Intellectual Intelligence

[1 Kgs. 11:1] But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
Solomon's extraordinary gift of wisdom was not sufficient to preserve him from falling into grievous and fatal errors. A love of the world, a ceaseless round of pleasure, had insensibly corrupted his heart, and produced, for a while at least, a state of mental darkness. The grace of G-d deserted him; and the son of the pious David - the religiously trained child of Bath-sheba (Proverbs 31:1-3), and pupil of Nathan, instead of showing the stability of sound principle and mature experience became at last an old and foolish king (Ecclesiastes 4:13). His fall is traced to his "love of many strange women." Polygamy was tolerated among the ancient Hebrews; and, although in most countries of the East, the generalization of men, from convenience and economy, confine themselves to one woman, yet a number of wives is reckoned as an indication of wealth and importance.
It is clear that Solomon was determined to achieve prosperity, splendor, and security. Material well-being is not frowned on in the Bible. What is condemned is covetousness, wealth acquired unjustly, self-indulgence, and anxious preoccupation with material things (Ex. 20:17; Amos 6:1-7; Matt. 6:24-33; Luke 12:13-21). However, that these achievements were paid for with a high price in human oppression.
It is probable, therefore, that, in conformity with Oriental notions, he resorted to it as a piece of state splendor. But in him it was unpardonable, as it was a direct and outrageous violation of the divine Law (Deuteronomy 17:17), and the very result which that statute was ordained to prevent was realized in him. His marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh is not censured either here or elsewhere for women, though in the East considered inferiors, exert often a silent but powerful seductive influence over their husbands in the harem, as elsewhere, and so it was exemplified in Solomon. Never before or after did an Israelite king have so many wives. The next largest harem was Rehoboam’s eighteen wives and sixty concubines. David had at least eight wives and some ten or more concubines. Only one of David’s wives is known to have been a foreigner. The objection to is Solomon’s clinging in love to foreign women whom Israelites were forbidden to marry. Such a prohibition is found in Deut. 7:1-5; Ex. 34:15-16; Josh. 23:12-13 and is one of the many indications of the influence of Deuteronomy on the narrator of this passage. The reason for this objection is not racial but religious.
Solomon’s marriages were a means to further political goals. By marring the daughter of a local clan chieftain, Solomon secured goodwill, loyalty, and peace. But marriage to foreign women also opened the way to Solomon’s heart being turned after their idols, thus violating the First Commandment. He who at the beginning of his reign was noted for his love of G-d, at the end is famous for his love of women.
Solomon had seven hundred wives! G-d had particularly forbidden the kings to multiply horses or wives, 17:16, 17, we saw in chapter 1 Kings 10:29, how he broke the former Law, multiplying horses: and here we see, how he broke the latter, multiplying wives. David set the example. One ill act of a good man may do more mischief than twenty of a wicked man. Besides, they were strange women, of the nations which G-d had expressly forbidden them to marry with. And to complete the mischief, he clave unto these in love; was extravagantly fond of them, Solomon had much knowledge. They were, probably, according to an existing custom, the daughters of tributary chiefs, given as hostages for good conduct of their fathers. But to what purpose, when he knew not how to govern his appetites?
He had 300 Concubines! Concubines were legitimate, but lower or secondary wives. These the chief or first wife regards without the smallest jealousy or regret, as they look up to her with feelings of respectful submission. Solomon's wives became numerous, not all at once, but gradually. Even at an early period his taste for Oriental show seems to have led to the establishment of a considerable harem (Solomon 6:8).
Solomon as having now reigned nigh thirty years. When it might have been expected that experience would have made him wiser: then G-d permitted him to fall so shamefully, that he might be to all succeeding generations an example of the folly, and weakness of the wisest and the best men, when left to themselves. He could not have been more than fifty.
Not that his wives changed his mind about the true G-d, and idols, which is not credible; but they obtained from him a public indulgence for their worship, and possibly persuaded him to join with them in the outward act of idol - worship; or, at least, in their feasts upon their sacrifices, which was a participation of their idolatry. Some, considering the lapse of Solomon into idolatry as a thing incredible, regard him as merely humoring his wives in the practice of their superstition; and, in countenancing their respective rites by his presence, as giving only an outward homage - a sensible worship, in which neither his understanding nor his heart was engaged. The apology only makes matters worse, as it implies an adding of hypocrisy and contempt of G-d to an open breach of His law. There seems no possibility of explaining the language of the sacred historian, but as intimating that Solomon became an actual and open idolater, worshipping images of wood or stone in sight of the very Temple which, in early life, he had erected to the true G-d. Hence that part of Olivet was called the high place of Tophet (Jeremiah 7:30-34), and the hill is still known as the Mount of Offense, of the Mount of Corruption (2 Kings 23:13).
The rending of the kingdom is postponed to the reign of Solomon’s son, and not all the kingdom will be torn away, G-d will give Solomon’s son one tribe (either Judah or Benjamin in addition to Judah; the ambiguity exists because Benjamin was divided between the northern and southern kingdoms and could be reckoned to either). The mitigation of the judgment is not because of anything Solomon does but for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.
Solomon made a significant contribution to the history and religion of Israel, but he was no saint. He was wise, ambitious, amorous, enterprising, shrewd, peace-loving, luxury-loving, harsh, oppressive, and in the end his heart was not wholly true to G-d. To prevent the negative side of Solomon’s character from overshadowing his positive contribution, the treatment of his sin is deferred to the end of the account of his reign and his old age. Solomon belongs to that vast company of flawed characters with which the Bible and the Believers abound and with whom G-d must work daily to achieve his purposes. “Ye without sin, cast the first stone – learn from others mistakes, learn from our mistakes.”