Neither YHVH nor Moshe saw any violation or contradiction of Genesis 2:24 to the Torah which not only allowed polygyny, but as was seen earlier, in some cases commanded it. It would be strained exegesis to say that YHVH, in Genesis 2:24, is establishing some kind of monogamous law that excludes, or somehow condemns, polygyny. Gen 26:5  because Aḇraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.”a Footnote: aTorot - plural of Torah, teaching.

Exegetically and contextually, Yahshua' point, in Matthew 19:4-6, when he cites Genesis 2:24, is the indissolubility of marriage, for He says, "Therefore, what YHVH has joined together, let not man separate." The expression "one flesh," insofar as it relates to the structure of marriage, refers to the indissolubility of a man and his wife within a marriage, whether it be monogamous or polygynous. This was YHVH’s point in quoting the Genesis passage, and in no way condemns polygyny.

Now what about Paul's expression 'one flesh'? Far from being a certain revelation concerning monogamy, the Pauline usage would illustrate, rather the broadness and flexibility of this Old Testament expression. For Paul, this unity in the 'flesh' is not confined to the conjugal union of one husband and one wife, nor is it limited to the bonds of kinship. Even a man who joins himself to a prostitute becomes 'one flesh' with her (1 Corinthians 6:16-17). This kind of unity is obviously not exclusive in the way that a monogamous union is supposed to be, for a man can become 'one flesh' with any number of prostitutes (which in this case of course is sin -prostitutes). According to this use of the expression, it would follow also that a man becomes 'one flesh' with more than one wife in a society which accepts this form of marriage. If a sinful prostitute can become "one flesh" with many men, then why would it be inconceivable that a man after YHVH’s own Heart like David could have been "one flesh" with the wives YHVH gave him?

Individually, each believer that is joined to the Yahshua is one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:17). Just as another believer’s union with Yahshua does not, in any way destroy the oneness of our union with Yahshua, so it is that a man may be one flesh with more than one wife. Yahshua knows, receives, and becomes one Spirit with His virgin(s) (Matt. 25:1-13).

It is important to recall that the real background to marriage in ancient YYisrael, the background against which the scriptural passages on marriage are to be seen, was the larger community of the family and the clan. Marriage was not understood primarily in terms of the husband-wife relationship, and certainly not in terms of an exclusive relationship between only two persons. Marriage was regarded as a social instrument required for the preservation and continuation of families and clans. Through daughters being married into different families, there was a mutual strengthening of kinship bonds-each family giving its own flesh and blood to other families.

"Flesh" has a wider social or kinship meaning found frequently in the Old Testament (cf. Gen. 29:14; 37:27; Lev. 18:6; Judges 9:2; 2 Sam. 5:1; 19:12-13; Neh. 5:5; Isa. 58:7). 'One flesh', is not confined exclusively to only two persons. The several children of one mother are 'one flesh' with her, by reason of their unity in generation and in maternal love. The relationship between the mother and each child, respectively, may even be regarded as a union of 'two' in 'one flesh', without thereby excluding the other children from this same relationship with their mother. So, by reason of a socially valid polygynous marriage, a man may be conjugally united with each of his wives, respectively, as 'two' in 'one flesh'-both in a carnal sense and in terms of kinship.

3       "The Assembly is pictured as the BRIDE of Messiah, not brides!"

Yes, the Assembly, in most Pauline contexts, is described as the bride of Messiah (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33), but then again Paul will describe the Assembly as a plurality of persons: a husband must love his wife, "as Messiah does the Assembly, because we are members of his body" (cf. Ephesians 5:28-33; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 12:27). In theological jargon, this is called "corporate personality", the bride (singular) symbolically representing the “we/members (plural)”.

It is not entirely true that the Father and Messiah are only portrayed as monogamists in Scripture. YHVH is married to two women - Yahudah and Yisrael (cf. Jer. 3:6-10; 31:31-32; Ezk. 23:2-4), and, as already pointed out, the Assembly is pictured as being in a polygynous relationship with Messiah, with five faithful virgins (Matt. 25:1-13). The covenant union was described by Jeremiah in terms of a polygynous marriage, "I was a husband unto them, saith YHVH" (Jer.31:31-32).

4.      The dispensational view: "polygyny was only for Yisrael in the Old Testament who were under the law; monogamy is the Scriptural norm for believers, today in the New Testament who are under grace!"

This view rejects the premise that morality and application of YHVH's moral standards contained in the Torah for Yisrael have vanished along with its theocratic status. Certain aspects of YHVH’s Torah for Yisrael stem from His eternal Set Apartness and justice and know no geographical and ethical barriers. Yisrael and her law's moral and socio-political standards of justice are applicable for us today because they stem from YHVH's Set Apart character. Men can either form laws for societies proceeding out of their own hearts and imaginations, or they can go to YHVH’s Torah and submit to what His standards of divine justice are for human societies. The Torah that was given to Yisrael is reflective of His Set Apartness and His standards for justice (what is right and what is wrong). Since YHVH's Set Apart character never changes, His standards of what is right and what is wrong, and how evil workers are to be punished, will never change either.

Those who do not favour taking YHVH’s Torah as the ultimate standard for civil morality and public justice will be forced to substitute  some other criterion of good and evil for it. The civil magistrate cannot function without some ethical guidance, without some standard of good and evil. If that standard is not to be the revealed Torah of YHVH, then what will it be? In some form or expression, it will have to be the law of man - the standard of self-law or autonomy. And men will either choose to be governed by YHVH or to be ruled by tyrants. Because of the merciful, restraining work of the Set Apart Spirit in societies, we do not see at every stage in history these stark polarities coming to expression; most societies will, to some measure, strive for conformity to YHVH's law, even when it is officially denounced. However, in principle the choices are clearly between YHVH's law and man's law, between life and death for a society.

Concerning marriage, any religious group or nation that ignores the moral standards set forth in YHVH's law surrounding marriage, polygynous or monogamous, will be held accountable by YHVH for their actions.

5.      Polygyny is condemned by Paul when he addressed the qualifications for deacons and Elders. "Elders and deacons are to be the husbands of ONE  wife"! (1 Timothy 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)

First of all, this passage is not addressed to all believers in Messiah but applies only to elders and deacons. Period. We cannot take something that only applies to a specific group of men and apply that too all men in general. This would be taking a verse out of its context.

Secondly, notice, these passages do not say "only" one wife. The Greek word that "one" is translated from here is word #3391, mia, and is also translated as "a" or "the first" in other parts of scripture. Thus the emphasis would be that an elder needs to be a married man, having children, and that he must not have divorced his first wife.

For example, in the following passages, the word "a" is the same word translated "one" above:

Matthew 21:19,"And when he saw a fig tree in the way..."
Matthew 26:69, "Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him...",
Revelation 9:13, "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice..."

Likewise, Elders and deacons are to be the husbands of a wife, and have children, because if he cannot rule his own household, how can he rule the assembly of Messiah? This passage does not limit him to only one wife, that is not its point. The purpose for these qualifications is stated in 1 Timothy 3:5, "(For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of YHVH)?" The point is that he must be able to rule his wife and children, and if he has multiple wives, and is able to rule them, so much the better! Any man who can love and rule multiple women, and made them happy, according to the Word of YHVH, is certainly qualified to rule a congregation of other believers!

Another example of how the word "one" is translated is when scripture speaks of Messiah having risen "the first day of the week" (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2,9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1,19), the phrase "the first" is translated from the same word (mia) that "one" is translated from above. Thus, it can also read as follows, "Elders and Deacons are to be the husbands of the first wife."

Again, the purpose for these qualifications is stated in 1 Timothy 3:5, "(For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the assembly of YHVH)?" And if an elder or a bishop was divorced from his first wife, he would be violating YHVH's Law regulating polygyny, which states, "If he takes another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish" (Exodus 21:10). In other words, if an elder or a bishop was not still married to his first wife because of divorce, but married to other women, then he would be diminishing his first wife's food, raiment, and her duty of marriage, and therefore evidence that he does not know how to rule his own house, and therefore cannot rule the assembly of YHVH.

Some might object to this interpretation that an elder needs to be a married man with children because they say Paul was an elder but was a single man. However, scripture does not say Paul was an elder. And even though Paul was unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:8), a glance at Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, and Zodhiates Word Studies, will reveal that 'unmarried' is used to denote both 'bachelors' and 'widowers'. It refers to those who are not currently married, whether they have never been married or were once married and have been widowed or divorced. The parallelism thus suggests that in 1 Corinthians 7:8 'unmarried' refers only to widowers', and not to any bachelor or single person. Paul himself could have been a widower. Especially since the Bible implies that Paul was married! As a Pharisee (Acts 23:6; 26:5) Paul must have been married  because there were no single Pharisees. Also, Paul himself defended his prerogative to take a wife and bring her on his journeys with him as other apostles (1 Corinthians 9:5).

Paul's purpose in 1 Corinthians 7 is not to give requirements and advice for the eldership, anyway! Due to the "present distress" (vs. 26) Paul advised "that it is good for a man to remain as he is:" This "present distress" was a situation unique to the earlier church due to the persecution that was prophesied by Daniel and Yahshua.

6       The law of Polygyny could have changed. For example, Before the Mosaic law, a man was allowed to marry sisters (Genesis 29), but the Mosaic law changed this law and prohibited marrying sisters (Leviticus 18:18)

Leviticus is taken out of context. This is how it reads, "Thou shalt not take a wife in addition to her sister, as a rival, to uncover her nakedness in opposition to her, while she is yet living" (Septuagint). As we can see, this text doth not simply forbid the taking one wife to another, but the doing it in such a manner or for such an end, that he may vex or punish, or revenge himself of the former, which probably was a common motive amongst that hard-hearted people to do so. When Yakov married two sisters (Genesis 29), his intent and purpose was not to vex them. Therefore, Yakov did not violate YHVH's Law, and nothing was changed.

7       Well, the two sisters Yakov married were also his daughter-in-laws! Yakov said he was Labon's "brother," (Genesis 29:12), which would make Leah and Rachel Yakov's daughter-in-laws. However,

marrying a daughter-in-law is prohibited by Elohim (Leviticus 18:15), the penalty of which is death (Leviticus 20:12).

The term "brother," in Genesis 29:12 is translated from a Hebrew/Greek word that literally means "a relative," and is extended to remote degrees of relationships, as uncle, cousin, or nephew. The authority of the Septuagint bears this out by translating this passage, "And he told Rachel that he was the near relative of her father..." (Genesis 29:12). So, it does not mean that Yakov was Lavan's literal brother, but simply a relative.

8       Well, the sexual relationship laws were changed. Under the law of Moses, it is stated that a man must not have sexual relations with his sister (Leviticus 18:9), and a man must not have sexual relations with his half-sister (Leviticus 18:11). However, Abraham was married to Sarah, who was his half-sister (Genesis 11:29; 20:12)! How do you explain this?

Here is what Abraham said about his wife, Sarah:

Genesis 20:12, "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."

However, by "daughter," Abraham was referring to his niece. Terah, Abraham's father, is supposed by many interpreters to have had two wives; Haran, Sarah's father, to have been a son of the second; so that Sarah was his niece, and granddaughter of his father, but not of his mother. The term "sister" was then often given to a niece, and "brother" to a nephew, uncle, or near relative (Genesis 11:29; 20:5,13). This is how the Hebrews used these words.

Even if Abram did marry his half-sister, he married her before he was called by YHVH (Genesis 11:29). After he married her, YHVH called him to His service (Genesis 12). All men are sinners, and Abram was no exception. Even if he married her sinfully, it is YHVH's Will that one keeps his covenant and oath with another. If Abraham realized that he married her when he was not supposed to, he had to stay married to her rather than divorce her.

9. What about the offspring of Adam and Eve, and Noah and his family? Brothers must have married their own sisters in those cases.

Yes, it must be evident that in the infancy of the world, persons very near of kin must have been joined in matrimonial alliances; and that even brothers must have matched with their own sisters. In these first instances necessity required this; when this necessity no longer existed, the thing became inexpedient and improper for two reasons: 1. That the duties owing by nature to relatives might not be confounded with those of a social or political kind; for could a man be a brother and a husband, a son and a husband, at the same time, and fulfil the duties of both? Impossible. 2. That by intermarrying with other families, the bonds of social compact might be strengthened and extended, so that the love of our neighbour, &c., might at once be felt to be not only a maxim of sound policy, but also a very practicable and easy duty; and thus feuds, divisions, and wars be prevented.

Adam's sons must of necessity have married their own sisters; but it was requisite that it should be made by a positive law unlawful and detestable, for the preventing of sinful familiarities between those that in the days of their youth are supposed to live in a house together, and yet cannot intermarry without defeating one of the intentions of marriage, which is the enlargement of friendship and interest. If every man married his own sister (as they would be apt to do from generation to generation if it were lawful), each family would be a world to itself, and it would be forgotten that we are members one of another. It is certain that this has always been looked upon by the more sober heathen as a most infamous and abominable thing; and those who had not this law yet were herein a law to themselves. The making use of the ordinance of marriage for the patronizing of incestuous mixtures is so far from justifying them, or extenuating their guilt, that it adds the guilt of profaning an ordinance of YHVH, and prostituting that to the vilest of purposes which was instituted for the noblest ends.

Polygyny, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Apostolic Scriptures

Even though a man can marry more than one woman without being charged with "adultery", a woman cannot marry more than one man (Romans 7:2-3, 1 Corinthians 7:39), and that if a married woman is involved with another man, she will be charged with adultery. The reason the man is not mentioned by Paul is because, according to the law, a man could marry another woman (single) while his first wife was still alive and not be guilty of adultery.

In matters of divorce and remarriage, it is Paul's pattern of writing in 1 Corinthians 7 to apply something to both the wife and the husband if it indeed applies to both. Both a wife and a husband are admonished not to divorce (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). Both the husband and the wife are commanded not to divorce in the case that they are married to an unbeliever (vs. 12-16). But only the wife is told that she cannot be joined to another as long as her husband lives. (vs. 39).

Therefore, the Biblical position on remarriage is the following: If a woman is divorced unjustly by her husband, she may not remarry another because she is bound to the first as long as he lives. If a man is divorced by his wife, he may remarry another, but he must pray for his first wife’s return and accept her back as his wife if she does return (1 Corinthians 7:11). If a man divorces his wife unjustly, he may not remarry another, as it would then be considered "adultery" (Mark 10:11).

Understanding polygyny and accepting it as a valid and Scriptural form of marriage today is very crucial because it brings healing and knowledge to those who have found themselves divorced by a spouse, as well as giving understanding and wisdom to missionaries who preach the good news to polygynous families in other countries. It is my sincere prayer that you have experienced some healing and/or gained wisdom and understanding from what YHVH's Word has to say on this subject of polygyny.

Final Thoughts

For most of the world, polygyny is unnatural, just as righteousness and honesty have become increasingly "unnatural." Our perception of things is relativistic -- it depends on our own spiritual condition and the way our minds have been trained. We, as bondservants of Messiah, ought to be trained by the Word of YHVH and not by the world.

Rom 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.

Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheinu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chai-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, notein ha-Torah. Amein.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.