When it is said that a man can have 4 (or 3)* wives does it mean that he can't have more than 4 wives simultaneously, at any given point in time?
Or does it mean that he can't marry more than 4 times i.e. in his entire lifespan he can't marry more than 4 times irrespective whether the previous ones are divorced or not.
Reference required
* same applies to all the other places where 4 is used