2 Samuel 20:3 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →David returns home and provides for the ten concubines violated during Absalom's revolt, keeping them secluded for life.
What Does 2 Samuel 20:3 Mean?
When Absalom rebelled, he had publicly taken his father's concubines to assert his claim to the throne. Now David comes home and must reckon with the wreckage. He shelters and feeds these women but keeps them set apart, and they live out their days in a kind of widowhood.
The scene carries the long shadow of David's own earlier sin, whose consequences kept unfolding through his household. Yet even amid the sorrow, the king does not abandon them; he provides for those who suffered for wrongs not their own. It is a quiet reminder that sin scatters grief far beyond the sinner, and that mercy still owes care to the wounded.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 20:3
What does 2 Samuel 20:3 mean?
David returns home and provides for the ten concubines violated during Absalom's revolt, keeping them secluded for life.