Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
A man can only be one flesh with one woman not multiple wives.
This was from the beginning before Abraham was chosen.
Israel is God's chosen people but He is not going to go against His law that a man should have one wife.
But He is a forgiving and merciful God and Israel is His chosen people so He allowed it.
Jacob had 12 children by 4 women, 2 were his wife, and 2 were his wive's servants.
But God is a forgiving God and had a purpose for Israel so He blessed the children and Jacob was forgiven.
Also it was not the children's sin to be cursed which God said the son shall not bear the sins of the father, and the father shall not bear the sins of the son, but every person shall bear their own sin.
King David had Uriah put in battle so he would die so he could have his wife Bathsheba which he sinned in coveting another man's wife.
He was punished because of it and had a child by Bathsheba, Solomon, who became king and God blessed him with wisdom and riches more then any other king.
We are to have only one wife and now that God is dealing with the world it is probably more of a stricter issue and might not be forgiven like in the Old Testament when He was dealing with Israel.
That is probably why Bishops, Deacons, and Elders, clergy, are commanded to have only one wife.
And that would go for all the saints for all of the saints are to hold the same morality.
Mat 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mat 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
Jesus came to bring a teaching, and salvation on the spiritual level and He taught what was from the beginning.
I do not believe having more than one wife is permitted but God had a purpose for Israel, was forgiving, and blessed the children.
He allowed it but probably was not permitted but was not a serious offense which we do not see it in the 10 commandments, or in the physical laws, and no person was stoned for it.
