1 Samuel 25:43 Meaning: Why the Bible Records David's Two Wives
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they both became his wives.
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives.
And Ahinoam hath David taken from Jezreel, and they are--even both of them--to him for wives;
David had also taken Ahinoam of Jizreel; and they became, even both of them, his wives.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the Bible mention David taking Ahinoam as a second wife? This verse records cultural practice, not divine command.
Context
This verse appears as a brief note right after the story of Nabal and Abigail. In chapter 25, David avoids bloodshed when the wise Abigail persuades him not to take revenge on her foolish husband. After Nabal dies, David sends for Abigail and she becomes his wife. Then, in a short sentence, the narrator adds that David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel. The same verse tells us Saul had given David's first wife, Michal, to another man. So in a few lines, we see David's household growing more complicated. The writer is not preaching or praising; he is simply telling us what happened, the way ancient historians did.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words help us see what this verse is doing. The verb laqach, translated “took,” was the ordinary word for taking a wife in marriage. It carries no hint of romance or violence; it is the standard way to say “he married her.” The little word gam (“also”) is the key: it tells us David was adding a second wife to his household. The plural nashim (“wives”) confirms this. These ordinary words do not judge the practice. They simply record it. The narrator uses the same vocabulary he would use for any marriage, which reminds us that the Bible often describes human choices without telling us how to evaluate them.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians read this verse with careful honesty. Many Reformed and evangelical commentators note that although polygamy was accepted in ancient Israel, it was never God’s original intention. Gill (an eighteenth-century Baptist) says good men like David gave in to a custom that “was not agreeable to the law of God.” Others, like Barnes, point out that David’s growing number of wives reflected his rising status as a chieftain. Catholic and Orthodox traditions, which hold to lifelong monogamy, view this as evidence that Old Testament figures often fell short of God’s ideal. Across traditions, readers agree: Scripture records what David did without endorsing it.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that because the Bible casually reports David taking a second wife, it must approve of polygamy. In fact, the Old Testament often records human behavior without giving a moral stamp. Later biblical books, and Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:5, point back to Genesis 2:24, one man and one woman becoming one flesh. This verse is a historical note, not a permission slip.
Main takeaway: The Bible honestly records David's multiple marriages as a fact of ancient culture, not as a pattern for us to follow.
Questions People Ask
Why did David marry two wives?
David married Ahinoam likely before he married Abigail; she is listed first when his sons are named in 2 Samuel 3:2. Marrying multiple wives was a common practice among ancient Near Eastern kings and chieftains, as a sign of power and to form alliances. The Bible records this without praise or criticism.
Was polygamy allowed in the Old Testament?
Polygamy was practiced in Old Testament times, but it was never commanded by God. The Torah regulated but did not forbid it (Deuteronomy 21:15-17). However, God's original design in Genesis 2:24 is one man and one woman becoming one flesh. The prophets and Jesus affirm this as the ideal.
Who was Ahinoam?
Ahinoam was a woman from Jezreel, a town in Judah near Carmel. She became David's wife and is always mentioned first among his wives, likely because she was the mother of his firstborn son, Amnon. She is also recorded in 1 Samuel 27:3 and 30:5.
Does 1 Samuel 25:43 mean David was wrong to marry two wives?
The verse itself does not condemn David, but later Scripture and Christian teaching see polygamy as a departure from God's original plan. David's household later suffered from strife among his sons, which many see as a consequence of his multiple marriages. The Bible presents the facts; readers are invited to learn from them.
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