Old Testament

Genesis 29:20; And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (21) And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. (22) And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. (23) And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. (24) And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handma id. (25) And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? (26) And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. (27) Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. (28) And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. (29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. (30) And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

ADAM CLARKE’S COMMENTARY, Abingdon Press, Nashville

“Connections of this kind are now called incestuous: but it appears they were allowable in those ancient times. In taking both sisters, it does not appear than any blame attached to Jacob, though in consequence of it he was vexed by their jealousies. It was probably because of this that the law was made, Lev 18:18 ‘Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister, to vex her, besides the other in her life-time.’ After this, all such marriages were strictly forbidden.” 

MATHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

“The polygamy of the patriarchs was, in some measure, excusable in them, because, though there was a reason against it as ancient as Adam’s marriage (Mal. 2:15), yet there was no express command against it; it was in them a sin of ignorance. It was not the product of any sinful lust, but for the building up of the church, which was the good the Providence brought out of it; but it will by no means justify the like practice now, when God’s will is plainly made known, that one man and one woman ONLY must be joined together (1 Cor 7:2)”

My summary of Genesis chapter 29 and 2 commentaries:

Polygamy was allowable at first, even necessary to populate the world. However, as you will read in the coming scriptures, new problems arose due to polygamy. With new problems came new sins. With new sins, came new laws from Divine prophecy. Leviticus 18:18 is such as law to prohibit a man from marrying two sisters. 

“Thou shalt not marry two sisters at the same time, as Jacob did Rachel and Leah; but there is nothing in this law that rendered it illegal to marry a sister-in-law when her sister was dead; therefore the test says, “Thou shalt not take her in her life time, to vex her”, alluding probably to the case of the jealousies and vexations which existed between Leah and Rachel, and by which the family peace was so often disturbed. Some think that the text may be so understood also to forbid polygamy.”

MATHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

…”forbids a man’s marrying two sisters, as Jacob did, because between those who had before been equal there would be apt to arise greater jealousies and animosities than between wives that were not so nearly related. If the sister of the wife be taken for the concubine, or secondary wife, nothing can be more vexing in her life, or as long as she lives.”

“…he was obliged to make no abatement in the privileges of the first wife, either in her food, raiment, or duty of marriage.”

MATHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

“…Thus did God provide for the comfort and reputation of the daughters of Israel, and has taught husbands to give honour to their wives…”

There is a significantly different interpretation between the Clarke and Henry on this scripture. Clarke is focusing on the importance of only one Adam and one Eve and how Jesus must come out of one seed. At creation, there could have been numerous husb ands and wives, or one man and many wives, but God only made ONE MAN AND ONE WIFE. M. Henry is only focusing on one man, one wife.

An interesting reminder: In the beginning man and woman needed to populate the earth. As the populous begin to grow, divinely inspired scriptures narrowed the rules, made it increasingly difficult for multiple wives or incestuous relationships. The above scripture from Malachi was written approximately 397 years before Christ and a substantial time after the birth of Adam and Eve.ADAM CLARKE’S COMMENTARY, Abingdon Press, Nashville

“One of each kind, Adam and Eve. Yet had he the residue of the Spirit; he could have made millions of pairs, and inspired them all with living souls. Then wherefore one? He made one pair from whom all the rest might proceed, that he might have a holy offspring; that children being a marked property of one man and one woman, proper care might be taken that they should be brought up in the discipline of the Lord. Perhaps the holy or godly see, may refer to the Messiah. God would have the whole human race to spring from one pair, that Christ, springing from the same family, might in his sufferings taste death for every man; because he had that nature that was common to the whole human race. Had there been several heads of families in the beginning, Jesus must have been incarnated from each of those heads, else his death could have availed for those only who belonged to the family of which he was incarnated.”

MATHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts

“…but, designing Adam a help meet for him, he made him ONE wife; he had made him more, he would not have had a meet help. And wherefore did he make but one woman for one man? It was that he might seek a godly see — a seed of God, a seed that should bear the image of God, be employed in the service of God, and be devoted to his glory and honour – that every man having his own wife, and but ONE according to the law (1 Cor 7:2), they might live in chaste and holy love, under the directions and restraints of the divine law, and not as brute beasts, under the dominion of lust, and such might propagate the nature of man in such a way as might make it most likely to participate of a divine nature – that the children, being born in holy matrimony, whi ch is an ordinance of God, and by which the inclinations of nature are kept under the regulations of God’s command, might thus be made a seed to serve him…”

Prov 5:18-19 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (19) Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.My comments:

Once again, singular, not plural. Once again, these scriptures were written approximately 700 years before Christ, long after Adam and Eve.

; And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (21) And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. (22) And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. (23) And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. (24) And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handma id. (25) And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me? (26) And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. (27) Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years. (28) And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. (29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. (30) And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. , Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MassachusettsMy summary of Genesis chapter 29 and 2 commentaries: Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. , Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. , Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. (15) And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. An interesting reminder: In the beginning man and woman needed to populate the earth. As the populous begin to grow, divinely inspired scriptures narrowed the rules, made it increasingly difficult for multiple wives or incestuous relationships. The above scripture from Malachi was written approximately 397 years before Christ and a substantial time after the birth of Adam and Eve. , Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, Massachusetts Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (19) Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.