Does a Husband Need to Seek His First Wife's Permission Before Marrying Another Wife?
By Isaac Aluochier
[Author's note: The following article is a response to a question raised by a serious student of the Holy Scriptures.]
Concerning your question about whether a husband needs to seek the permission of his first wife before marrying an additional wife, especially if his first wife is disobedient: it appears to me that no such permission needs to be sought from the first wife. When David took both Achinoam and Avigayil to be his wives, subsequent to his marriage to Mikhal daughter of Shaul, there is no record that he consulted Mikhal in the matter, leaving aside seeking her permission for the same. In fact, as during this period when he took these two wives he was a runaway from Shaul, it is highly unlikely that he consulted Mikhal over the matter. Also, Mikhal chose to live the life of an adulteress in that she lived with Palti son of Layish, without even obtaining a divorce from David. It should therefore be clear, drawing from David's life, that a husband does not need to seek the permission of any existing wife prior to marrying an additional wife.
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