God allowed Solomon to take many wives as part of His permissive will, but He did not approve of it. Solomon’s accumulation of wives (especially foreign wives) was a direct violation of God’s command. His choices eventually led to spiritual compromise and idolatry, bringing judgment upon his kingdom.
“But King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations of whom the Lord had said… ‘You shall not intermarry with them… Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love.”
(1 Kings 11:1–2)
Solomon took 700 wives and 300 concubines, forming alliances with pagan nations. This practice was common for kings of the ancient world who sought to secure peace and expand influence, but God had warned against it:
“Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away…”
(Deuteronomy 17:17)
Though Solomon was granted wisdom and favor by God, he chose to ignore this command. Over time, the very thing God warned about happened:
“For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods… and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God.”
(1 Kings 11:4)
He built high places for idols such as Ashtoreth and Molech, gods of the surrounding nations, which provoked the Lord to anger:
“So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel…”
(1 Kings 11:9)
As a result, God declared that the kingdom would be torn away from Solomon’s line after his death:
“I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.”
(1 Kings 11:11)
Solomon’s polygamy was not approved, even though it was tolerated. God’s patience allowed time for repentance, but His justice brought consequences. The division of Israel into the northern and southern kingdoms began under Solomon’s son Rehoboam, fulfilling the judgment.
God’s design for marriage never changed. From the beginning, He intended one man and one woman in covenant:
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24)
Solomon’s failure shows that even the wisest man can fall when he departs from God’s Word. His story stands as a warning that no amount of wisdom or blessing can protect us from the consequences of disobedience.
