Until 1947 African jw men were allowed to have more than wife.
Substitute the word IDOLATRY for POLYGAMY and see how ridiculous the WTS excuses are; how they read things into the Bible that aren't there.
*** w95 9/1 p.25 "Love Never Fails"***
I married Olabisi Fashugba in February 1941 and knew enough not to take any additional wives. But until 1947 when the missionaries came, polygamy was common in the congregations. Polygamous brothers were told that they had married more than one wife in ignorance. So if they had two or three or four or five wives, they could keep them, but they should not take any more. That was the policy we had.
*** g85 3/8 p.10 One Wife or Many? Does It Matter?*** Polygamy, however, was already a fixture in many tribal societies. So when the Law later given to Moses discussed polygamy, it was not introducing something new. The Law simply regulated an existing institution and prevented its abuse. This it did by regulations and restrictions, which tended to discourage plural marriages. (Exodus 21:9-11; Deuteronomy 21:15-17; 1 Samuel 21:3-5; 2 Samuel 11:11) Consequently the majority of Israelites were not polygamists. Polygamy was practiced mainly by the wealthy and the ruling class.
*** g85 3/8 p.10 One Wife or Many? Does It Matter?*** But what of Abraham? Until he was at least 85 years old, Abraham confined his sexual relations to his wife Sarah. But because she failed to bear children, Sarah invoked ancient custom and suggested a substitutionary arrangement. Her maid Hagar would bear him a child for her. (Genesis 16:1-11) There is no indication, though, that Abraham had further relations with Hagar after he fathered her son Ishmael
*** g91 5/8 p. 26 What'sWrong With Polygamy?*** God allowed polygamy for a time, as it contributed to the fulfillment of his promise to Abraham: "I shall make a great nation out of you."
*** it-2 p. 343 Marriage*** As was the case with divorce, polygamy, while not God?s original arrangement, was tolerated until the time of the Christian congregation. Polygamy had a start not long after Adam?s deflection. The first Bible mention of it is concerning a descendant of Cain, Lamech, of whom it says: "[He] proceeded to take two wives for himself." (Ge 4:19)
*** it-2 p. 703 Proverbs, Book of*** Those who claim that a polygamist like Solomon would not have spoken of husband-wife relationships in such a way as to imply monogamy (5:15-19; 18:22; 19:13, 14) lose sight of the fact that polygamy was not advocated but simply tolerated and regulated by the Law. And it may well be that the Jews generally practiced monogamy.
*** it-2 p. 1183 Wife*** Polygamy was allowed under the Mosaic Law but was regulated so that the wife was protected.
*** rs p. 250 par. 3 Marriage*** God tolerated the practice, and under the Mosaic Law he even instituted measures to assure proper treatment of women who had such a relationship
*** rs p. 251 par. 1 Marriage*** Jacob became a polygamist
because of deception on the part of his father-in-law.Though it would have been said, couldn't have Jacob upheld God's standards? Why did he go on to have children by 2 concubines (see Abraham's excuse)
*** rs p. 250 par. 4 Marriage*** As for Abraham, he took Sarai (Sarah) as his wife. When she was about 75 years of age and thought she would never bear a child, she requested her husband to have relations with her maidservant so that Sarai could have a legal child by means of her.
*** rs p. 251 par. 2 Marriage*** It is well known that Solomon had many wives as well as concubines. But not everyone is aware that, in doing so, he was violating Jehovah?s clearly stated commandment that the king "should also not multiply wives for himself, that his heart may not turn aside." (Deut. 17:17)
But that doesn't mean he couldn't have 2 or 3 wives.
*** rs p. 250 par. 3 Marriage***Jehovah is not the originator of polygamy. 
