Yes, God ordained having more than one wife under a very specific circumstance. Deviations from this circumstance is a sin. Here's what I'm talking about:

Exodus
21:10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.

Deuteronomy
21:15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, [both] the beloved and the hated; and [if] the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
21:16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit [that] which he hath, [that] he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, [which is indeed] the firstborn:
21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated [for] the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he [is] the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn [is] his.

25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
25:6 And it shall be, [that] the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother [which is] dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
25:7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.
25:8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and [if] he stand [to it], and say, I like not to take her;
25:9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.
25:10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

Where did I say the Jews were "guilty" of doing anything? I don't recall saying this. I think you're question is out of order, asking "what else" here, don't you?

Tom, do you think the Jews were guilty of sinning obeying the law of Moses?

I've never said this. To be guilty they would need to know theye were doing wrong, correct? Do you think they knew they were doing wrong? That seems unlikely to me.

No, God never ordained having more than one wife. He hates polygamy.


Exo. 21:10 and Deut. 21:15-17 are just trying to minimize the bad results of polygamy.
And although there are different opinions about the levirate law, I side with those who believe that Deut. 25:5-10 is referring to a single brother or, successively, to the nearest single relative, like in the case of Ruth. In fact, the levirate law in Deut. 25:5-10 proves that monogamy was the normal marriage relationship, for the text says "the wife," not "the wives" nor "the first wife."

I'll second what Rosangela said. There's a lot of debate in regards to the Levirate marriage. It's certainly not necessary to interpret it as ordering or demanding polygamy.

Nor does the law of Moses forbid or condemn polygamy. Nowhere in the Bible is polygamy forbidden or condemned. The idea that God compromised to accommodate sin-hardened Jews by including polygamy, divorce, or slavery in the law of Moses has yet to be supported with inspired statements. Quotes please. Thank you.

PS - The quotes posted previously stating God never sanctioned polygamy do not prove God compromised to accommodate sin-hardened Jews.

MM, you've been provided with inspired statements many times. They say polygamy was contrary to God's will, that it violates His law, that it is condemned by the Gospel. What more would you want an inspired statement to say?

Regarding polygamy not being condemned by the Bible, we are told that it is condemned by the Gospel, so unless the Gospel is not in the Bible, the Bible condemns it.

As I have already pointed out, none of the quotes you have posted say God compromised and accommodated sinful practices by including them in the law of Moses. Until you can support this theory with inspired statements, please do not expect anyone to take your word for it. Please post the quotes. Thank you.

What about Jesus' words: "Because of the hardness of your heart he [Moses] wrote you this precept" (Mark 10:5)? The situation described here about divorce indirectly involves polygamy, since the person who marries again becomes polygamous.