▁Mor oc co , ▁a ▁man ▁must ▁justify ▁taking ▁an ▁additional ▁wife ▁at ▁a ▁court ▁hearing ▁before ▁he ▁is ▁allowed ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁In ▁Sud an , ▁the ▁government ▁encourag ed ▁pol yg yn y ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁J uda ism ▁ ▁The ▁Tor ah ▁contains ▁a ▁few ▁specific ▁reg ulations ▁that ▁apply ▁to ▁pol yg amy , ▁such ▁as ▁Ex od us ▁ 2 1 : 1 0 : ▁" If ▁he ▁take ▁another ▁wife ▁for ▁himself ; ▁her ▁food , ▁her ▁cl othing , ▁and ▁her ▁duty ▁of ▁marriage , ▁shall ▁he ▁not ▁dimin ish ". ▁, ▁states ▁that ▁a ▁man ▁must ▁award ▁the ▁inheritance ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁first - born ▁son ▁to ▁the ▁son ▁who ▁was ▁actually ▁born ▁first , ▁even ▁if ▁he ▁h ates ▁that ▁son ' s ▁mother ▁and ▁lik es ▁another ▁wife ▁more ; ▁and ▁ ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁king ▁shall ▁not ▁have ▁too ▁many ▁w ives . ▁ ▁The ▁Tor ah ▁may ▁distinguish ▁conc ub ines ▁and ▁" sub - standard " ▁w ives ▁with ▁the ▁prefix ▁" to " ▁( e . g ., ▁lit . ▁" to ok ▁to ▁w ives "). ▁Despite ▁these ▁nu ances ▁to ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁perspective ▁on ▁pol yg amy , ▁many ▁important ▁figures ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁wife , ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁instances ▁of ▁Es au ▁( Gen ▁ 2 6 : 3 4 ; ▁ 2 8 : 6 - 9 ), ▁Jacob ▁( Gen