David
David had enough wives that
keeping count of them is rather tricky. David’s first wife was Saul’s daughter
Michal (1 Sam. 18:27). David’s second wife appears to be the widow Abigail
(25:42). During this time the text reports that David took another wife,
Ahinoam of Jezreel (25:43). During David’s time fleeing from Saul, Saul took
Michal and gave her to Palti (25:44), though it is clear that in David’s mind
Michal was always his wife (2 Sam. 3:14). During David’s rule in Hebrew the
text records that David also married Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah (3:3–5).
In addition to these, 2 Samuel 5:13 and 1 Chronicles 3:5–9 records that David “took
more concubines and wives from Jerusalem,” while at least ten wives/concubines
are left behind in 2 Samuel 15:16. Finally, David took Bathsheba (2 Sam.
11:27). In all David had eight named wives and a number of other unnamed
wives/concubines.
Despite David’s numerous wives,
the text never once mentions David’s polygamy in negative light. This is
especially noteworthy when considering that the narrative does not shy away
from highlighting David’s moral failures. Even more instructive is that David
is described as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), a description
which is never reversed in spite of David’s numerous sins. Most surprising is
that the text states that David’s many wives are actually blessings from God.
When David is confronted about his sin with Bathsheba, the prophet records God’s
rebuke, “I gave you your master’s wives into your bosom and gave you the house
of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you much more
like these” (2 Sam. 12:8). The anti-polygamous Qumran community even
desperately attempted to absolve David of his polygamy claiming that he was
unaware of the law of Deuteronomy 17:17, because the Law “had been sealed in
the Ark” (CD 5:2–5).
Some scholars attempt to escape
the implication of these words from the Lord, arguing that God was only giving
Saul’s wives “into the care of David.” This explanation fails to account for
the context. The point of God’s rebuke is that there was no reason to steal a
man’s single wife when God had already given David a number of wives and would
have given him more if that was not enough. Du Preez attempts to soften the
force of God’s promise to give David wives by appealing to the following story
of Absalom taking David’s wives. In that case, God told David that He would “give”
his wives to David’s enemy (2 Sam. 12:11). This prophecy was fulfilled by
Absalom in 2 Samuel 16:21–22. According to Du Preez, God would not have
violated his own laws against sexual misconduct by actively giving David’s
wives to Absalom. Du Preez concludes, “the biblical regulations show that God did
not actively ‘give’ David any ‘wives.’ Rather, David had the freedom to choose
whether to take many wives, according to the practice of the kings
of other nations, or to follow
the commandments of God.” It appears that Du Preez’s problem is a theological
one, not a textual one. The text clearly indicates that God “gave” David his
wives and that God will “give” David’s wives to Absalom. Du Preez’s appeal to
permissive will of God fails to reconcile with God’s decretive will in this
episode.
The most common argument in favor
of viewing David’s polygamy negatively is the account of David’s affair with
Bathsheba. This view maintains that the adultery with Bathsheba was a result of
a lifetime of polygamy. Vollebregt is representative of this view:
The whole story of David’s
adultery is a clear illustration of the decadence of the feeling for moral
rules as a consequence of polygamy: only through the word of the prophet does
the King come to realize his guilt. Thus it can be interpreted as a protest
against polygamy itself. In his parable of the rich man with the flocks and
herds and the poor man with the one ewe lamb Nathan clearly indicated his
approval of monogamous marriage and at the same time implicitly criticized
David’s harm.
What his explanation overlooks is
that David’s sin was adultery not polygamy. Bathsheba was the wife of another
man. Taking another man’s wife is the definition of adultery (Deut. 22:22) and
is explicitly forbidden in the scripture and ANE law. Furthermore, the catalyst
for the sad events with Bathsheba was not David’s polygamy. The setting of the
Bathsheba narrative begins with the observation that David remained in
Jerusalem while Joab led the men into battle (2 Sam. 11:1). According to the
narrative, it was the fact that David was not where he was supposed to be, not
his polygamy that led to the sin with Bathsheba. Welch correctly concludes, “the
charge against David is threefold: adultery, murder, and misuse of power.
Polygamy is not implicated at any point.” If anything, the Bible teaches that
David’s wives were a blessing from God and a reward for his faithfulness;
nowhere is his polygamy condemned. (Ryan Stephens, Polygamy in the Law of
Moses [Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, 2024], 97-98)
Contrary to Du Preez. Du Preez
argues at length that the description of David as “a man after God’s own heart”
was only valid prior to David’s polygamy. In support of this claim, Du Preez
argues that David’s story is told in cycles of “servitude, supplication,
salvation, silence and sin.” According to Du Preez, periods of “silence” (e.g.,
1 Sam. 19:12–20:42; 25:21–22; 2 Sam. 2:8–3:1) are times when David apparently
“forgets about God.” Du Preez, “Polygamy in the Bible,” 194–195. Du Preez’s
case is extremely weak. First, there is nothing in the text to suggest that
there were periods of “silence” when somehow David was not right with God
before his sin with Bathsheba. Instead, the narrative reports nothing but
blessings and protection from God toward David up until his sin with Bathsheba.
Second, even after David’s terrible sins in the taking of Bathsheba, the text
never implies a rift between God and David as it did with God and Saul (1 Sam.
16:14). In short, the text never implies that David ceased to be “a man after
God’s own heart” (Cf. 1 Kgs 15:5). (Ibid., 102 n. 48)
