Why Abraham could have many than one wife?

Question

Why Abraham could have many than one wife, but christians can't?

Answer 1

Many than one wife? Interesting.
Because it happened doesn't necessarily mean God approved.

Answer 2

Abraham was not a Jew though he might have been Semitic. It is likely that he was Sabean or some other ancient religion lost to history. He is however titled the father of monotheism. Moses is credited with starting Judaism. Virtually all men in the ancient world had more than one wife. It was part of the culture. A new religion never comes into a cultural void and cherished cultural accouterments are often "protected" by inserting them into the new religion. Jews and Christians also had multiple wives until the 17th century or so. It was socially acceptable, even expected of them, especially if they were wealthy. Additionally, it was a way of protecting women who became single through widowhood, death of spouse, or as political alliance in a society that generally hated and disdained females, especially unattached ones. One advantage for women in polygamous marriages is that it decreases the likelihood of constant pregnancy/childbirth by spreading the risk. We cannot impose today's standards and moral understandings on ancient situations that are very unlike our own. To do so is to distort further what little we can understand about these long-ago times.

Answer 3

Having many wives made Abraham's descendants unruly and factitious. That is why the more civilized the world became, the more they realized, having only one wife brought about a better, safer, and happier society. Abraham is not God and it is up to man to refine customs according to what is best. Ever wondered by cultures which practice monogamy have happier people and why cultures which allow many wives for a man are so complicated and confused????

Answer 4

In the Old Testament, before modern medicine, women died in childbirth often. A simple breech birth was a death sentence for most women. A man had to have several sons to assure the continuation of their bloodline. Therefore if a man could afford to support more than one woman, he could have more than one wife. Some men choose to have more than one wife, some did not.

Modern medical technology made the NEED for more than one wife unneccessary.

Answer 5

Abraham the father of many. God promised to him that his sons will be as many as the stars in the sky and as many as the sand.

Abraham was not a Christian that is why.

Answer 6

Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation he was to have many desendants through Isaiah his son by Sarah and also he had another son the father of the Muslim nation through his concubine who Sarah told to sleep w/Abraham because she could not conceive and when Sarah gave birth to Isaiah she became jealous of his 1st son and sent his concubine into the desert. She was never married to Abraham the concubine was a type of servant

Answer 7

Solomon had 600 wifes and many other did too....
who said christians can't ..... the Bible never said how many wifes can a men marry but it was later forbid by the Roman Catholic Church

Answer 8

What Jesus said about divorce applies even more to polygamy:its around because of"the hardness of your hearts. There is no way that a spouse could give himself or herself(polyandry) in full self-offering to more than one person in marriage. I think polygamy is just a form of property slavery.
While polygamy is not against the letter of the New Testament(unless you are a bishop or deacon),it is against the ethics(do to others) of Jesus and Apostolic Tradition(as all forms of slavery are).

Answer 9

Because before Judaism...there was only paganism. The Bible chronicles the people of God as they come away from paganism into a relationship with the true creator, the one God.

God's call to us has not ever changed but being dense it takes time for us to perfect our response. You can see from the Old Testament to the New, that there is a progression. God continues to move us toward holiness in him...towards salvation. It's a journey.

There is a historical understanding that must be considered when reading the old testament. This does not mean that God changes, but that we change as we journey deeper into faith and understanding. As God revealed himself to his people, it took time...years for them to slowly understand him. I dare say, we still do not.

Answer 10

because he is a Jew and not him alone his older son married twice and many of the Jews prophets married more than once as David and his son Solomon.to the one up of me Ishmael was 16 when his brother was born.