Yes, some Old Testament prophets did have multiple wives.
In Abraham’s case, God used Abraham’s marriage situation to illustrate two covenants. Galatians 4:22-26, 3:29 (NIV), “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise. These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant (the Law Covenant) is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother (Sarah)…3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed (through Sarah), and heirs according to the promise.”
In another unusual circumstance, God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. Yet in Leviticus 19:29, God commanded, “Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute…”
The following is a profile of Hosea’s marriage:
“…the LORD… said to him (Hosea), ‘Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the LORD and worshiping other gods.’ So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. And the LORD said, ‘Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel.’… Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to Hosea, ‘Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’–for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them…’ After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. And the LORD said, ‘Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’–for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.’” Hosea1:2-4, 6-9 (NLT)
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructed Christian men to have only one wife. Why? Because the Christian marriage is symbolic of the relationship between Jesus and His Church. Ephesians 5:31-32 (NIV), “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church.”
When God instituted the marriage relationship, it was between one man and one woman. Those prophets who had multiple wives consistently experienced marital problems. (Read about the problems between Jacobs’s two wives and their handmaids in Genesis 29 – 49.) Even though God did not tell these prophets to have multiple wives, He used these men’s marriages to further His purposes.
Additional Resource: Christian Questions Podcast Episode #1241: “Is It a Sin if I . . . ? (Part II)”
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