where in the bible does it say a man can only have one wife?

Question

and can someone please explaine 2 me why abraham had 2 children from diffrent women and why jacob had more then one wife.

Answer 1

1 Corinthians 7 NIV
Marriage: 1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

When Sarah could not conceive she gave Abraham her maid, Hagar, as a wife. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael (Gen 16:1-6).

Jacob wanted to marry Laban's youngest daughter Rachel. But, Laban deceived Jacob by giving him his eldest daughter, Leah, in marriage. Jacob consented to work another seven years for the permission to marry Rachel.

Answer 2

From these verses you can plainly see what the New Testament teaching is on Monogamy. Since Christ nailed the Old Testament to the cross we are no longer bound by the old laws.
New Testament says:
Matthew 19:5
Mark 10:7
1 Corinthians 7: 2,3,4,27
Ephesians 5:31
This clearly shows that each man should have one wife and each woman one husband.
The exception is if there is a divorce due to adultery/fornication,
and death of a spouse.

Answer 3

The Bible does not say a man can only have one wife. It was not until the 11th century that monogamy was codified into Halacha for Jews. However, it had been custom already for many centuries before that.

Look at the trouble the world got into by what Avraham did (and, note he did it at the behest of Sarah -- proof again that man gets into trouble when he lets his wife and his organ make important decisions.

Answer 4

Nowhere. It's the law -- civil law, the legislation of our country -- that prevents you from having more than one wife. We don't live our lives according to the Bible -- nobody does. We live according to man-made laws.

Answer 5

Monogamy is the norm for christians mainly because it was the Romans who enforced monogamy. Polygamy was actually practiced by Jews back then, as well as many other societies.

Answer 6

Hi Zaira,
You have a beautiful name. I found a few verses that point to ONE WIFE. Let's review them In Matthew 19:5, Christ said, "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" Twain means two not more than two. In Mark 10:7, Christ said "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife". He said wife, not "wives". In 1 Corinthians 7:2, Paul wrote "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." When Paul said Own Wife he made no reference to "Wives" only to "wife" singular use here also. This continues in 1 Corinthians 7:3 "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband." Both wife and husband are also singular here, NOT PLURAL. This is also seen in 1 Corinthians 7:4 "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." The same thing can be seen in Paul's writing of 1 Corinthians 7:27 "Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife." The reference in Ephesians 5:31 "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." also says the "TWO" not "more than two" shall become one flesh. Paul describes the Deacons and Elder's qualifications concerning a wife. They are as follows:

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach...

1 Timothy 3:12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

The references that I found have nowhere in the scriptures told us that it is permissible to have more than one wife, however we are told that we may have ONE WIFE and the two married become "one flesh". I believe that this should just about nail it down, Don't you?? Are you a Christian? Have you thought about your eternal salvation?

Study these scriptures and see what you think. To become a Christian:
1. HEAR - Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
2. BELIEVE - In Mark 16:16, Jesus said “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
3. REPENT - Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
4. CONFESS CHRIST - 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
5. BE BAPTIZED - Romans 6:3-4 do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
6. CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL - Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Send me a note if you have questions. I am anxious to hear from you. Have a Great day.
Eds

Answer 7

Solomon

Answer 8

Nowhere.