2 Samuel 5 13

2 Samuel 5:13 kjv

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.

2 Samuel 5:13 nkjv

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David.

2 Samuel 5:13 niv

After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

2 Samuel 5:13 esv

And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

2 Samuel 5:13 nlt

After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.

2 Samuel 5 verses

2 Samuel 5 13 Meaning

Following his establishment in Jerusalem as king over all Israel, David increased his harem by taking additional concubines and wives beyond those he had in Hebron. This action, characteristic of ancient Near Eastern monarchs for consolidating power and ensuring a large lineage, led to the birth of more sons and daughters to him, securing his dynastic future.

2 Samuel 5 13 Context

This verse immediately follows David's full anointing as king over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5) and his decisive capture of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, establishing it as his new capital (2 Sam 5:6-9) and consolidating his power (2 Sam 5:10-12). Having been previously king in Hebron for seven and a half years with existing wives and children, his move to Jerusalem signified a new era of expanded authority. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, kings often demonstrated their power and secured their dynasty by acquiring numerous wives and concubines, symbolizing prestige and ensuring many heirs. David's action here is presented as a part of establishing his kingdom in his new political and religious center, though it carries implications concerning the divine law for kings outlined in Deut 17:17.

2 Samuel 5 13 Word analysis

• And David (וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד, wayyiqqaḥ Dawid):
  • David (דָּוִד, Dawid): Means "beloved." He is the central figure, the chosen king. His actions are key to the narrative of Israelite kingship.
  • took (וַיִּקַּח, wayyiqqaḥ): A Qal imperfect verb, implying a completed action in the narrative flow. It signifies a deliberate acquisition or choosing of these women.
• him yet more (עוֹד לוֹ, ʿôd lo):
  • yet more (עוֹד, ʿôd): Signifies addition to an existing state. David already had several wives (e.g., Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah listed in 2 Sam 3:2-5), indicating this was a continuation or expansion of his marital practices, not the initiation.
• concubines (פִּילַגְשִׁים, pîlāgšîm):
  • Concubines held a recognized legal status, distinct from primary wives. They typically had fewer legal rights, but their children were legitimate heirs, though usually with a lower claim than sons of primary wives. This practice was common in the Ancient Near East for rulers seeking to expand their households and potential line of succession.
• and wives (וּנָשִׁים, ûnašim):
  • wives (נָשִׁים, nashim): Refers to women considered primary wives, with fuller legal and social standing. The term here indicates both secondary and primary unions were being established.
• out of Jerusalem (מִירוּשָׁלִַם, mîrûšalaím):
  • "From Jerusalem" (literal interpretation): Implies these women were taken after David moved his court there, indicating new unions initiated from his new royal residence.
• after he was come from Hebron (אַחֲרֵי בֹּאוֹ מֵחֶבְרוֹן, ʾaḥărey boʾō mim-Ḥebron):
  • after he was come (ʾaḥărey boʾō): This phrase establishes a clear chronological marker. It delineates a phase of David's life, differentiating his marriages in Jerusalem from those taken during his reign in Hebron.
  • from Hebron (mim-Ḥebron): Hebron was David's initial capital where he ruled Judah. His move to Jerusalem marked the unification of Israel and the establishment of his pan-Israelite kingdom. This act of taking more wives is reflective of his newly elevated status and increased dominion.
• and there were yet sons and daughters born to him. (וַיִּוָּלְדוּ לוֹ עוֹד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת, wayyiwwāldû lô ʿôd bānim ûḇānôt):
  • born to him (wayyiwwāldû lô): Passive voice, indicating children were born to David. This outcome naturally follows the taking of wives and concubines.
  • yet (עוֹד, ʿôd): Reinforces the continuation of progeny from before.
  • sons and daughters (bānim ûḇānôt): The direct outcome of these unions, highlighting the expansion of his family and the securing of multiple potential heirs, crucial for dynasty.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And David took him yet more concubines and wives...": This phrase signifies David's exercise of royal prerogative common in the ancient Near East. For an Israelite king, however, it constituted a violation of the specific prohibition in Deut 17:17, which forbade multiplying wives lest the king's heart turn away from God. The biblical text presents this as a factual statement, but it quietly marks a deviation from the ideal behavior for God's anointed. This act, while seen as securing a dynasty from a human perspective, inherently introduced potential for future discord and moral compromise, subtly setting the stage for future familial strife (e.g., Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah) and ethical lapses.
• "...out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron...": This precise geographic and chronological placement emphasizes the formal and public nature of these acquisitions. It reflects the establishment of a full-fledged royal court in the new unified capital. This action further underlines the political implications of such marriages for alliances and power projection.
• "...and there were yet sons and daughters born to him.": This concluding clause states the natural consequence of polygamy. While children were considered a blessing (Psa 127:3), a multitude of mothers within the same household frequently led to jealousy, rivalries, and contention for succession, a recurring theme in biblical narratives about royal families (e.g., the conflict between Solomon and Adonijah, or the troubles with Absalom).

2 Samuel 5 13 Bonus section

The act of taking many wives and concubines was deeply intertwined with social status and power in the ancient world. The size of a king's harem often corresponded to the extent of his dominion and wealth. While children from concubines usually held a lower social standing than those from primary wives, their birth provided an even broader pool of potential heirs, which was critical for ensuring dynastic continuity in an era of high child mortality. This practice, despite its widespread cultural acceptance, fundamentally clashed with the Mosaic ideal of marriage established in creation (Gen 2:24) and reiterated by Jesus (Matt 19:4-6), setting a negative precedent for Israel's leadership. The Deuteronomic law anticipated these negative consequences, viewing them not merely as a matter of moral failing, but as a direct threat to the king's spiritual loyalty to Yahweh, illustrating the principle that the pursuit of human power often leads away from divine parameters.

2 Samuel 5 13 Commentary

2 Samuel 5:13 succinctly describes David's multiplication of wives and concubines after consolidating his kingship in Jerusalem. While not overtly condemned in this verse, the practice was characteristic of kings in the broader ancient Near East, serving to signify power, form alliances, and secure multiple heirs for dynastic stability. However, this act stood in tension with God's specific command for Israelite kings in Deuteronomy 17:17, which explicitly forbade the multiplication of wives, recognizing its potential to turn the king's heart away from the Lord.

The text does not overtly moralize here; rather, it chronicles the events. Yet, by juxtaposing this action with the Deuteronomic law, the inspired narrative silently signals a departure from God's ideal. This seemingly benign verse carries profound theological weight as it foreshadows the tragic familial strife that would later plague David's household, a common consequence of large, competitive harems, and eventually contributed to the weakening of the monarchy and the future idolatry of kings like Solomon who flagrantly violated this very command. Thus, the verse, though a simple report, highlights a pattern of human ambition and deviation that would lead to significant spiritual and societal repercussions throughout the Davidic dynasty.