1 Samuel 25 43

1 Samuel 25:43 kjv

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

1 Samuel 25:43 nkjv

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and so both of them were his wives.

1 Samuel 25:43 niv

David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives.

1 Samuel 25:43 esv

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.

1 Samuel 25:43 nlt

David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives.

1 Samuel 25 verses

1 Samuel 25 43 Meaning

1 Samuel 25:43 records that David also acquired Ahinoam of Jezreel as a wife, making her his second wife in rapid succession, following his recent marriage to Abigail. This act demonstrates David's increasing influence and establishment, as acquiring multiple wives was a common practice for men of power and status in the ancient Near East, solidifying a household structure fit for a rising leader.

1 Samuel 25 43 Context

This verse is found within a pivotal chapter for David's life. He is an outlaw, fleeing from Saul, but simultaneously accumulating power and followers, establishing himself as a rising leader chosen by God. The immediate preceding events describe David's near-retribution against Nabal, which was averted by the wise intervention of Abigail (1 Sam 25:1-35). Nabal's subsequent death is presented as divine judgment (1 Sam 25:36-38), and David then takes Abigail as his wife, demonstrating God's continued care and provision for him, and David's growing royal stature (1 Sam 25:39-42). Directly following this, David also takes Ahinoam. This swift acquisition of two wives highlights his burgeoning household and influence, reflecting the ancient Near Eastern custom where a king's strength and lineage were often marked by the size of his family and number of wives. While establishing his royal status, this practice also brings him into tension with the later Mosaic law concerning kings multiplying wives.

1 Samuel 25 43 Word analysis

• David (דָּוִיד, Dawid): Refers to the central figure, the anointed one of Israel who is currently a fugitive but destined for kingship. His actions here reflect a kingly custom even before he formally becomes king.
• also took (וַיִּקַּח גַּם, vayyiqqakh gam): The verb "took" (וַיִּקַּח, vayyiqqakh) frequently denotes 'to take' or 'to receive', and in the context of people, often means 'to marry' or 'to take as wife/husband' (e.g., Gen 2:21, 4:19). The "also" (גַּם, gam) indicates this action is supplementary, building upon his recent marriage to Abigail. It implies an intentional action on David's part to expand his marital alliances or household.
• Ahinoam (אֲחִינֹעַם, ʾĂḥînōʿam): This proper name means "my brother is pleasantness" or "brother of pleasantness." This specific Ahinoam is identified by her hometown to distinguish her from other women with the same name, particularly Ahinoam, Saul's wife and mother of Jonathan (1 Sam 14:50).
• of Jezreel (מִיִּזְרְעֶאל, miYizreʿēʾl): "Of" (min) signifies origin. Jezreel was a prominent city name. There are at least two Jezreels in biblical geography. This one is likely the Jezreel located in the hill country of Judah, north of Hebron (Josh 15:56), rather than the more famous one in the northern kingdom (e.g., 1 Kgs 18:45). Its inclusion ensures clear identification.
• and both of them (וַתִּהְיֶיןָ שְׁתֵּיהֶן, vattihəyennah shtteyhen): "Both of them" explicitly refers to Abigail (from the previous verses) and Ahinoam. This phrasing emphasizes the plural nature of his new marital status, reinforcing that David now had two wives.
• became his wives (לוֹ לְנָשִׁים, lo lənašim): "Wives" (našim) is the plural of "woman" or "wife." This confirms the formal establishment of a plural marriage. The structure emphasizes their recognized status within David's growing retinue, not just as partners but as wives who would bear children and establish his future royal line.

1 Samuel 25 43 Bonus section

The practice of taking multiple wives, particularly for powerful men and kings in the Ancient Near East, served political and social functions beyond procreation. It could secure alliances, consolidate wealth, and demonstrate status and prestige. By taking Abigail, a woman of wealth and discernment, and Ahinoam, from a Judean town, David was not only building a family but also fortifying his emerging social and regional connections. While the text narrates David's actions as a fact, the theological undercurrent from Mosaic law (Deut 17:17) subtly critiques this pattern for future kings, setting up a tension between cultural norms and divine expectations that often manifests in negative consequences within biblical narratives. David’s acquisition of multiple wives established the royal pattern that would be notably and disastrously amplified by his son Solomon (1 Kgs 11:1-8).

1 Samuel 25 43 Commentary

1 Samuel 25:43, brief as it is, speaks volumes about David's evolving status and foreshadows complexities in his life. It confirms David's practice of polygamy, common among leaders of his era but distinct from God's ideal for marriage (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4-6) and against specific instructions for future kings (Deut 17:17). David, the future king, already exhibits behaviors associated with royalty: consolidating power and lineage through multiple wives. The immediate acquisition of Ahinoam after Abigail, though presented without moral comment in the text, signifies his rising prominence and household expansion. While these marriages served to strengthen David's social and political standing in an ancient society, they would later contribute to internal strife and family dysfunction within his household, demonstrating the negative consequences often associated with multiplying wives, as seen in the broader biblical narrative of figures like Jacob and Solomon. The Bible consistently portrays the outcomes of such practices, allowing readers to infer divine disapproval through lived consequences.