Biblical Polygamy

Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy. Whenever any attempted argument that is asserted to oppose polygamy comes from any verse found in these first five books of the Bible, there is one critically important point to always remember. As TruthBearer.org's Mark the Founder has termed it (as that organization's copyright phrase),

    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

The holy prophet Moses was the meekest man "above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (at his time). (Numbers 12:3.)

The Spirit of God was upon Moses. (Numbers 11:17.)

And Moses had two wives.

1) Zipporah: Exodus 2:15-16,21 and Exodus 18:1-6
2) Ethiopian woman: Numbers 12:1(-15)

Zipporah was not the "Ethiopian woman" herself. Zipporah was of the tribe of Midian. Genesis 25:1-3 shows that Midian was one of the six sons born unto Abraham by his third wife, Keturah. Thus, Zipporah was "Abrahamic", who was "Shemitic" (i.e., descended of Noah's son Shem, per Genesis 10:1; 11:11-27). But the "Ethiopian woman" ("Cushite woman" in the Hebrew) descended of Cush, who was "Hamitic" (i.e., descended of Noah's son Ham, per Genesis 10:1,6). Indeed, Zipporah, being of Noah's son, Shem, could not be the "Ethiopian woman" who was of Ham (Shem's brother).

Also, the timing of Moses' marriage to the Ethiopian woman can be determined by Numbers 33:1-49,17 and 11:35 with 12:16 which "surrounds" the story about Moses marrying the Ethiopian woman in Numbers 12:1-15. This is clearly much later than the time when Moses married Zipporah in Exodus 2:15,22.

Therefore, the Shemitic/Abrahamic Midianitess Zipporah could not possibly be the Hamitic/non-Abrahamic "Ethiopian woman".

For anyone who would attempt to assert that "Zipporah was dead" by the time that Moses married the Ethiopian woman, they are the ones who have the "burden of proof" to demonstrate and validate their assertion.

After all, the principle of "assumed status quo" logic mandates that, unless otherwise specifically reported otherwise, one must believe that the status quo remains. For example, as long as a man's wife is still alive, he does not walk around reporting that she is still alive! People naturally accept the "status quo" remains (i.e., that she is still alive) until otherwise reported. It is only when there is a reported change to the status quo that one then accepts the change. But until such a change is reported, logic "assumes the status quo" remains.

As such, the "burden of proof" in the assertion about Zipporah is upon those who would assert that Moses supposedly married the Ethiopian woman after "Zipporah had (supposedly) died". Conversely, those who logically believe otherwise have no such "burden of proof" at all.

The absolutely undeniable fact is that there is not one single verse in the Bible to substantiate such an assertion that "Zipporah (supposedly) had died". As such, the argument wholly fails exegetically to prove itself.

As such, it is wholly logical to simply and reasonably "assume the status quo" remains, believing that Zipporah was, of course, alive too when Moses married the Ethiopian woman.

With this realized, that Moses was a polygamist himself who (mortally) wrote the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy, this fact must always be remembered for exegetical context when reading those five books of the Bible and when using their passages for doctrine. "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

Adultery?
  Exodus 20:14
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

"One Flesh"?
  Genesis 2:24
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

"Not Multiply Wives"?
  Deuteronomy 17:14,17
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

"If he take him another wife"?
  Exodus 21:10
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

"If a man have two wives"?
  Deuteronomy 21:15
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

Not Marry Sisters?
  Leviticus 18:18
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

Story of Lamech?
  Genesis 4:19-24
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

Story of Adam & Eve ("at the beginning")?
  Genesis 1:26 - 3:24
    "Remember Moses wrote it"   ©

It is wholly irrefutable that in all these above cases, the man himself, who (mortally) authored ALL of those many passages, would know God's view of the matter of polygamy. Undoubtedly, the author would know what he meant in what he wrote, with a far deeper understanding than any readers of the passages would know!

The fact that Moses was a polygamist himself is truly one of the most powerful proofs that polygamy really is Biblical.

Also See:

   Moses

   "How do you know TRUTH?"
  [An historic tract from 1994 at TruthBearer.org]