If a man marries a woman for so many years without a child, is it acceptable for the man to marry another woman, although without divorcing the old one?
You are asking if it would be permissible to have two wives at one time. Let us see what the Bible has to say about this.
- 1 Corinthians 7:2, “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man HAVE HIS OWN WIFE, and let every woman HAVE HER OWN HUSBAND.”
- Proverbs 18:22, “Whoso findeth A WIFE findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”
- Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto HIS WIFE: and they shall be ONE FLESH.”
These scriptures, and others, show us the purpose of the Lord is for the man to have ONE wife and for the woman to have ONE husband. It is this union of husband and wife that creates this ONE FLESH that we read of in Genesis 2:24.
So important is the teaching of Genesis 2:24 that it is repeated by the Lord Jesus. Let’s read Mark 10:6-9, “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” The Lord’s words reiterate the fact that the Lord created marriage consisting of ONE man and ONE woman.
The Apostle Paul was led to repeat this truth in Ephesians 5:31, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH.”
If your wife is not able to bear children, then you need to accept her the way she is. Has she seen a doctor about her infertility? Have you talked to a doctor? It is possible that the problem does not lie with your wife, but it is a problem with you not being able to produce a child. In either case, there may be procedures to help your wife conceive and have children. Adoption is another option if you both desire to have children but cannot. There are so many babies and children that need good Christian parents.
I encourage you both to pray about this situation together. Seek medical help to see where the problem lies and if it can be corrected or treated. I am sure your wife must feel awful if she desires children but cannot bear children. She needs you to encourage her and assure her that your love for her is not dependent upon her ability to have children. I pray this situation will serve to draw you closer to each other and closer to the Lord. (456.4)