What is a polygamous marriage? (brides price)?

When we discuss the subject of “marriage” we often use terms which some people don’t understand. In this letter we wish to clarify some of the terms so that people can understand what it means.

A polygamous marriage is a marriage where one man has two or more wives. The term comes from the Greek which means “a plural marriage”. To distinguish between the two specific kinds of plural marriages we get polyandry (literally: “many men,” where one woman has more than one husband). This is however very rare. The other form is polygeny (= “many women”). This is one man married two or more women. The last form is prevalent in the Middle East where the sheiks have a seraglio or harem where all the wives and concubines live.

This marriage is recognised as a form of marriage, but please note that it is not the marriage which God instituted. The Biblical, God-approved marriage is the monogamous (“single marriage”) where one man marries only one wife, and one wife marries one man. This is the Christian marriage and church leaders are warned that they must be a man with one wife only. See the following passages in your Bible: Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-5; 1 Timothy 3:2; 3:12.