David's Many Wives

1 Chronicles 12:19-14:7; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 19:4-5

 

Yes, I meant to say David. Not Solomon. David.

 

When we think of someone having many wives, our thoughts almost always turn to Solomon first. After all, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

 

But Solomon was not the only man in the Scriptures to have many wives. And we must ask the question, “Where did the wisest man on earth get the idea that it was fine for him to have so many wives?”

 

After all, he had the Scriptures. And in Deuteronomy, in a section specifically written to tell Israelites what their kings should and should not do, God decreed this about any Israelite king: He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. – Deut. 17:17. Was Solomon the first to disobey this command? He was, after all, only the third king Israel had ever had.

 

We have no indication that Israel’s first king, Saul, disobeyed this command. He disobeyed others, for sure, but it doesn’t seem that he had many wives. The text only mentions one: Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz (1 Sam. 14:50).

 

What about David, Israel’s second king and Solomon’s father? His first wife was Michal, Saul’s daughter (1 Sam. 18:27). And then he married Abigail and Ahinoam while Saul was chasing him (1 Sam. 25:42-43). While reigning as king over Hebron, he had at least six wives, not including Michal: Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah (2 Sam. 3:2-5). And at least one of them was foreign (2 Sam. 3:3)! So seven wives, and at least three of them before David is king of anything!

 

And then David became king of all Israel and moved from Hebron to Jerusalem, and history tells us: In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons and daughters. – 1 Chronicles 14:3. The chronicler lists twelve sons, so David could have had up to twelve more wives, beyond the seven he already had married before moving to Jerusalem. Even if he only had three more wives, he’s still made it to ten.

 

In my book, ten to twenty wives qualifies as “many.” So while Solomon outdid his dad, it was David’s example that set the pattern for disobeying God’s command to his kings to not marry many wives. In comparison to Solomon, David did not have many wives. But compared to the common men reading God’s law, David had disobeyed God. David’s unfaithfulness to this command was the foundation for Solomon’s downfall.

 

Father, may I be supremely careful to set a good example. I do not want to teach people to disobey You. Protect my wife, my children, my friends and family and co-workers and neighbors from disobeying You by protecting me from unfaithfulness to You.