3: What Polygyny is and What Polygyny is not!!!!

http://www.vimeo.com/4064564 Polygyny (from neo-Greek: πολύ poly "many" and γυνή gyny "I. woman" or, as in this context, "II. wife or spouse"[1]) is "a marriage form in which a man has two or more wives at the same time."[2] It is distinguished from a man who has a sexual partner outside marriage, such as a concubine, casual sexual partner, paramour, or other culturally recognized secondary partner. Polygyny is the most common form of polygamy. Polygyny has been practiced in many cultures throughout history.The biblical institution of a levirate marriage was a positive provision towards polygyny; the institution required a man to marry and support his deceased brother's widow if he died without her having given birth to a son. (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) The practice has been justified that it was important for the brother to have died without an heir to continue his name, or say the prayers for the dead for him. It has also been argued that there were also negative factors for the childless widow since children and fertility were a sign of God's blessing. This practice also provided a means of provision for widows. If the eldest brother refused to marry the widow then it was the responsibility of the next brother and so on down the family line.The Torah, the Five Books of Moses, includes a few specific regulations on the practice of polygyny. Exodus 21:10 states that multiple marriages are not to diminish the status of the first wife, while Deuteronomy 21:15-17 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 hates that son's mother and likes another wife more, implying that she had been divorced, and Deuteronomy 17:17 states that the king shall not have too many wives.[5] [6] (more)(