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.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten women who were his concubines - the ones he had left behind to take care of the house. He placed them under guard and provided for their needs, but he never had relations with them again. They remained confined like this until they died, living as if they were widows.
David isolated his ten concubines for the rest of their lives after they were violated by his son Absalom during the rebellion.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of King David's reign, this verse follows the rebellion of his son Absalom, who had publicly taken David's concubines as an act of humiliation during his attempted coup. After Absalom's defeat and David's return to Jerusalem, he had to address the consequences of this violation to restore order in his household. This action reflected the cultural norms of ancient Israel, where defiled relationships were often handled with separation to maintain honor and purity.
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