The Bible describes them as if they were badges of honor.
"After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him." (II Samuel 5:13)
Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines.
What happened with the one-man-one-woman marriage? What happened with not committing adultery?
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2007-01-16 05:27:20 · 13 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So, Yakkydoc, do you think it made more sense for 1000 women to be carrying the children of one man, or 1000 women to be carrying the children of 1000 men? In that era before antibiotics, women lives averaged shorter than men's because of childbirth complications. So Solomon (and David similarly) took 1000 women, in an area where it is reasonable to expect that men far out-numbered women, thereby preventing 1000 men from marrying just so they could have harems. These are the morals of bull elephants.
Somehow I don't think it would have mattered WHO had fathered the children to increase the population.
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2007-01-16 13:58:06 · update #1
Well, gang, I'm having trouble picking a best answer, so I'm sending out for pizza ...errr... I mean, opinions. Let's see what everyone else has to say.
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2007-01-16 14:00:20 · update #2
No, God did not approve. These men were human and gave into what was expected of them as kings and to their own desires. They also paid the price for their mistakes.
2007-01-16 05:32:01 · answer #1 · answered by Jnine 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's a matter of policy, not absolute morality. Israel was always at war and constantly losing men in battle, resulting in a shortage of men and lots of widows and single women who couldn't find husbands. In the economy of the time, a woman without a husband would starve. That's why they let men who could afford it take more than one wife. It wouldn't be wise policy today because there are an approximately equal number of men and women in the world -- for every man with 4 wives there'd be 3 lifelong bachelors. In the Islamic world a man can have up to 4 wives. This results in a lot of lifelong bachelors -- and lifelong virgins too, since if you live in Saudi Arabia you can't just go to a bar and pick up a girl. So the radicals take sexually frustrated virgins, promise them 72 virgins in heaven if they'll blow themselves up in a crowded supermarket and...
2014-04-03 00:04:45 · answer #2 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God didn't really approve of this. In the Old Testament God worked through His promises that he gave to Abraham, so He "winked" at their sin, the Bible said. That is why He established a new promise with us, because the old one wasn't the way He liked it, so he made a new one. That is when he established that he definately wanted one man with one wife. He was sick of the females fighting about the love for their man, etc. Check out the story of Samuel's mom and the other wife (Penelope, I think) who always teased her because she had no children yet. This greived the Lord..Plus, not all the men in the Old testament had several wives. It was also a cultural thing to, they still have this kind of thing going on especially in Africa. EWWW..and God does not approve of this.
2007-01-16 05:38:42 · answer #3 · answered by Miss Momma 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was only that time in context of the situation in the bible The bible also shows Gods views afterwards of one wife and adultery People twist scriptures to condone bad practices because they don't want to believe it is wrong Gods standards are a protection for familes and against diseases Look where we are today with everyone doing whatever thier lust tells them to do
2016-03-29 00:17:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mankind evolved according to the need of the time. At that time, the earth was relatively new and unpopulated and to procreate and spread out was the duty of mankind.
2007-01-16 05:36:56 · answer #5 · answered by yakkydoc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polagomy is allowed. See Deuteronomy 21:15.
2007-01-16 05:53:37 · answer #6 · answered by ysk 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was not a matter of God approving, it was the societal norm of the time and space in history. FEET
2007-01-16 05:35:10 · answer #7 · answered by Sandy Feet 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course god approved. They were made in his image. Maybe god was a Mormon.
2007-01-16 05:51:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Different times, different culture.
How do you think people two thousand years from now would judge you. Especially if they are all peaceful vegetarians.
2007-01-16 05:40:25 · answer #9 · answered by Clown Knows 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I guess God has different rules for kings--wonder how many wives he expected Jesus to have?
2007-01-16 05:33:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
It was the culture of those times. They ran by different cultural rules then today's society.
2007-01-16 05:34:16 · answer #11 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋