It annoys most from the so-called 'historical churches' that so many people lived plural marriage without Yahweh or His prophets ever once raising an objection, and that both Yah'shua (Jesus) and Yahweh (the Father) describe themselves as allegorical polygynists! Yet the facts are incontrovertible, as the list below shows:
Abdon, a judge of Israel in the time of the judges; perhaps the same as 'Bedan' (Uncertain, Judges 12:14)
Abijah, king of Judah, son and successor of Rehoboam (14 wives, 2 Chronicles 13:21)
Abraham, faithful friend of God and father of the Hebrew nation, "father of the faithful" (3 + concubines, Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah, Genesis 16:1,3; 25:1)
Ahab, king of Israel (Wives, 1 Kings 20:3)
Ahasuerus, title of the king of Persia, assumed to be Xerxes (Women, Vashti, Esther, Esther 1:9)
Ashur (2 wives, Helah and Naarah, 1 Chronicles 4:5)
Belshazzar, king of Babylon at the time of its fall; he to whom Daniel interpreted the writing on the wall (Wives, Daniel 5:2)
Benhadad, the king of Syria (Uncertain, 1 Kings 20:3)
Caleb (5 wives, Azubah, Jerioth, Ephrath, Ephah, Maachah, 1 Chronicles 2:18-19,46,48)
David, youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel, "after God's own heart" (Wives and Concubines, Abigail, Ahinoam, Michal, Maacah, Rizpah, Bathsheba, 1 Samuel 25:39, 43-44; 2 Samuel 3:3,7; 5:13; 1 Chronicles 14:3; 2 Samuel 12:7-8, 24)
Eliphaz (2 wives, Timna, Genesis 36:11-12)
Elkanah (2 wives, Hannah, Peninnah, 1 Samuel 1:2)
Esau (3, Judith, Bashemath, Mahalath, Genesis 26:34; 28:9)
Ezra (2 wives, Jehudijah, 1 Chronicles 4:17-18)
Gideon, fifth judge of Israel who led the Israelites against the Midianites (Wives, Drumah, Shechem, Judges 8:30)
Heman (Uncertain, 1 Chronicles 25:4)
Herod the Great (10, Elpide, Phedra, Mariamne, Doris, Malthace the Samaritan, Cleopatra, Pallas, Elpis, Josephus, Ant. 17, 19f.; War 1,562; The Jewish War 1.473 (Whiston))
Hezron (3 wives, Abiah, 1 Chronicles 2:9,21, 24)
Hosea (2 wives, Gomer, Hosea 1:3; 3:1)
Ibzan (Uncertain, Judges 12:9)
Tribe of Issachar (Wives, 1 Chronicles 7:4)
Jacob, father of the twelve patriarchs of the tribes of Israel, "the prince of God" (4 wives, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah, Genesis 29:23,28; 30:4,9)
Jair (Uncertain, Judges 10:4)
Jerahmeel (2 wives, Atarah, 1 Chronicles 2:26)
Jehoiachin, king of Judah (Wives, 2 Kings 24:15)
Jehoram (Wives, 2 Chronicles 21:14)
Jeroboam (14, Michaiah, Flavius Josephus Jewish Antiquities 8.282 (Whiston))
Jerubaal (Uncertain, Judges 9:5)
Joash (2 wives, 2 Chronicles 24:3)
Joseph (Uncertain, George Lamsa, in Gospel Light, Harper & Row, p. 5-7, his commentary)
Judah (2 wives, Tamar, Daughther of Shua the Canaanitess, 1 Chronicles 2:3-4)
Lamech (2 wives, Adah, Zillah, Genesis 4:19)
Machir (2 wives, Maachah, Zelophehad, 1 Chronicles 7:15-16)
Manasseh (2 wives, The Aramitess, 1 Chronicles 7:14)
Mered (4 wives. Jehudijah, Bithiah, Hodiah, 1 Chronicles 4:17-19)
Moses (2 wives, Zipporah, Ethiopian Woman, Exodus 2:21; Numbers 12:1)
Nahor (2 wives, Milcah, Reumah, Genesis 22:20-24)
Rehoboam* (78 wives, Mahalath, Abihail, Maachah, 2 Chronicles 11:18-23)
Saul (2 wives, Ahinoam, Rizpah, 1 Samuel 14:50; 2 Samuel 3:7)
Shaharaim (2 wives, Hushim, Baara, 1 Chronicles 8:8)
Shimei (Uncertain, 1 Chronicles 4:27)
Simeon (2 wives, Canaanitish Woman, Genesis 46:10, Exodus 6:15)
Solomon* (1,000 wives, Sidonians, Tyrians, Ammonites, Edomites, 1 Kings 11:3)
Terah (2 wives, Genesis 20:12)
Zedekiah (Wives, Jeremiah 38:23)
Ziba (Uncertain, 2 Samuel 9:10)
Unnamed (Uncertain, 1 Corinthians 5:1)
YAH'SHUA/JESUS (5 metaphorical wives, Parable, Matthew 25:1-13; + millions of the redeemed who are the Church, Revelation 19:6-9);
YAHWEH/GOD THE FATHER (2 allegorical wives, Aholah/Samaria, Aholibah/ Jerusalem, Analogy, Ezekiel 23:4, Jeremiah 3:6-14; 31:31-34; + millions of true Israelites throughout all ages)
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*Men who broke Yahweh's marriage laws by marrying to excess. Though the Bible no where stipulates a maximum number of wives (as the Koran does), 7 is often portrayed as an 'ideal maximum' for those who have a good name (e.g. Is.4:1).
