2 Samuel 20:3
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
Then David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left behind to take care of the house, and put them in custody and provided them with food, but did not have relations with them. So they were locked up until the day of their death, living as widows.

NASB 1995
Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows.

NASB 1977
Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David came to his house at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, the concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and placed them under guard and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as widows.

Amplified Bible
Then David came to his house (palace) at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to take care of the house, and placed them under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were confined, and lived as widows until the day of their death.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the 10 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.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David came to his house in Jerusalem and the King took the ten Concubines whom he had left to keep his house and he confined them in a house to be kept and he supported them and he did not go into them, and they were in confinement until the day that they died and were widows

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David went into his house at Jerusalem: and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and he put them in a place of custody, and maintained them, and went not in to them; and they were kept living as widows, till the day of their death.

Contemporary English Version
David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again. They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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 in ward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but they were shut up unto the day of their death living in widowhood.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but no longer slept with them. So they lived like widows in confinement until they died.

Good News Translation
When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace, and put them under guard. He provided for their needs, but did not have intercourse with them. They were kept confined for the rest of their lives, living like widows.

International Standard Version
When David arrived at his palace in Jerusalem, the king took the ten mistresses whom he had left behind to keep the palace in order and placed them in a separate house, providing for them under the care of a protective guard. He never visited them again, so they were under care until they died, living as if their husbands had died.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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, in widowhood, with their husband alive.

Literal Standard Version
And David comes to his house at Jerusalem. And the king takes the ten women-concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and puts them in a house of ward and sustains them, and he has not gone in to them, and they are shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
David came to his house in Jerusalem, and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left behind to care for the palace and placed them under guard. He provided for them, but never again saw them. And so they remained shut away to the day of their death, lifelong widows.

NET Bible
Then David went to his palace in Jerusalem. The king took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace and placed them under confinement. Though he provided for their needs, he did not have sexual relations with them. They remained in confinement until the day they died, living out the rest of their lives as widows.

New Revised Standard Version
David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten concubines whom he had left to look after 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 Heart English Bible
David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody, and provided them with sustenance, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 custody, and fed them, but went not in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sheba's Rebellion
2So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. 3When 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. 4Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 15:16
Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.

2 Samuel 16:21
Ahithophel replied, "Sleep with your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become a stench to your father, then the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened."

2 Samuel 16:22
So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

2 Samuel 20:2
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.


Treasury of Scripture

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 to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.

ten women

2 Samuel 15:16
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

2 Samuel 16:21,22
And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong…

ward [heb] and house of ward

Genesis 40:3
And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

shut [bound]

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Concubines Custody David Death Fed House Jerusalem Provided Shut Sustenance Ten Ward Widowhood Women
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Concubines Custody David Death Fed House Jerusalem Provided Shut Sustenance Ten Ward Widowhood Women
2 Samuel 20
1. By occasion of the quarrel, Sheba rebels in Israel
3. David's ten concubines are put in confinement for life
4. Amasa, made captain over Judah, is slain by Joab
14. Joab pursues Sheba to Abel
16. A wise woman saves the city by Sheba's head
23. David's officers














(3) Living in widowhood.--This was the necessary result, under the system of polygamy, of what had happened. The clause may be understood as "in widowhood of life," as in our version, or "in widowhood of the living," i.e., while their husband was living, as in the Chaldee.

Verse 3. - They were shut up. We are not to conclude that all widows had to live in seclusion, but only that those women who belonged to the royal harem, but had been taken by another, were not allowed to return to it, but condemned to a sort of imprisonment. Living in widowhood. This is explained by the Chaldee as lasting only during David's life, its rendering being, "in widowhood while their husband was alive."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When David
דָוִ֣ד (ḏā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

returned
וַיָּבֹ֨א (way·yā·ḇō)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

his palace
בֵּיתוֹ֮ (bê·ṯōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

in Jerusalem,
יְרֽוּשָׁלִַם֒ (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

he
הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

took
וַיִּקַּ֣ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the ten
עֶֽשֶׂר־ (‘e·śer-)
Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 6235: Ten

concubines
פִּלַגְשִׁ֡ים (pi·laḡ·šîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6370: A concubine, a paramour

he had left
הִנִּיחַ֩ (hin·nî·aḥ)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3240: Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place,

to care for
לִשְׁמֹ֨ר (liš·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

the palace
הַבַּ֜יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house

and placed
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֤ם (way·yit·tə·nêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

them under guard.
מִשְׁמֶ֙רֶת֙ (miš·me·reṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4931: A guard, watch, charge, function

He provided for them,
וַֽיְכַלְכְּלֵ֔ם (way·ḵal·kə·lêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3557: To keep in, to measure, to maintain

but he no longer
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

slept with
וַאֲלֵיהֶ֖ם (wa·’ă·lê·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

them.
בָ֑א (ḇā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

They were
וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָה (wat·tih·ye·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

confined
צְרֻר֛וֹת (ṣə·ru·rō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine plural
Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped

until
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the day
י֥וֹם (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of their death,
מֻתָ֖ן (mu·ṯān)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine plural
Strong's 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin

living
חַיּֽוּת׃ (ḥay·yūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2424: Living

as widows.
אַלְמְנ֥וּת (’al·mə·nūṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 491: A widow, widowhood


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OT History: 2 Samuel 20:3 David came to his house at Jerusalem (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 20:2
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