II Samuel 20:3 · Bible study
2 Samuel 20:3 Commentary: Why David Confined His Concubines
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did David confine his ten concubines for life? This study examines the legal, political, and moral dimensions of 2 Samuel 20:3.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David confined his ten concubines for life after they were violated by Absalom, providing for them but never again having relations with them.
- Key words: 'house of confinement' (mishmeret, H4931), 'sustained' (kul, H3557), 'living in widowhood' (almenut chayyut, H0491 H2424)
- Main debate: Whether David's confinement was protective, punitive, or purely customary, and whether it was just or unjust.
- Theological theme: The far-reaching consequences of sin, the limits of human justice, and the hope for a King who restores victims.
- Best use: A case study in the complex moral landscape of biblical narrative, highlighting the need for God's redemptive justice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When 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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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 custody and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David cometh in unto his house at Jerusalem, and the king taketh the ten women-concubines--whom he had left to keep the house, and putteth them in a house of ward, and sustaineth them, and unto them he hath not gone in, and they are shut up unto the day of their death, in widowhood living.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in a house of confinement and maintained them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them inward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y luego que llegó David á su casa en Jerusalem, tomó el rey las diez mujeres concubinas que había dejado para guardar la casa, y púsolas en una casa en guarda, y dióles de comer: pero nunca más entró á ellas, sino que quedaron encerradas hasta que murieron en viudez de por vida.
E logo que chegou Davi a sua casa em Jerusalém, tomou o rei as dez mulheres concubinas que havia deixado para guardar a casa, e as pôs em uma casa em guarda, e deu-lhes de comer: mas nunca mais entrou a elas, mas sim que ficaram encerradas até que morressem como viúvas.
David rentra dans sa maison à Jérusalem. Le roi prit les dix concubines qu’ il avait laissées pour garder la maison, et il les mit dans un lieu où elles étaient séquestrées; il pourvut à leur entretien, mais il n’ alla point vers elles. Et elles furent enfermées jusqu’ au jour de leur mort, vivant dans un état de veuvage.
Da aber der König David heimkam gen Jerusalem, nahm er die zehn Kebsweiber, die er hatte zurückgelassen, das Haus zu bewahren, und tat sie in eine Verwahrung und versorgte sie; aber er ging nicht zu ihnen ein. Und sie waren also verschlossen bis an ihren Tod und lebten als Witwen.
Toen nu David in zijn huis te Jeruzalem kwam, nam de koning de tien vrouwen, zijn bijwijven, die hij gelaten had, om het huis te bewaren, en deed ze in een huis van bewaring, en onderhield ze, maar ging tot haar niet in. En zij waren opgesloten tot op den dag van haarlieder dood, levende als weduwen.
Quando Davide fu giunto a casa sua a Gerusalemme, prese le dieci concubine che avea lasciate a custodia della casa, e le fece rinchiudere; egli somministrava loro gli alimenti, ma non si accostava ad esse; e rimasero così rinchiuse, vivendo come vedove, fino al giorno della loro morte.
I przyszedł Dawid do domu swego w Jeruzalemie; a wziąwszy król dziesięć niewiast założnic, które był zostawił, aby strzegły domu, oddał je pod straż, i żywił je, ale do nich nie wchodził; i były pod strażą aż do dnia śmierci swojej, we wdowim stanie.
И пришел Давид в свой дом в Иерусалиме, и взял царь десять жен наложниц, которых он оставлял стеречь дом, и поместил их в особый дом под надзор, и содержал их, но не ходил к ним. И содержались они там до дня смерти своей, живя как вдовы.
大衛 王 來 到耶路撒冷，進了 宮殿，就把 從前 留下 看守 宮殿 的十 個妃 嬪 禁閉 在冷 宮，養活她們，不 與她們 親近。她們 如同 寡婦 被禁，直到 死 的日子。
And David came to his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women to whom he had given the care of the house, and had them shut up, and gave them the necessaries of life, but did not go near them. So they were shut up till the day of their death, living as widows.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 20:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the basic facts: David could not take the concubines back as wives because Absalom had violated them (2 Samuel 16:22), rendering them socially and ceremonially unfit for the king. At the same time, they were innocent, they had not consented, so David could not justly divorce or execute them. Adam Clarke notes that marrying them to other men 'might have been dangerous to the state,' given their former status. Gill adds that David confined them partly to avoid reminders of his own sin and partly as a consequence of their yielding to Absalom, though he 'did not put them to death, nor put them away.' The Cambridge Bible observes that they 'could no longer be regarded as members of the royal harem, nor could they be set at liberty.' Jamieson-Fausset-Brown points out that such seclusion was not unusually harsh by ancient Near Eastern standards. The Targum explains the phrase 'living in widowhood' as a state of being widows while their husband still lived, a kind of social limbo.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Protective confinement: David provided for their needs and kept them safe from political exploitation or further harm (Clarke, JFB).
- Punitive confinement: Gill argues David confined them partly as punishment for yielding to Absalom and to avoid reminders of his own sin.
- Customary/legal confinement: Ancient Near Eastern custom prohibited a king from taking back a wife violated by another, so confinement was the only legal option (Cambridge, Targum).
What is clear: David did not execute or divorce the concubines; he provided for their physical needs but permanently excluded them from his marital life.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| David's motivation | He could not take them back as wives due to Absalom's violation. | Some see it as protective confinement (Clarke, JFB); Gill views it as partly punitive for their yielding to Absalom; others emphasize political prudence. |
| Justice of the confinement | The women were innocent victims of Absalom's actions. | Clarke and JFB consider David's provision as merciful; modern readers often see it as unjustly punishing the victims. |
| Cultural background of royal concubines | Concubines were secondary wives with lower status than full wives. | JFB suggests confinement was standard practice for violated royal women; other scholars see it as a unique, harsh measure by David. |
| Application for today | The story shows sin's consequences reaching the innocent. | Most agree it does not offer a positive model for handling victims of sexual violence; it highlights the failure of human systems and the need for Christ's restorative justice. |
Historical & Cultural Context
To understand David's decision, we must first grasp the events that led to this moment. When Absalom rebelled, David fled Jerusalem, leaving ten concubines 'to keep the house' (2 Samuel 15:16). These women were secondary wives, part of the royal household, but of lower status than full wives. They were left behind presumably to maintain the palace and as a sign that the king intended to return.
Absalom's advisor Ahithophel counselled the usurper to 'go in to your father's concubines' (2 Samuel 16:21). In the ancient Near East, sexual access to a king's harem was a direct claim to the throne, a symbolic act of takeover. Absalom did so publicly, on the rooftop, in the sight of all Israel (16:22). This was not just an assault; it was a political declaration that he had supplanted his father.
When David returned, he faced a dilemma. The concubines had been violated by his son, the rebel. In Israelite custom, a woman who had sexual relations with another man, even under coercion, was considered defiled in relation to her husband. Taking them back as wives would have been scandalous and possibly a violation of purity laws. Yet they were not guilty of any crime; they had been used as instruments of Absalom's ambition.
Divorce would have been possible, but that would have publicly shamed them further and perhaps allowed them to remarry, potentially creating political complications, they had intimate knowledge of the palace and could become pawns in future intrigues. So David chose a middle path: confinement with provision. He placed them in a 'house of confinement' (the Hebrew mishmeret, often used for detention, as in Genesis 40:3 where Joseph was imprisoned). He sustained them (the verb kul implies supplying enough food and care for their needs). But he never again 'went in to them', the euphemism for sexual relations. They lived out their days in a state the Targum calls 'widowhood of life,' neither wives nor free.
This solution kept them safe, provided for, and politically neutral. But it also confined them to a living death: no marriage, no children, no freedom, all because of what was done to them, not by them. The narrative records this outcome without commentary, but the tragedy lingers.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across the major manuscripts.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpreters, as reflected in the Targum, emphasised the legal concept of 'widowhood of life', a status where a woman's husband was alive but she could not remarry. Reformation-era commentators such as Matthew Henry and John Gill analysed David's practical dilemma, with Gill adding the note that the confinement served partly as a punishment. In modern times, this verse has been used to critique patriarchalism in the Old Testament and to raise questions about how victims are treated within systems of power. Across eras, readers have grappled with the tension between David's provision and the women's lost freedom.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Sin's fallout reaches the innocent. Absalom's rebellion directly caused ten women to lose their freedom and future. The consequences of sin never stay contained.
- Limited justice in a fallen world. David provided materially but could not fully restore. The best human kings still fall short of perfect justice.
- A hint of the true King. Jesus does not confine victims but frees them and restores their dignity. Where David could only manage damage, Christ brings redemption.
Five-point outline
- The context: Political rebellion and its collateral damage (2 Samuel 15-20).
- The crime: Absalom's public violation of the harem as a claim to the throne (16:21-22).
- The complication: The women were victims, not perpetrators, innocent yet unusable.
- The compromise: Confinement with provision, neither freedom nor execution, a practical middle ground.
- The consequence: Lifelong widowhood without release, a lasting reminder of sin's cost.
Illustration hooks
- A family member who is innocent but suffers consequences because of another's crime, for example, children of a convicted criminal facing stigma at school.
- A community struggling to support a victim of sexual assault in a way that respects dignity while navigating legal and social pressures.
- The tension between providing for someone's physical needs and truly honouring their full personhood, like a nursing home that keeps residents safe but isolated.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why didn't David let these women go free? Couldn't he have done more?
- Were these women being punished for someone else's sin? Is that fair?
- What does this story say about how God views women in the Old Testament, and how should we read narratives that seem to treat them as property?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with the uncomfortable reality of how sin's consequences ripple outward to affect the innocent. David's decision, while practical, leaves us asking hard questions about justice, mercy, and the treatment of victims. As you discuss, seek to understand the cultural context and then consider what this story reveals about our need for a King who can truly restore.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What exactly did David do with the ten women? List each action the text records.
- Interpretation: Why was it impossible for David to take them back as wives? Use 2 Samuel 16:21-22 and the cultural background.
- Interpretation: In what sense were they 'living in widowhood' while their husband was still alive? What does that phrase reveal about their status?
- Interpretation: The text does not explicitly condemn or commend David's actions. Why might the narrator remain silent?
- Application: How does David's solution fall short of true justice? What would a truly just and merciful king have done differently?
- Application: How does this story point us to Jesus, who restores what is broken and gives freedom to captives (Luke 4:18)?
- Application: When have you seen innocent people suffer because of someone else's sin? How can our church respond better than David did?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 40:3 | He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. |
| II Samuel 15:16 | The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. |
| II Samuel 16:21 | Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” |
| II Samuel 16:22 | So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains the king had no good options regarding the ten women. He could not divorce them, could not punish them since they were not at fault, and could not remarry them without political danger. So he confined them in comfort, where they lived as widows for the rest of their lives.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights the ambiguous status of the women: they were left in a state it calls "living widowhood." The Targum explains this as widowhood while their husband was still alive. Because Absalom had taken them, they could neither return to the harem nor be set free.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that David neither punished nor restored the ten concubines Absalom had publicly violated. Instead, he confined them to a guarded house, provided for them, but permanently ended their marital status. They lived out their days in enforced widowhood, set apart because of what had happened.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that David did not execute the concubines who had been violated by Absalom but confined them to a living widowhood. He provided for their needs yet never visited them again, partly as punishment for their weakness and partly to avoid reminders of his own sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that David did not divorce his concubines because they were innocent, but they were confined to lifelong seclusion. This was consistent with the custom that widowed queens could not remarry, and it was considered a mild punishment in a culture where women rarely went out in public.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the chapter as a demonstration of God's hidden wisdom working through human failure. David's errors trigger fresh crisis, but God permits sin to run its course in order to reveal His justice and, through the very confusion men create, bring His kingdom to triumph.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Sheba's rebellion struck immediately after Absalom's was crushed, showing how one trouble can spawn another before peace settles. He also points out that Sheba, a Benjamite, carried the old grudge of Saul's house, an hereditary enmity that foreshadows the serpent's ongoing attacks against the Messiah's kingdom.