Genesis 36 gives an account of Esau’s family including his wives Basemath, Adah, and Aholibamath, and his son’s concubine Timna. Adah and Aholibamath were Esau’s first wives who brought grief to his parents. Their names were changed, though, when they married. Mahalath was Esau’s third wife who he married out of spite when he realized… Read more

Genesis 24 ends with Isaac marrying Rebekah and finding comfort after his mother’s death. The next chapter opens with Abraham taking another wife whose name was Keturah. The death of Sarah and the marriage of Isaac left Abraham alone and lonely. He longed for companionship and found it in Keturah. Keturah was a younger woman… Read more

Milcah was the sister of Lot, wife of Nahor, mother of Bethuel, and grandmother of Rebekah. Though the Bible provides no details about her beyond family relations, it does make a point to mention her numerous times. Milcah is introduced in Genesis 11 as the wife of Nahor and the daughter of Haran, who was… Read more

Zillah married a man who already had a wife. His name was Lamech. It was the first recorded account of polygamy. The name Lamech means powerful. Zillah means shady or shadows. Did she provide comfort like a cool shade on a hot summer day, or did she lurk in the shadows or dark places? Perhaps… Read more

In the seventh generation from Adam, Lamech, a descendant of Cain, married two wives. His first wife was Adah. The second wife was Zillah. This is the first recorded example of polygamy. Way·yiq·qaḥ, the word used for married in this example, means to “take for himself”. Apparently, Lamech thought that while one wife was good… Read more