And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
Ver. 3. And he had seven hundred wives.] Numerum effraenem. Fewer they were by far at first, as some do gather from Song of Solomon 6:8, threescore queens, and fourscore concubines - wives of an inferior rank - and virgins without number: these likely were kept for store, as at this day sundry are in the great Turk's harem, and turned off at pleasure, as Esther 2:14, "they came in to the king no more, except he delighted in them." Miserabilis fuit hic lapsus, saith one. a This was a miserable fall indeed of so wise and holy a man into so foul evils: to teach us the truth of that old rhyming couplet,
“ Vestis pulchra, iocus, potus, cibus, otia, somnus,
Enervant mentem, luxuriamque fovent. ”
And his wives turned away his heart. ] O wives! the most sweet poison - saith one of our historians, b speaking of the Duke of Somerset's lady, in King Edward VI's time - the most desired evil in the world, &c. Woman was first given to man for a comforter, and not for a counsellor, much less for a controller and director: and therefore in the first sentence against man, this cause is expressed, "Because thou obeyedst the voice of thy wife."
a A Lapide.
b Sir John Heywood.