David's Many Sons: "the Rest of the Story"

Years ago, there was a TV series entitled, My Three Sons, starring Fred Macmurray (spelling is correct).  But for the patriarch David (Acts 2:29), it was "My Twenty Sons"! My wife texted me one day and asked me how many sons David had, hence this study. 

• Six born in Hebron (2 Sam. 3:2-5; one probably died young--Chileab/Daniel--since he is not mentioned in the succession strife with Absalom and Adonijah)
• Bathsheba's firstborn (2 Sam. 11-12; no name given)
• Bathsheba's other four sons, including Solomon (2 Sam. 5:14; 1 Chron. 3:5)
• 9 sons born to unnamed women (maybe his 10 concubines) (2 sons provided in 1 Chron. 3:6-8 not named in 2 Sam. 5:15-16)

Although twenty sons is large number, some of David's offspring exceeded him in the number of sons: (1) Rehoboam (2 Chr. 11:21; 28 sons; and (2) Abijah (2 Chr. 13:21; 22 sons).  Also, Ahab king of Israel had seventy sons (2 Kings 10:1, 7).  Curiously, only three of Solomon's children are mentioned: (1) Rehoboam, who succeeds him as king; (2) Taphath (1 Kings 4:11); and (3) Basmath (1 Kings 4:15).  It could be that, due to the number of his wives and concubines (1 Kings 11:3), he had innumerable children, but this is not stated in the scriptures.  How ironic it would be if Solomon only had three children from 1000 wives, although that seems quite unlikely. 

A few practical notes: (1) Saul set a bad example for his son-in-law by taking a concubine, Rizpah (2 Sam. 3:7; 21:8-11), besides his wife Ahinoam (1 Sam. 14:50); (2) nonetheless, David disobeyed a clear command of the law in Deut. 17:17 by multiplying wives unto himself, and study for yourself the trouble that ensues (e.g. Absalom was the son of a Gentile princess); (3) his descendents follow his bad example: Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah all multiply wives (see refs. above), and bigamy seems to be the norm for the kings of Judah all the way down to Josiah (2 Kings 23:31, 36; 24:15; 2 Chron. 21:14, 24:3; Jer. 38:23).  So example is a powerful force, seemingly for entire dynasty of kings over the united kingdom, Judah, and likely Israel (northern tribes) as well, considering Ahab's progeny.  In conclusion, sons are a gift from God (1 Chron. 26:4-5), but be sure you get them God's way ("for God blessed him"--1 Chron. 26:5--likely through one wife) vs. man's way (doesn't say David's progeny or any other bigamist-king's was a blessing).