Thank you for the question on Solomon’s wives, “What kind of wisdom did Solomon have to be able to maintain having 700 wives and 300 concubines?”
The Scriptures do not state how Solomon maintain his harem of wives and concubines.
In I Kings 4, one reads that King Solomon’s kingdom was highly organized. This was because God gave him a discerning heart and wisdom. The text says this, “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations… 34 From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom” (NIV).
Having the wisdom for organization, it is likely he had an administrator who took care of his wives and concubine. In Esther 2, one can read the process by which King Xerxes selected a woman out of the many women who came to his palace.
Esther 2 says this, “Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it” (NIV).
The time frame for Xerxes to choose the new queen is unknown nor the number of wives he had in his harem. If 1 or 2 women were called into his presence each day, he could have as many as Solomon.
It was a common practice of rulers to summon their wife or wives as he commanded. In the situation of the Persians, the queen may not come into the king’s presence without his consent especially when he is in court. Was it a problem for King Solomon to manage 700 wives and 300 concubines? Xerxes managed it and so did Solomon.
SUMMARY: Solomon assigned an administrator to oversee his harem of wives and concubines. That would be a wise administrative move.
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