I’m remembering reading scripture as a impressionable child and that the main message I received from the accounts of polygamy was that (leaving aside considerations of morality) it was a bad idea due to natural human jealousy.

This meant that when I encountered the advocates of ‘free love’, open marriage and polyamory as a young adult, I automatically discounted such ideas as naive and unworkable.

I did wonder about the polygamy of the Patriarchs, so thanks for the explanation.

I also like the “serial polygamy” terminology regarding divorce and remarriage.

Even while in the trenches of marriage and not feeling lovey-dovey sometimes, I marvel at the mystery of Christian marriage. Marriage itself inspires me to greatness despite my failures.

Plus, to me, in secret thoughts, it seemed that any one woman could harness a whole herd of ‘husbands’ far more easily than one man could find harmony with two wives. (Though, of course, why would she want to bother? Are not sons born to her enough of such ‘chest-less’ whiners? Her sons, could be of ‘as-yet’ chest-lessness – her flock of husbands likely more chronic of condition.)

I believe it was in quoting of an old Muslim wise man that I read, to paraphrase, that a man considering a second wife ‘simply must place his wife and his mother in the same kitchen for a week’. It would seem that the result would be to BEG for mercy from his own libidinous appetites.