2 Samuel 20:3
in 2 Samuel 20When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
KJV
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe ten women - He could not well divorce them; he could not punish them, as they were not in the transgression; he could no more be familiar with them, because they had been defiled by his son; and to have married them to other men might have been dangerous to the state: therefore he shut them up and fed them - made them quite comfortable, and they continued as widows to their death.
This site's exposition
put them in ward, and fed them
David shuts up the ten concubines Absalom lay with in the sight of all Israel at 16:22, and Nathan's sentence at 12:11 has now run its course in the open. He cannot restore them to his own bed without compounding the defilement, and he cannot cast them off, so he keeps them fed and confined, living widows to a husband still alive. The verse closes one branch of the sword David was told would never leave his house, quietly and without comment from the narrator.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Sheba's rebellion gives David an occasion to fulfil his promise sooner than he could wish, but Joab's envy and emulation rendered its fulfillment of ill consequence both to him and David. Amasa has a commission to raise forces for the suppressing of Sheba's rebellion, and is ordered to raise them with all possible expedition,
And David came to his house at Jerusalem,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king took the ten women his concubines--Jewish writers say that the widowed queens of Hebrew monarchs were not allowed to marry again but were obliged to pass the rest of their lives in strict seclusion.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֨א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| דָוִ֣ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּיתוֹ֮ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְרֽוּשָׁלִַם֒ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֣ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֶֽשֶׂר־ | ʾeser- | [the] ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| נָשִׁ֣ים׀ | nashim | women | H802 → | 781 times |
| פִּלַגְשִׁ֡ים | pilagshim | concubines | H6370 → | 37 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִנִּיחַ֩ | hiniach | he had left | H5117 → | 142 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֨ר | lishmor | to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| הַבַּ֜יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֤ם | vaiyitenem | and he put them | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בֵּית־ | beit- | a house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙ | mishmeret | confinement | H4931 → | |
| וַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔ם | vaykhalkelem | and he sustained them | H3557 → | 38 times |
| וַאֲלֵיהֶ֖ם | vaaleihem | and into them | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בָ֑א | va' | he went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָה | vatihyeinah | and they were | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| צְרֻר֛וֹת | tzerurot | locked up | H6887 → | |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| י֥וֹם | yom | [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| מֻתָ֖ן | mutan | died they | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אַלְמְנ֥וּת | ʾalmenut | widowhood of | H491 → | |
| חַיּֽוּת׃ ס | chaiyut | living | H2424 → |
וַיָּבֹ֨אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
דָוִ֣דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּיתוֹ֮house his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַם֒Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וַיִּקַּ֣חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
הַמֶּ֡לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
עֶֽשֶׂר־[the] ten
ʾeser-H6235 →176 times
נָשִׁ֣ים׀women
nashimH802 →781 times
פִּלַגְשִׁ֡יםconcubines
pilagshimH6370 →37 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִנִּיחַ֩he had left
hiniachH5117 →142 times
לִשְׁמֹ֨רto keep
lishmorH8104 →468 times
הַבַּ֜יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֤םand he put them
vaiyitenemH5414 →2011 times
בֵּית־a house of
beit-H1004 →2046 times
מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙confinement
mishmeretH4931 →
וַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔םand he sustained them
vaykhalkelemH3557 →38 times
וַאֲלֵיהֶ֖םand into them
vaaleihemH413 →5510 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
בָ֑אhe went
va'H935 →2568 times
וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָהand they were
vatihyeinahH1961 →3559 times
צְרֻר֛וֹתlocked up
tzerurotH6887 →
עַד־until
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
י֥וֹם[the] day
yomH3117 →2304 times
מֻתָ֖ןdied they
mutanH4191 →839 times
אַלְמְנ֥וּתwidowhood of
ʾalmenutH491 →
חַיּֽוּת׃ סliving
chaiyutH2424 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
7 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 15:16Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 16:21–22
Ahithophel replied, “Sleep with your father’s concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who…
- Psalms 3:1
O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me!
- Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
- 1 Samuel 25:42
So Abigail hurried and got on a donkey, and attended by five of her maidens, she followed David’s messengers and became his wife.
- 1 Samuel 25:27
Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
- 2 Samuel 16:21–22
Through
Genesis 40:3and imprisoned them in the house of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was confined.
it leads to
- Genesis 39:20
So Joseph’s master took him and had him thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. While Joseph was there in the prison,
- Genesis 39:23
The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
- Genesis 39:20
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.