Why Having More Than One Wife or Concubine Was Not Fornication
In today’s moral framework, influenced by Western norms and church tradition, the idea of a man having more than one wife or concubine may seem immoral or even sinful. However, when we study the Scriptures carefully—both Old and New Testaments—we find that the practice of having multiple wives or concubines was not considered fornication or sin in itself. Let’s examine the Biblical evidence and definitions.
What Is a Concubine?
A concubine in the Bible was a woman lawfully bound to a man for sexual relations, children, and support—but with a lower status than a full wife. She was not a prostitute, nor was the relationship casual or outside the covenant of responsibility. A concubine was usually a secondary wife, often taken because of:
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Political alliances (e.g., Solomon)
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Barrenness of a primary wife (e.g., Hagar with Abraham)
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Captives of war under specific Torah regulations (Deut. 21:10–14)
Concubines were part of the household and were provided for. Their children could even inherit (Gen. 25:6), though usually not with the same rights as children of the main wife.
Biblical Examples of Righteous Men with Concubines
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Abraham: Had Sarah and Hagar (Gen. 16), and later took Keturah, considered a concubine (Gen. 25:6).
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Jacob: Had two wives (Rachel and Leah) and two concubines (Bilhah and Zilpah), who bore him sons and became part of the 12 tribes of Israel (Gen. 29–30).
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Gideon: Had many wives and a concubine in Shechem who bore Abimelech (Judges 8:30–31).
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David: Had multiple wives and concubines, and yet was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 25:43; 2 Sam. 5:13).
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Solomon: Though later condemned for turning to pagan wives, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3)—but the sin was idolatry, not polygamy itself.
Was It Fornication?
Fornication, as defined Biblically, refers to unlawful sexual relations—sex outside of covenant, including adultery, prostitution, incest, and idolatry. Concubinage, in contrast, was a lawful arrangement with responsibilities and rights for the woman.
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Nowhere in the Torah is polygyny (multiple wives) forbidden.
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YHWH even regulated how men should treat multiple wives fairly (Exodus 21:10).
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Yeshua did not condemn polygyny when discussing marriage. In Matthew 19, He refers to the ideal of one man and one woman, but He does not call other arrangements sin—He addresses divorce.
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Paul’s instructions that a bishop/elder should be “the husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2) imply that some believers had more than one, but leaders were to set a higher standard.
Covenant, Not Culture
Many argue polygyny was a “cultural norm” and no longer acceptable. But Scripture doesn’t classify it as a sin—nor is culture the authority. The Bible presents covenant as the defining factor of righteousness, not modern societal views.
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The use of concubines and multiple wives was not fornication. It was regulated under God's Law and practiced by many righteous men of the Bible. The sin comes not from the number of wives, but from breaking covenant—through adultery, idolatry, or failing to provide and love those in one's household.
As followers of Yeshua in the modern day, we must seek to understand Scripture on its own terms, not through modern lenses. Truth is eternal—even when it makes us uncomfortable.
Matthew 19:3–12 – Yeshua on Marriage, Divorce, and Celibacy
🔹 The Setup (Verses 3–6)
"Some Pharisees came to Him to test Him, saying, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?' And He answered and said, 'Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female... For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?'"
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
Yeshua quotes Genesis 2:24, returning to the original intent of marriage as a covenant—not a disposable agreement. He emphasizes the oneness and divine joining of a man and a woman.
🔹 The Question of Divorce (Verses 7–9)
"They said to Him, 'Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?' He said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.'"
"And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Here, Yeshua allows one valid reason for divorce: sexual immorality (Greek: porneia). He distinguishes between what Moses permitted (due to Israel’s rebellion) and what God intended.
🔹 The Disciples’ Surprising Reaction (Verse 10)
"The disciples said to Him, 'If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.'"
This is the key verse. The disciples, realizing the seriousness and permanence of marriage as taught by Yeshua, react strongly: “Then it might be better not to marry at all!”
Why would they say that?
Because the cultural norm among Jews at the time allowed for easy divorce, especially under rabbinic teachings like those of Hillel (who permitted divorce for nearly any reason). Yeshua’s teaching re-established the covenantal nature of marriage—binding, sacred, and not to be dissolved lightly.
🔹 Yeshua’s Response – On Eunuchs and Celibacy (Verses 11–12)
"But He said to them, 'Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.'"
Yeshua acknowledges that not everyone is called to marriage—some are called to celibacy:
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Some by birth (natural eunuchs),
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Some by circumstance (castrated by others),
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And some by voluntary choice (for the kingdom).
This is the only time Yeshua directly affirms celibacy—but only for those called and gifted to handle it.
🔎 Summary of Key Points
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Yeshua reaffirmed the original, one-flesh union of marriage.
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He taught that divorce is only justified by sexual immorality.
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The disciples, shocked at the high standard, said it's better not to marry.
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Yeshua replied: Some people are indeed called to remain unmarried, but it’s not for everyone.
The Apostle Paul felt like being single by choice was the way to go. When you involve someone else in your life then your contribution to the ministry could suffer greatly. Then if you decide to have an even bigger family it may get worse. We live in a lawless world full of sexual immorality. The bonds of marriage are not understood or respected. In fact all of God's Commands are treated as if they are nothing.
Shalom Shalom