Here are the list of names of the wives of King David that are mentioned in the Bible.
- Michal, daughter of Saul (1 Samuel 18:27)
- Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Samuel 25:43)
- Abigail, widow of Nabal (1 Samuel 25:42-43)
- Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3:3)
- Haggith (2 Samuel 3:4)
- Abital (2 Samuel 3:4)
- Eglah (2 Samuel 3:5)
- Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11:27)
A fun fact – of these eight wives, we know that three of them had other husbands. Michal was given to Phalti and was then taken away from him, Abigail was the wife of Nabal and becomes widowed after he dies and Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah who David arranges to be killed so that he can marry her!
David had other wives and concubines, but their names are not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. Here is a detailed breakdown on the 3 main wives of King David – Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba as well as the references to his other wives and concubines.
Michal – David’s first wife
Michal’s story begins with her love for David, whom she first met when he was a young shepherd boy. Despite her father’s initial plans to marry her off to someone else, Michal’s love for David remained steadfast. When Saul realized that Michal loved David, he saw an opportunity to use her as a pawn in his ongoing conflict with David. Saul promised Michal to David, hoping that she would become a snare to him. However, Michal’s love for David only grew stronger over time. When Saul’s servants informed David of Saul’s demands for a dowry of one hundred Philistine foreskins, David accepted the challenge and killed two hundred Philistines, presenting their foreskins to Saul to win Michal’s hand in marriage. Despite the dangers she faced as David’s wife, Michal remained loyal to him. When Saul sent men to kill David, Michal helped David escape, deceiving her father’s messengers by placing an image in David’s bed to make them think he was sick. When Saul confronted her about helping David escape, Michal cleverly replied that David threatened to kill her if she didn’t let him go.
After David escapes, Saul gives Michal to another man, Phalti, the son of Laish. In the meantime, David takes on multiple wives. Later, when David becomes king, he demands the return of Michal as his wife. Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, complies and takes her from Phalti, causing her husband Phalti to weep as he follows her.
David brings the Ark of the Lord into the city of David and he exuberantly celebrates the occasion. David, overcome with joy, dances before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen ephod, and offering sacrifices. However, Michal, witnesses David dancing from a window and despises him in her heart. When David returns home to bless his household, Michal confronts him, commenting on his behavior. She criticizes David for his actions, accusing him of behaving shamelessly in front of the servants’ handmaids, saying, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”. In response, David defends his actions, asserting that he was dancing before the Lord who had chosen him over her father Saul and his house to be the ruler over Israel. David declares that he will continue to humble himself and be even more undignified in his worship of the Lord. This event marks a turning point in their relationship, leading to a rift between them that is never fully healed. As a consequence of her attitude towards David, Michal had no child until the day of her death, suggesting that her relationship with David was strained and unproductive.
Following the troubled course of Michal’s life, the tragedy culminates with the devastating loss of the five sons of Adriel, who was the son of Barzillai the Meholathite that Michal was bringing up. King David delivers Michal’s five sons, whom she had raised for Adriel, to the Gibeonites along with the two sons of Rizpah. All seven sons are hanged before the Lord, a punishment that occurs during the days of harvest. This sorrowful event serves as a poignant conclusion to Michal’s story, reflecting the tragic consequences of her strained relationship with David.
1 Samuel 18:15-30
[15] Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.
[16] But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.
[17] And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
[18] And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son in law to the king?
[19] But it came to pass at the time when Merab Saul’s daughter should have been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite to wife.
[20] And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
[21] And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.
[22] And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law.
[23] And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
[24] And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David.
[25] And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
[26] And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired.
[27] Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.
[28] And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him.
[29] And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.
[30] Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
1 Samuel 19:9-17
[9] And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
[10] And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
[11] Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.
[12] So Michal let David down through a window: and he went, and fled, and escaped.
[13] And Michal took an image, and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster, and covered it with a cloth.
[14] And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, He is sick.
[15] And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.
[16] And when the messengers were come in, behold, there was an image in the bed, with a pillow of goats’ hair for his bolster.
[17] And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
1 Samuel 25:42-44
[42] And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
[43] David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
[44] But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
2 Samuel 3:12-16
[12] And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee.
[13] And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.
[14] And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
[15] And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish.
[16] And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned.
2 Samuel 6:12-23
[12] And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness.
[13] And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.
[14] And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
[15] So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
[16] And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
[17] And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
[18] And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
[19] And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.
[20] Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
[21] And David said unto Michal, It was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD.
[22] And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honour.
[23] Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
2 Samuel 21:8-9
[8] But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
[9] And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
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Abigail – the widow that David takes as his wife
Abigail is introduced as the wife of Nabal a wealthy man of Carmel. She was known as a remarkable woman having great beauty and wisdom. Despite being married to a man described as churlish and evil, Abigail shines as a woman of good understanding. When David and his men seek provisions from Nabal during sheep-shearing time, Nabal responds rudely, refusing to help them. However, Abigail takes matters into her own hands. She gathers a generous gift of food and wine, and without informing her husband, she sets out to meet David and his men.
Upon meeting David, Abigail humbly bows before him and begs for forgiveness, taking full responsibility for her husband’s actions. She acknowledges David’s righteous cause and prophesies his future as king. Her words and actions impress David, who praises her wisdom and blesses her for preventing him from taking revenge. Abigail returns home to find Nabal feasting and drunk, and wisely chooses to wait until morning to tell him of her encounter with David.
When Nabal learns of Abigail’s actions, his heart fails him, and ten days later, God smote Nabal and he dies. David, upon hearing of Nabal’s death, recognizes God’s justice and sends for Abigail to take her as his wife. Abigail, in her humility, accepts this new chapter in her life and becomes one of David’s wives, standing out as a beacon of grace, wisdom, and strength in challenging circumstances.
After considering his precarious situation with Saul, David decided to escape to the land of the Philistines. He took his six hundred men and went to Achish, the king of Gath. There, David and his men settled with their families. Among them were David’s two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, the Carmelitess, who used to be Nabal’s wife before his death.
Later on in David’s story, David and his men return to Ziklag to find it burned and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. Among the captives were David’s two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. David was greatly distressed, and the people even spoke of stoning him. However, David encouraged himself in the Lord and sought guidance through the priest Abiathar. With the Lord’s assurance of success, David pursued the Amalekites with his men. Along the way, they encountered an Egyptian servant who led them to the Amalekite camp. David and his men attacked, defeating the Amalekites and recovering all that was taken, including his wives.
Chileab was the second son of David which Abigail bore for him. Abigail is a memorable figure in biblical history marked by her actions that exemplified her courage, intelligence, and resourcefulness.
1 Samuel 25:1-44
[1] And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
[2] And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
[3] Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
[4] And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
[5] And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
[6] And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
[7] And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
[8] Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
[9] And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
[10] And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
[11] Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
[12] So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
[13] And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
[14] But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
[15] But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
[16] They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
[17] Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
[18] Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
[19] And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
[20] And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
[21] Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
[22] So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
[23] And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
[24] And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
[25] Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
[26] Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
[27] And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
[28] I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
[29] Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
[30] And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
[31] That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
[32] And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
[33] And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
[34] For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
[35] So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
[36] And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
[37] But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
[38] And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
[39] And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head, And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
[40] And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him to wife.
[41] And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.
[42] And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
[43] David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
[44] But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
1 Samuel 27:1-3
[1] And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
[2] And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
[3] And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.
1 Samuel 30:1-25
[1] And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
[2] And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
[3] So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
[4] Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
[5] And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
[6] And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
[7] And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
[8] And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
[9] So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.
[10] But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
[11] And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;
[12] And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
[13] And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.
[14] We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.
[15] And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.
[16] And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
[17] And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.
[18] And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
[19] And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
[20] And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.
[21] And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
[22] Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.
[23] Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.
[24] For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.
[25] And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.
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Ahinoam – David’s wife from Jezreel
Ahinoam, one of David’s wives, hailed from Jezreel. She, along with Abigail, accompanied David during his stay with Achish, the king of Gath, to escape Saul’s pursuit. Later on in David’s story, David and his men return to Ziklag to find it burned and their families taken captive by the Amalekites. Among the captives were David’s two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. David was greatly distressed, and the people even spoke of stoning him. However, David encouraged himself in the Lord and sought guidance through the priest Abiathar. With the Lord’s assurance of success, David pursued the Amalekites with his men. Along the way, they encountered an Egyptian servant who led them to the Amalekite camp. David and his men attacked, defeating the Amalekites and recovering all that was taken, including his wives. Ahinoam bore David his firstborn son, Amnon.
David’s children by his many wives
2 Samuel 3:2-5
[2] And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
[3] And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
[4] And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
[5] And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
David takes more wives and concubines
2 Samuel 5:13
[13] 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.
Bathsheba – The wife of another who caught David’s eye
Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, became one of King David’s wives after a series of tragic events. While her role in the events leading up to her marriage with David is somewhat passive, she is central to one of the most notorious incidents in David’s reign.
Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah, a valiant soldier in David’s army. David, while walking on the roof of his palace one evening, saw Bathsheba bathing and was overcome by her beauty. He inquired about her and learned that she was married to Uriah. Despite this, David sent for her and they committed adultery while her husband was away at war. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David, in an attempt to cover up his sin, recalled Uriah from the battlefront, hoping that he would sleep with his wife and thus the child would be thought to be his. However, Uriah’s loyalty to his fellow soldiers and sense of duty prevented him from doing so.
David then plotted Uriah’s death by placing him in the forefront of the battle, where he was killed. After Uriah’s death, Bathsheba mourned, and David took her as his wife. Despite their marriage and the birth of of their first child, the way their relationship began, with David’s adultery and Uriah’s death, was displeasing to the Lord. Nathan the prophet confronted David about his sin, and David repented. However, their first child died as a consequence of God’s judgment on their sin. They later had another son, Solomon, who would become one of Israel’s greatest kings.
When David was old and feeble, Adonijah, David’s son, began to make a bid for the throne. Bathsheba, guided by the prophet Nathan, took decisive action. Recognizing the potential threat to Solomon’s succession, Bathsheba approached David with Nathan’s counsel. She reminded David of his promise that Solomon would be his successor. Nathan supported her plea, affirming the divine favor upon Solomon’s reign. Bathsheba’s intervention was instrumental in persuading David to publicly declare Solomon as his heir, thwarting Adonijah’s attempt to usurp the throne.
After Solomon became king and his throne was established, Adonijah, David’s son, approached Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, requesting her help in asking Solomon for permission to marry Abishag, the Shunammite, a young woman who had cared for the elderly David. Bathsheba agreed to speak to Solomon on Adonijah’s behalf. When Bathsheba went to Solomon with Adonijah’s request, Solomon questions Bathsheba’s request, asking why she would specifically request Abishag for Adonijah, implying that this choice could be seen as a claim to the throne. He suggests that if she is asking for Abishag, she might as well ask for the kingdom for Adonijah too, emphasizing his understanding of the political implications of the request. Solomon saw through the scheme and ordered Adonijah’s execution, viewing his request as an act of treason against the established monarchy. Despite Bathsheba’s intentions to help Adonijah, Solomon’s decisive actions underscored his commitment to upholding the divine decree that he would be the rightful successor to David’s throne.
Despite the scandalous circumstances of Bathsheba’s marriage to King David and facing the tragic loss of her first born, later on, she plays a pivotal role in securing the throne for her son Solomon. However, her request for Abishag as a wife for Adonijah exposes a certain naivety or miscalculation, which Solomon swiftly corrects. While her story is often overshadowed by the actions of the men around her, Bathsheba’s strength and influence should not be underestimated as she played a crucial role in shaping the future of Israel.
2 Samuel 11:1-27
[1] And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
[2] And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
[3] And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
[4] And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
[5] And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
[6] And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
[7] And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
[8] And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
[9] But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
[10] And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
[11] And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
[12] And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
[13] And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
[14] And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
[15] And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
[16] And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
[17] And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
[18] Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
[19] And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
[20] And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
[21] Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
[22] So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
[23] And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
[24] And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
[25] Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
[26] And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
[27] And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Samuel 12:1-25
[1] And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
[2] The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
[3] But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
[4] And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
[5] And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
[6] And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
[7] And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
[8] And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
[9] Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
[10] Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
[11] Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
[12] For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
[13] And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
[14] Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
[15] And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
[16] David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
[17] And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
[18] And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
[19] But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
[20] Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
[21] Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
[22] And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
[23] But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
[24] And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
[25] And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
1 Kings 1:11-31
[11] Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?
[12] Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
[13] Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?
[14] Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.
[15] And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.
[16] And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?
[17] And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
[18] And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:
[19] And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.
[20] And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
[21] Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
[22] And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.
[23] And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.
[24] And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?
[25] For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.
[26] But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
[27] Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
[28] Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
[29] And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
[30] Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
[31] Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
1 Kings 2:12-24
[12] Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
[13] And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
[14] He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
[15] And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
[16] And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.
[17] And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
[18] And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
[19] Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
[20] Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
[21] And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
[22] And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
[23] Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
[24] Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
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The ten concubines of David
The ten concubines of King David faced a harrowing fate in the tumultuous events surrounding Absalom’s rebellion. Left behind in Jerusalem as David fled, they became a pawn in Absalom’s power play. They became a symbol of Absalom’s defiance as he publicly lay with them which was not only a personal betrayal of his father King David but also a political statement, solidifying his break with his father. In response, David, upon his return, kept the concubines in seclusion, providing for them but refraining from further intimate relations, which reflects both his sorrow and perhaps a recognition of their tarnished status in society. Their story is a somber reminder of the collateral damage often borne by those caught in the midst of political strife.
2 Samuel 15:14-17
[14] And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
[15] And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
[16] And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
[17] And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
2 Samuel 16:20-23
[20] Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do.
[21] And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong.
[22] So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
[23] And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
2 Samuel 20:3
[3] 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.
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Abishag – David’s damsel aide
In his old age, King David was unable to generate heat, so his servants suggested finding a young virgin to lie with him and provide warmth. They searched all of Israel and found Abishag, a beautiful Shunammite woman, who was brought to the king. Abishag cared for and ministered to the king, but their relationship remained purely functional, as the king did not have intimate relations with her.
1 Kings 1:1-4
[1] Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.
[2] Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.
[3] So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
[4] And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.
– By SAP for almondtreerod.com
