How Could Solomon have so Many Wives When God Condemns Polygamy (1 Kings 11:1)?

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In 1 Kings 11:3 we learn that Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.  But elsewhere the Bible warns against having multiple wives (Deut. 17:7) and commands against violating the principle of monogamy (1 Cor. 7:2).   How can this be?  Is this simply an example of a so-called Bible contradiction?  I don't think so.  

In there assessable book Bringing Your Faith to Work, Randy Douglass and the late Norman Geisler explain:

"Monogamy is God's standard for the human race, and God punished those who practiced polygamy (Gen. 2:21-25; 1 Kings 11:1-13).  God prohibited a multiplicity of wives (Deut. 17:17).  Paul said each person should have only one spouse (1 Cor. 7:2).  God only permitted, not commanded, polygamy, as he did divorce, not because it was his desire, but because of the hardness of men's hearts (Deut. 24:1; Matt. 19:8).  Every polygamist in the Bible, including David (1 Chron. 14:3) and Solomon, paid dearly for their sins."1

So, when the skeptic claims that the Bible encourages polygamy, they are simply mistaken.  Remember, just because the Bible describes a certain act, it does not mean it is prescribing that act. 

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:
1. Norman L. Geisler and Randy Douglass, Bringing Your Faith to Work, p. 167.

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