Biblical Polygamy

Oftentimes, in an attempt to try to disprove that polygamy is Biblical, some people hastily resort to what TruthBearer.org's's Founder, Mark Henkel, has termed (as that organization's copyright phrase),

    The "Lamech `scuse"   ©

The Biblical passage used in the "Lamech `scuse"  © (Lamech excuse) is Genesis 4:19-24.

"And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
(Genesis 4:19-24.)

Because that passage is the first explicitly recorded example of a polygamist in the Bible, and because Lamech was a murderer, the "Lamech `scuse"  © makes a false association between polygamy and murder that never exists. That is, it asserts that, because the first explicitly recorded example of polygamy in the Bible is associated with that of a murderer, that somehow "proves" that polygamy, itself, IS sin.

The absurdity of this "Lamech `scuse"  © is quickly evident, however. If one were to follow the same logic-flow, then the following likewise examples also would have to be "true".

Namely, the logic-flow would also establish that, because the first recorded child born of a woman was a murderer (i.e., Cain, who was Lamech's ancestor!), this same logic (or, rather, the lack thereof) would require saying that having children is (somehow) sin too!

Even beyond that, that same Genesis 4:19-24 passage itself also reveals that, if one applies this same logic (or, rather, the lack thereof), one would equally have to say that the following are also (somehow) sinful, due to these particular matters being the first recorded examples and because they are so recorded as associated with that of the murderer Lamech and his family:
  dwelling in tents,
  having cattle,
  harps,
  organs, and
  artificers in brass and iron.

Obviously, that is wholly absurd.

Truly, no one would suggest that these other matters are somehow sinful simply because of being the first recorded examples in the Bible thereof and of being associated with the murderer Lamech!

To use a modern colloquialism in the United States, this attempted and extremely weak argument to try to use against polygamy is clearly a very "lame excuse" indeed. It is truly the "Lamech `scuse".  ©

Also See:

   Remember Moses wrote it ©