Jerusalem wives
The unnamed wives David took in Jerusalem, who bore him more sons and daughters.
Biography
The wives David took in Jerusalem are referenced collectively in 2 Samuel 5:13 and 1 Chronicles 14:3, where Scripture records that after his move to Jerusalem, David took additional wives and concubines, and that these unions produced numerous sons and daughters. Their names are not preserved in the biblical text, and they remain anonymous figures in the broader narrative of the United Monarchy. They bore children who would become part of the complex web of Davidic succession, including sons whose rivalries, most notably that of Absalom and Adonijah, would eventually threaten the stability of the kingdom David had built.
Significance
Though unnamed, the Jerusalem wives collectively represent a cautionary thread in the Davidic narrative. Their existence reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of royal polygamy, a pattern the Torah warned Israelite kings to avoid (Deuteronomy 17:17). The multiplication of wives and the resulting rivalry among their many sons contributed directly to the family strife that plagued David's household, the fulfillment of Nathan's sobering prophecy in 2 Samuel 12. Their story invites reflection on how personal choices, even by those chosen by God, can carry generational consequences.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Sam
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]