Polygamists in the Bible
Did Right
Name
Description
Numbers
Reference
+
Abdon
judge of Israel
40 sons
Jdg 12:14
+
Abijah
godly king of Judah who opposed godless Jereboam
14 wives
2Chr 13:21
+
Abraham
Patriarch and friend of God
1 wife who died with 1 concubine, then 2nd wife
Gen 16:3; 25:1-6
-
Ahab
evil king of Israel
wives given to Ahab and 70 sons
1Kgs 20:1-9
~
Ashur
2 wives
1Chr 4:5
-
Belshazzar
King of Babylon
wives and concubines
Dan 5:2
-
Ben-Hadad
King of Aram
wives of Ahab
1Kgs 20:1-9
+
Caleb
1 wife and 2 concubines
1Chr 2:18-19,46-48
+
David
King of Israel and a man after God's own heart
12+ wives, 3+ concubines *
1Sam 18:27; 2 Samuel 3:2-4; 5:13; 11ch; 2Sam 12:8; 1Chr 3:1-5; 14:3
~
Eliphaz
1 wife and 1 concubine
Gen 36:12
+
Elkanah
2 wives
1Sam 1:1-2
~
Esau
4 wives
Gen 26:34; 28:9
+
Gideon
many wives and 70 sons
Jdg 8:30
+
Heman
grandson ofamuel, 1Chr 6:33-38
God gave Heman 14 sons and 3 daughters. (maybe by one wife)
1Chr 25:4-5
~
Isshiah
son of Izrahiah
many wives and children
1Chr 7:3-4
+
Jacob
2 wives and 2 concubines
Gen 29; 30
+
Jair
judge of Israel
30 sons
Jdg 10:3-4
+
Jehoiachin
king of Judah
mulitple wives
2Kgs 24:15
~
Jerahmeel
2 wives
1Chr 2:25-26
~
Jehoram
king of Israel
multiple wives
2Chr 21:12-14
+
Joash
righteous king of Judah
2 wives
2Chr 24:2-3
~
Joel
son of Izrahiah
many wives and children
1Chr 7:3-4
~
Lamech
Pre-flood descendant of Cain
2 wives
Gen 4:19
~
Manasseh
at least one concubine
1Chr 7:14
~
Mered
2 wives
1Chr 4:17-18
~
Michael
son of Izrahiah
many wives and children
1Chr 7:3-4
+
Moses
possibly 2 wives not necessarily simultaneously
Exo 2:21; Numbers 12:1
~
Nahor
1 wife and 1 concubine
Gen 22:20-24
~
Obadiah
son of Izrahiah
many wives and children
1Chr 7:3-4
+
Rehoboam
18 wives and 60 concubines
2Chr 11:21
-
Saul
at least 2 wives
1Sam 14:50; 2 Samuel 3:7
~
Shaharaim
2 divorced wives and at least 1 not divorced
1Chr 8:8
+
Solomon
700 wives and 300 concubines
1Kgs 11:3; 2 Kings 10:1; Song 6:8
~
Terah
2 but not necessarily simultaneously
Gen 11:26; 20:12
~
Xerxes
king of Persia and husband of Esther
wives and concubines
Est. 2
+
Yahweh
God
Israel was 1 entity but divided into 2 kingdoms hence spoken of as 2 wives
Jer 3:6-10, 31:31-32; Eze 23
~
Zedekiah
king of Judah
multiple wives
Jer 38:19-23
~
Ziba
15 sons - (may be by one wife)
2Sam 9:10
* David's wives:
1 - Michal, daughter of Saul, 1 Samuel 18:27
2 - Ahinoam of Jezreel, 2 Samuel 3:2
3 - Abigail, widow of Nabal, 2 Samuel 3:3
4 - Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, 2 Samuel 3:3
5 - Haggith, 2 Samuel 3:4
6 - Abital, 2 Samuel 3:4
7 - Eglah, 2 Samuel 3:5
5+ -more concubines and wives in Jerusalem (implying at least 2 of each in
addition to previous wives and at least one unnamed concubine), 2 Samuel 5:13
8 - Bathsheba, 2 Samuel 11
2+ -Saul's later wives, 2 Samuel 12:8