2 Samuel 20:3

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

1There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant: “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!” 2So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem. When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died. 4Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.” 5So Amasa went out to notify Judah, but it took him longer than the time he had been given.

2 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 15:16So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.
• 2 Samuel 16:21Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.”
• Genesis 40:3and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard.

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

• Abishai
• David

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jerusalem
• Heed
• Joab
• Sheba
• Wont
• Amasa
• Bible, the
• Israel, History of
• Judah, Kingdom of

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