Polygamist Spotlight #3b - Avraham (cont)

Upon further investigation into the life of Avraham, I have discovered one of the greatest Scriptural texts that distinguishes between Adultery and Plural marriage.  The text is located in B'reisheet (Genesis) Chapter 20:

Here we see Avraham traveling with Sarah, his wife and entering the land of Gerar.  Out of fear of the inhabitants of the land, he tells a half-truth and describes Sarah as his sister.  Sarah is described as what would be known today as a "hottie" (i.e. very attractive) and she is taken by King Avimelech to become one of his wives. Avimelech at this point has no idea that she is a married woman.

YHWH is furious!  To take another man's wife is a violation of His revealed will!  YHWH confronts Avimelech.  B'reisheet 20: 3 But Elohim came to Avimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, See, you are but a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife.

The penalty for adultery is DEATH!  YHWH is threatening to kill Avimelech for this sin.  (Note that Avimelech is already married to many women and not a word is said about his polygamy - for all those other women are his legal wives)

Avimelech then poses a question to YHWH:


4 But Avimelech had not come near her: and he said, YHWH, will You kill also a tzadik nation?
5 Didn’t he say to me, She is my sister? And she, even said herself, He is my brother. In the integrity of my lev and innocence of my hands have I done this.


Avimelech claims to be righteous and innocent of the charges.  "I was lied to by both Avraham and Sarah.  My heart is pure before you. Will you also destroy the righteous?"

Pay careful attention to YHWH's answer to Avimelech.


B'reisheet 20:6 And Elohim said to him in a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your lev; for I also withheld you from sinning against Me: therefore I allowed you not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man to his wife; for he is a navi, and he shall make tefillah for you, and you shall live: and if you restore her not, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that belongs to you.


YHWH agrees with him!  Yes, I know you were innocent in wanting to take Sarah as another wife, you didn't know that she was married.  I take adultery very seriously and it will mean your life if you don't return her to her husband, my prophet. You haven't sinned in wanting another wife.  But you can't have this married woman.

Avimelech is never condemned for his polygamy or for wanting to add another spouse.  The distinction here is that he was taking a woman who belonged by covenant to another patriarch.

Yahuwah later puts into place laws concerning adultery and marriage.  Looking at these laws will help us to understand His mindset in this situation with Sarah.

Devarim 22:22 If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shall you put away evil from Yisrael.

If a man (regardless of his marital status) has sexual relations with a married woman - they shall both be stoned to death.  This is EVIL.  This is unacceptable behavior for Yisra'elites.  This is adultery.  (The determination is based solely on the marital status of the woman)


Devarim 22:23 If a damsel that is a virgin is engaged to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her; 24 Then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor's wife: so you shall put away evil from among you.


This law applies to a virgin who is engaged (more accurately - betrothed).  Again, it is the status of the woman that makes the determination.  It doesn't matter if the man is married or not. Being a betrothed virgin is legally binding upon the maiden as belonging to another man.  The law also only applies within the city.  If the girl claims that she was raped, yet doesn't cry out "RAPE!", she is also found guilty and they are both stoned. Again, this is called "evil" by YHWH.  How many "Christian" pastors will condemn plural marriage from the pulpit, yet give this action a free pass?


Devarim 22:25 But if a man finds an engaged damsel in the field, and the man forces her, and lies with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die. 26 But to the damsel you shall do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man rises against his neighbor, and slays him, even so is this matter: 27 For he found her in the field, and the engaged damsel cried, and there was none to save her.


Again we see an engaged (betrothed) virgin.  This is a rape scenario that occurs in the field (away from the city).  Here, the man (married or not) only is put to death.  The girl is compared with a murder victim and it said that she has no sin worthy of death.  While the adjective "evil" is not expressly used, the comparison to murder makes that point clear.

Devarim 22:28 If a man finds a damsel that is a virgin, who is not engaged, and lays hold of her, and lies with her, and they are found; 29 Then the man that lay with her shall give to the damsel's abba fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he has humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

Wait a minute!  What is this?  Here we see that a virgin who is not engaged is raped by a man (married or not).  There is no death penalty associated with adultery.  The man's sentence?  He must pay the girl's father and she becomes his wife "till death do us part".  Now, before anyone goes accusing YHWH for promoting rape of innocent virgins, notice that the man is permanently stuck with this woman. What kind of wife do you think she will be to him, knowing that he raped her?  Any man who has ever been in a horrible marriage can attest to the fact that a bad marriage is literally hell on earth.  Such a man will be the first to spread the word of the horrible consequences of rape.  But, see, that the man could have already been married, raped this virgin and now will spend the rest of his life under the weight of two simultaneous bad marriages!  However, the point remains that the man would still be obligated to take a second wife. There is no mention of this being "evil" like in previous examples.  Finally, to finish this section we see:

Devarim 22:30 A man shall not take his abba's wife, nor discover his abba's skirt.


Why doesn't YHWH simply say "You shall not sleep with your mother"? Because Yisra'el was a polygamous nation!  Polygamy was commonplace.  So, by saying "your father's wife" all bases are covered. That is why we see so many laws governing polygamy, not forbidding it.

Now the previous conversation with Avimelech makes more sense. Avimelech thought he was betrothing himself to an unmarried woman. (An innocent act - even though he was a married man).  Yet, in reality, he was trying to marry a woman that was already the property of another man.  YHWH takes marriage and adultery VERY seriously. So should we.  Further, our definitions of marriage and adultery must line up with His person and His word!