Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on 2 Samuel 20:3
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem, etc.] His palace there, which was in that part of the city called the fort of Zion, and city of David: and the king took the ten women [his] concubines, whom he had left to keep the house; when he fled from Jerusalem because of Absalom, (<101516>2 Samuel 15:16); and put them in ward; partly as a punishment for easily yielding to the lust of Absalom, and partly that they might not be seen, which would bring to remembrance his sin: and fed them; he did not put them to death, nor put them away, but kept them thus confined, and made a proper provision for them, not suffering them to marry any other, and be maintained by them: but went not in unto them: into their apartments to lie with them, having been defiled by his son, (<101622>2 Samuel 16:22); so they were shut up unto the day of their death; kept in the ward till they died: living in widowhood; neither used by the king as his concubines, as they had been before, nor suffered to many any other; or “in the widowhood of life” f333, which is so expressed, to distinguish it from widowhood made by death; this was such sort of widowhood as obtained while their husband was living; so the Targum, “widows of their husband alive,” or remaining.
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