Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bill Rea <bsr15 AT cantsl.it.canterbury.ac.nz>]

James wrote:-

>Although, if nature is to be taken into account it is clear that a large
>proportion of men would like to have more than one woman. Or at least
>until they find out what that entails (e.g Jacob's little family
>problems).
>
>All in all, it seems that polygamy is not morally wrong from a scriptural
>point of view but rather just ill-advised.

Uh-huh. Again I think you are projecting later views onto the text.
There is nothing ill-advised about polygamous marriages. This thread
started as a discussion of leviral marriage, where, under some
circumstances, a polygamous marriage is almost mandated. If you
believe the Torah represents the expressed will of God rather than
the distilled wisdom of men then you ought not to lightly dismiss
the laws it has regarding polygamous marriages and the children
of those marriages.

Your example of Jacob and his family problems could equally
well be applied to having more than one child. There are a number
of cases in the Hebrew Bible of brothers murdering each other.
For example 1 Kings 2:23-24 where Solomon has his brother Adonijah
executed:-

23.     Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "May God do so to me
and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.
24.     "Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has established me and set
me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as He
promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death today."

And Adonijah was executed the same day.


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