Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. (Deuteronomy 17:17)
Wealth is not of itself evil. It can, however, prove a snare when it takes the place of God in a man’s heart and life. The private and public life of the king was limited by definite conditions. The things for which the king was to be outstanding are given in the following verses.
Multiply wives.
David transgressed this command (2 Sam. 5:13), but Solomon much more so (1 Kings 11:3). Many marital alliances entered into by the latter were apparently motivated by political interests (1 Kings 11:1, 3).