Was Abraham a Polygamist?

The Bible says yes, with Gods approval. Does this prove that God polygamy is the way to go?

IS

And even more concubines.

But you have to understand that the rules were different back then. That was back when God commanded Israel to conduct wholesale genocide, to slaughter anyone whose primary crime was that they didn't have the correct lineage, and worshiped the wrong god. This was back when it was perfectly acceptable for prophets to summon bears to rip apart young school children for doing what young kids do - making fun of old bald men.

Solomon strengthened his kingdom through marital alliances. Kings I records that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines, although some regard this number as an exaggeration.http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html

It's a shame they hadn't invented Viagra in those days.

I agree that if you read the Old Testament along with some other books like "Don't Know Much About the Bible" by Kenneth C. Davis, your view of God may change. Many times he doesn't come across as the kindly wise old man sitting on a cloud watching mankind in frustration.

But as you point out, "the rules were different back then".

I think having several Gods is a useful idea. They can help each other when one of them is tired. They can produce many more worshipers and always be available to answer prayer. Yes God polygamy is the next wave of religious revival.

He slept with her servant when she couldn't get pregnant and with her permission. Then, she got jealous and made him kick Hagar out. Where's the polygamy?

Now, other Jewish patriarchs were polygamists, sure. Abraham's just not your best one for your argument.

Jacob, however, had two: Leah and Rachel. He also had children with his wives' servants, Bilhah and Zilpah.

He also took to wife Hagar at the request of Sarah, Genesis 16:3 and he married Keturah after Hagar had been cast out and Sarah had died, Genesis 25:1. However none of these additional wives were approved by God.

She was not even a concubine; she was Sarah's servant and Sarah "lent" her to Abraham with the purpose of conceiving a son. Concubinage was when a woman of relatively low status had a formal sexual relationship with a man of higher status to whom she was not married. The formal recognition gave the mother and any children some rights and protections, but these rights were not inherent as they would be with an actual marriage. Abraham was able to toss Hagar and Ishmael because they lacked the protections that marriage or even concubinage would have given.

As for Keturah, I refer you to I Chron. 1:32, which describes her specifically as Abraham's concubine.

However they were considered lesser wives or concubines, but the Bible is clear that both women were married in accordance to the Jewish laws of Pilegesh.

Genesis 16:3
And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

Genesis 25:1
Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

So it doesn't count as polygamy. But according to scripture Hagar is a wife or concubine.

I always wondered if there was any further discussion on the matter within the Talmud.

But the Talmud states that Abraham had three wifes. Whether Hagar and Keturah were simultaneous wifes I don't know (we don't know what happens to Hagar) and it does not matter since biblical law allows polygamy. But, in the case of Judaism, a rabbinical ban prohibits it.

Egyptian woman. ( Genesis 21 )

No, there are not.

1Tim.3:2 and Titus 1:6, two passages which clearly show polygyny was a part of the NT assemblies, are often twisted to argue that the New Testament has cancelled or condemned polygynous marriages. This is a nonsense because Isaiah foretells a day, future to the NT, when men will be in such short supply (Isa.13:12) that seven women will ask one man to marry them. These yet future polygynous marriages will be in the sight of Jehovah, so how can He have abolished it in the NT?:

Isa 4:1-2 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread and wear our own clothing; only let us be called by your name, to take away our shame. In that day shall the Branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely for those who have escaped from Israel.

and the Bible never explicitly bans polygamy. Doesn't mean it's preferred, and certain verses in the New Testament are often interpreted as implicit endorement of monogamy,