This verse shows how David strove to protect his household while trusting in God’s ongoing plan.
Then we read, “So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house” (v.16). This scene takes place around 975-970 BC, when King David, who reigned from about 1010 to 970 BC, was forced to flee Jerusalem because his son Absalom was plotting a rebellion. David had captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites years prior and made it his capital, sometimes called “the city of David.”Assured of God’s past faithfulness, he gathered his household—not just relatives, but also loyal servants and guards—and exited the city to avoid a violent confrontation. Yet in the midst of this turmoil, David left ten concubines behind to watch over and maintain the royal residence.
By leaving this small group of concubines to “keep the house,” David seems to have intended a token presence of royal authority in the palace. It also suggests that he did not know how long his exile would last. He was forced to balance his urgent need for safety with the responsibility to preserve continuity in Jerusalem’s royal court. These concubines, regarded as part of the extended household, signified that David trusted his reign was not over, even though he had to leave. Being the anointed king who had replaced Saul (1 Samuel 16:13),David understood that the promise of God’s blessing would endure, even in the face of betrayal and uncertainty.
Moreover, this passage reveals King David’s practicality as well as his reliance on divine deliverance. Fleeing allowed the rest of his household to escape the immediate danger, but leaving the concubines behind kept a foothold of order in the capital city. As with many moments in David’s life, his faith in God’s sustaining power mingled with a prudent approach to survival, foreshadowing his eventual restoration.
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2 Samuel 15:16 meaning
Then we read, “So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house” (v.16). This scene takes place around 975-970 BC, when King David, who reigned from about 1010 to 970 BC, was forced to flee Jerusalem because his son Absalom was plotting a rebellion. David had captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites years prior and made it his capital, sometimes called “the city of David.”Assured of God’s past faithfulness, he gathered his household—not just relatives, but also loyal servants and guards—and exited the city to avoid a violent confrontation. Yet in the midst of this turmoil, David left ten concubines behind to watch over and maintain the royal residence.
By leaving this small group of concubines to “keep the house,” David seems to have intended a token presence of royal authority in the palace. It also suggests that he did not know how long his exile would last. He was forced to balance his urgent need for safety with the responsibility to preserve continuity in Jerusalem’s royal court. These concubines, regarded as part of the extended household, signified that David trusted his reign was not over, even though he had to leave. Being the anointed king who had replaced Saul (1 Samuel 16:13),David understood that the promise of God’s blessing would endure, even in the face of betrayal and uncertainty.
Moreover, this passage reveals King David’s practicality as well as his reliance on divine deliverance. Fleeing allowed the rest of his household to escape the immediate danger, but leaving the concubines behind kept a foothold of order in the capital city. As with many moments in David’s life, his faith in God’s sustaining power mingled with a prudent approach to survival, foreshadowing his eventual restoration.