2 Samuel 15:16

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.

a. ASV: And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.

b. YLT: And the king goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten women -- concubines -- to keep the house.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: So the king and all his household after him went forth. But he left ten women who were concubines to keep the house.

d. Septuagint: And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: The king left, and all his household [went] with him, but the king left ten concubine wives to keep the house.

1. “And the king went forth, and all his household after him…”

a. [And the] king [Strong: 4428 melek, meh'-lek; from H4427; a king:—king, royal.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4428 in the following manner: king (2,518x), royal (2x), Hammelech (1x), Malcham (1x), Moloch (1x).]

b. went forth [Strong: 3318 yâtsâʼ, yaw-tsaw'; a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:—× after, appear, × assuredly, bear out, × begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, × scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, × still, × surely, take forth (out), at any time, × to (and fro), utter.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3318 in the following manner: ....out (518x), ....forth (411x), bring (24x), come (24x), proceed (16x), go (13x), depart (10x), miscellaneous (53x).]

c. [and] all [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

d. [his] household [Strong: 1004 bayith, bah'-yith; probably from H1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):—court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, +within(-out).] [The KJV translates Strong's H1004 in the following manner: house (1,881x), household (54x), home (25x), within (22x), temple (11x), prison (16x), place (16x), family (3x), families (with H1) (2x), dungeon (2x), miscellaneous (23x).]

e. after [him] [Strong: 7272 regel, reh'-gel; from H7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda:—× be able to endure, × according as, × after, ×coming, × follow, (broken-)foot(-ed, -stool), × great toe, × haunt, × journey, leg, piss, possession, time.] [The KJV translates Strong's H7272 in the following manner: feet (216x), footstool (with H1916) (6x), after (4x), times (4x), follow (4x), piss (with H4325) (2x), toes (2x), journey (1x), legs (1x), miscellaneous (7x).]

2. “...And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.”

a. [And the] king [Strong: 4428 melek, meh'-lek; from H4427; a king:—king, royal.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4428 in the following manner: king (2,518x), royal (2x), Hammelech (1x), Malcham (1x), Moloch (1x).]

b. left [Strong: 5800 ʻâzab, aw-zab'; a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.:—commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, × surely.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5800 in the following manner: forsake (129x), leave (72x), leave off (4x), faileth (2x), fortify (2x), help (2x), committeth (1x), destitute (1x), refuseth (1x), surely (1x).]

c. ten [Strong: 6235 ʻeser, eh'ser; masculine of term עֲשָׂרָה ʻăsârâh; from H6237; ten (as an accumulation to the extent of the digits):—ten, (fif-, seven-) teen.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6235 in the following manner: ten (172x), fifteen (with H2568) (1x), seventeen (with H7651) (1x), ten times (1x).]

d. women [Strong: 802 ʼishshâh, ish-shaw'; feminine of H376 or H582; irregular plural, נָשִׁים nâshîym;(used in the same wide sense as H582) a woman:—(adulter) ess, each, every, female, × many, none, one, together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.] [The KJV translates Strong's H802 in the following manner: wife (425x), woman (324x), one (10x), married (5x), female (2x), miscellaneous (14x).]

e. [which were] concubines [Strong: 6370 pîylegesh, pee-leh'-ghesh; or פִּלֶגֶשׁ pilegesh; of uncertain derivation; a concubine; also (masculine) a paramour:—concubine, paramour.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6370 in the following manner: concubine (35x), concubine (with H802) (1x), paramours (1x).]

f. [to] keep [Strong: shâmar, shaw-mar'; a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:—beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).]

g. [the] house [Strong: 1004 bayith, bah'-yith; probably from H1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.):—court, daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, × great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet, temple, web, +within(-out).] [The KJV translates Strong's H1004 in the following manner: house (1,881x), household (54x), home (25x), within (22x), temple (11x), prison (16x), place (16x), family (3x), families (with H1) (2x), dungeon (2x), miscellaneous (23x).]

1). Benson Commentary:  The king left ten women — Supposing that their sex and quality, and especially their relation to him, being his concubines, would be a sufficient protection to them, and gain them some respect, or, at least, safety from his son. What became of his wives is not here related; but it is probable they went along with him, to take care of him; as the other women were left to take care of the house.

2). David had at least eight wives who are named:

a). Michal: 1 Samuel 18:27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king's son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

b). Abigail: 1 Samuel 25:42 And Abigail hasted, and arose and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

c). Bathsheba: 2 Samuel 11:26, 27 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

d). The  other named wives are Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah and they are listed in 2 Samuel 3:2-5 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

3:3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

3:4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

3:5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

e). In 2 Samuel 5:13 it says that David took more wives and concubines but they are not named. It is unknown how many he had.

(1)  2 Samuel 5:13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

3). This was not God’s will and is laid out in the Law of Moses.

a). Deuteronomy 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

4). It is also unknown which ones were left to keep the house. Ahithophel one of David’s consellers instructed Absalom to sleep with all the women that David left in the house.

a). 2 Samuel 16:20-22 hen said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.

16:21 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.

16:22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

5). When David regained the throne and returned to jerusalem he never went into those women again.

a). 2 Samuel 20:3 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.