Christian Standard Bible
2 Samuel 20:3
3When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but he was not intimate with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
2 Samuel 20:3 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now 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 seclusion and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
Context of 2 Samuel 20:3
1Now a wicked man, a Benjaminite named Sheba son of Bichri, happened to be there. He blew the ram’s horn and shouted: We have no portion in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Each man to his tent, Israel! 2So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bichri, but the men of Judah from the Jordan all the way to Jerusalem remained loyal to their king. When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but he was not intimate with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows. 4The king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to me within three days and be here yourself.” 5Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
Read all of 2 Samuel 202 Samuel 20:3 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֨א דָוִ֣ד אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ֮ יְרֽוּשָׁלִַם֒ וַיִּקַּ֣ח הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֵ֣ת עֶֽשֶׂר־נָשִׁ֣ים׀ פִּלַגְשִׁ֡ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִנִּיחַ֩ לִשְׁמֹ֨ר הַבַּ֜יִת וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֤ם בֵּית־מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙ וַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔ם וַאֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לֹא־בָ֑א וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָה צְרֻר֛וֹת עַד־י֥וֹם מֻתָ֖ן אַלְמְנ֥וּת חַיּֽוּת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to his houseבֵּיתbayith · betweenH1004
- at Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- and the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- the tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- concubinesפִּלֶ֫גֶשׁpîylegesh pilegesh · concubineH6370
- whom he had leftיָנַחyânach · to restH3240
- to keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: guardH8104
- and putנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- them in wardמִשְׁמֶ֫רֶתmishmereth · chargeH4931
- and fedכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
- unto them. So they were shut upצָרַרtsârar · to constrainH6887
- unto the dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of their deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- livingחַיּוּתchayûth · livingH2424
- in widowhoodאַלְמָנוּת'almânûth · widowhoodH491
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 20:3
- 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.
- 2 Samuel 16:21Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become repulsive to your father, everyone with you will be encouraged.”
- Genesis 40:3and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guards in the prison where Joseph was confined.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The 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.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The ten concubines (2 Samuel 15:16) whom Absalom had publicly mistreated (16:21–22) faced a fate similar to Michal’s (see 6:23 and 2 Samuel 6:23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. 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. David treated his concubines in the same manner after the outrage committed on them by Absalom. They were not divorced, for they were guiltless; but they were no longer publicly recognized as his wives; nor was their confinement to a sequestered…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 20:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries