2 Samuel 5:13 Commentary: David's Wives and the Shadow of Success

This verse sits in a moment of triumph. David has captured Jerusalem’s citadel, built a palace with help from Hiram of Tyre, and seen the kingdom established by Yahweh. In the ancient Near East, a king’s number of wives and children displayed his power and secured alliances. Harem size was a royal status symbol. But Israel’s law intentionally countered that pattern. Deuteronomy 17:17 forbade the king from multiplying wives, precisely so his heart would not be led astray. David already had six wives from his Hebron years, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah, and now he adds more from Jerusalem. The Chronicler, writing later, includes the same list (1 Chronicles 14:3) and adds the sons born, making no moral comment but preserving the record. The location ‘out of Jerusalem’ may imply wives from prominent local families, consolidating his rule politically. Yet the law’s warning was not merely political; it guarded the king’s heart against compromise. David’s later adultery with Bathsheba (herself the wife of a soldier) shows the trajectory that multiplied wives can set.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The parallel in 1 Chronicles 14:3 omits the mention of concubines (possibly for theological tone), but does not affect the reading in Samuel.

Early church fathers such as Augustine and Chrysostom used this verse to argue that even the Old Testament saints were not perfect, and that the Law remained binding even on kings. In the Reformation, Luther and Calvin both noted David’s failure as a warning against the abuse of royal power. Medieval typological readings sometimes saw David's multiple marriages as a figure of Christ’s care for many nations, but that allegory has not persisted in modern scholarship. Wesley, in the 18th century, called it a ‘miscarriage’ that opened the door to David’s later sin. In contemporary preaching, the verse is most often cited in series on leadership or the danger of success.

Three-point outline

1. Blessing does not cancel law. God established David’s kingdom (v.12), but that did not give him permission to ignore Deuteronomy 17:17. Success can make obedience feel optional.
2. Power multiplies temptation. David used his position to take more wives, probably for alliances and prestige. What the world calls wisdom, Scripture calls sin.
3. The Bible refuses to airbrush its heroes. The same chapter that records God’s victory over Philistines also records David’s disobedience. The story is honest, not hagiography.

Five-point outline

1. The context of success (vv.9-12). Hiram’s palace, God’s establishment, the high point of David’s reign.
2. The specific sin: taking ‘more concubines and wives’ contrary to Deut 17:17.
3. The cultural pressure: royal polygamy was normal in the ancient world. David conformed to his neighbours rather than to God’s word.
4. The tragic fruit: more children meant more family chaos (Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah). Multiplication of wives does not equal blessing.
5. The gospel: David’s failure points forward to a perfect King, Jesus, who was faithful in all things, even to death.

Illustration hooks

• A promotion at work comes with a company car and a bigger office. The new perks subtly tempt you to cut corners your conscience once held sacred.
• After buying your first home, you feel the pressure to keep up with neighbours: nicer furniture, a second car, a better lawn. The line between ‘enough’ and ‘more’ blurs quickly.
• In a political campaign, a candidate accepts endorsements from people whose values contradict their stated beliefs, telling themselves it’s necessary to win.

Questions your congregation is asking

• How can David be ‘a man after God’s own heart’ if he committed such serious sins?
• Does God’s blessing on my life mean I’m free to ignore smaller commands?
• Why does the Bible include stories that make its heroes look bad?

This verse appears in a chapter full of victories: the capture of Jerusalem, a royal palace, and military success. Then the camera lingers on a quiet, disturbing detail: David took more wives. That detail is the hinge. Read 2 Samuel 5:13 together, then discuss where the line between God’s blessing and human compromise runs.

Discussion questions

1. What are the signs that David’s kingdom was being ‘established’ in this chapter? How might that very success have made him less careful?
2. Why does Deuteronomy 17:17 forbid the king from multiplying wives? What heart issue is at stake?
3. David already had six wives before moving to Jerusalem (2 Sam 3:2-5). Why do you think he took more? What pressures or desires might have motivated him?
4. Compare this verse with 1 Chronicles 14:3, which records the same fact without comment. Why might the Chronicler simply list names and not add a moral verdict?
5. In what areas of life does success make obedience feel less urgent? How can the group stay alert to that danger?
6. How does David’s failure here connect to his later sin with Bathsheba? Does one lead to the other?
7. The verse ends with sons and daughters born. How does the rest of David’s family story (2 Samuel 13, 20) challenge the idea that ‘more’ always means ‘blessing’?