A Damsel or TwoIn the Book of Judges Yahweh God raised up various Godly men to rescue Israel from bondage that they brought upon themselves because of their disobedience. In one case God raised up a woman named Deborah. After Israel defeated Jabin the king of Canaan and Sisera, Deborah sang a victory song in chapter 5 of Judges. Barak went out and defeated the Canaanites that day, but Sisera escaped and found refuge in the tent of a woman. That woman, Jael, is the one who put a nail through Sisera's head. Part of Deborah's song of thanksgiving has the mother of Sisera asking why Sisera had not returned home yet. In the song Sisera's mother's wise ladies answer her the following. Judges 5:29. 29 "Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself, 30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two..?" The above is a part of Deborah's song of praise to YHVH God for the victory He gave them over their enemies. As part of the spoil of war every man took for himself a damsel or two. Here is my first addition. This is from 2 Chronicles 24. 2 Chronicles 24:1-3. 1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of YHVH all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. Please note that in verse two the scripture tells us that Joash did that which was right in the sight of God the entire time that Jehoiada the priest was alive. In verse three it tells us that Jehoiada gave two wives to Joash and that Joash bore children by them. Joash having two wives had to be righteous and Jehoiada was righteous in giving Joash two wives otherwise God would not have inspired the scripture to say that Joash did that which was right all the days of Johoiada. Many people try to use Lamech to try to show that polygyny is evil. The Bible does not say much about Lamech other than that he had two wives and that he killed a man. The Book of Jasher, twice mentioned in scripture, has a little more information concerning Lamech. By the way, notice the wording when the text talks about wives who drank a draught. Sounds perhaps like Lamech, although first mentioned in scripture as having two wives, may have not been the only man to have more than one wife at that time. Jasher 2:17-36 17 And Lamech, the son of Methusael, became related to Cainan by marriage, and he took his two daughters for his wives, and Adah conceived and bare a son to Lamech, and she called his name Jabal. 18 And she again conceived and bare a son, and called his name Jubal; and Zillah, her sister, was barren in those days and had no offspring. 19 For in those days the sons of men began to trespass against God, and to transgress the commandments which he had commanded to Adam, to be fruitful and multiply in the earth. 20 And some of the sons of men caused their wives to drink a draught that would render them barren, in order that they might retain their figures and whereby their beautiful appearance might not fade. 21 And when the sons of men caused some of their wives to drink, Zillah drank with them. 22 And the child-bearing women appeared abominable in the sight of their husbands as widows, whilst their husbands lived, for to the barren ones only they were attached. 23 And in the end of days and years, when Zillah became old, the Lord opened her womb. 24 And she conceived and bare a son and she called his name Tubal Cain, saying, After I had withered away have I obtained him from the Almighty God. 25 And she conceived again and bare a daughter, and she called her name Naamah, for she said, After I had withered away have I obtained pleasure and delight. 26 And Lamech was old and advanced in years, and his eyes were dim that he could not see, and Tubal Cain, his son, was leading him and it was one day that Lamech went into the field and Tubal Cain his son was with him, and whilst they were walking in the field, Cain the son of Adam advanced towards them; for Lamech was very old and could not see much, and Tubal Cain his son was very young. 27 And Tubal Cain told his father to draw his bow, and with the arrows he smote Cain, who was yet far off, and he slew him, for he appeared to them to be an animal. 28 And the arrows entered Cain's body although he was distant from them, and he fell to the ground and died. 29 And the Lord requited Cain's evil according to his wickedness, which he had done to his brother Abel, according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken. 30 And it came to pass when Cain had died, that Lamech and Tubal went to see the animal which they had slain, and they saw, and behold Cain their grandfather was fallen dead upon the earth. 31 And Lamech was very much grieved at having done this, and in clapping his hands together he struck his son and caused his death. 32 And the wives of Lamech heard what Lamech had done, and they sought to kill him. 33 And the wives of Lamech hated him from that day, because he slew Cain and Tubal Cain, and the wives of Lamech separated from him, and would not hearken to him in those days. 34 And Lamech came to his wives, and he pressed them to listen to him about this matter. 35 And he said to his wives Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice O wives of Lamech, attend to my words, for now you have imagined and said that I slew a man with my wounds, and a child with my stripes for their having done no violence, but surely know that I am old and grey-headed, and that my eyes are heavy through age, and I did this thing unknowingly. 36 And the wives of Lamech listened to him in this matter, and they returned to him with the advice of their father Adam, but they bore no children to him from that time, knowing that God's anger was increasing in those days against the sons of men, to destroy them with the waters of the flood for their evil doings. The Bible calls one's first wife the wife of your youth. She is your strength and glory and many times the source of your first born son. However for most men one woman can not supply all of his God given needs. As much as she has been told that she should and want to do so God did not make her to be able to do that. Some men can handle her limitations. Many can not. This should be evident by the amount of fornication and adultery that is seen today. Most of the fornication is found to be commited by people who you thought were basically good people. I am not talking about people who do not seem to have normal Christian morals. God made man with strong physical sexual needs. Today, men who have have this strong need and have trouble hiding it may be labeled by this matriarchal society we live in. However God designed a way for man to be able to deal with his God given needs. This way can include the help of the wife of his youth. God's design says that if a man desires another wife he may take one as long as he continues to care for his first wife. Now a wise first wife will use this event to her advantage. Many women would consider the man's needs as evil (although they can not be as they are from God) and eventually if the man pursues fulfilling his need file for divorce. The wife of one's youth in God's plan holds a special position. I believe that it is a Biblical principle that any additional wives look to the first wife for direction and leadership. The first wife would not find additional wives a challenge to her or her household. A husband who has such a wise wife will look to her in a way that she would have never guessed possible. We know that Abraham had a house full of servants. Many of those were handmaids. Although the scripture does not plainly say that Abraham had children by some of his handmaids I believe that the scripture indicates that this is true and that the Book of Jasher supports this idea. This page will be added to as more is found. Printable Version Feel free to send your helpful comments. Thank You Christian Polygyny |
Christian PolygynyScriptural Marriage Possibilities Polygyny is not Adultery! What Constitutes Adultery? Can One Divorce and Why Can the Divorced Marry Again? Who did Seth Marry? A Damsel or Two. God Gave David His Wives. How Many Wives per Man in Israel? It Began with One Man and Four Women Let Each Woman Have Her Own Husband Is this the Meaning of Leviticus 18:18? God got a Divorce! What does the Bible teach about Divorce? A really good article on Divorce. How I discovered Polygyny Christian Polygyny Links Page Home Page |