2 Samuel 15:16
“The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.”
What does 2 Samuel 15:16 mean?
King David is fleeing Jerusalem during a rebellion led by his own son Absalom, and he's moving quickly with his loyal supporters. He leaves behind ten concubines to care for the royal palace, probably because moving such a large group would slow him down or because he thought the house needed to remain staffed. What happens next in the story shows the tragic consequences of David's absence: Absalom publicly claims these women as his own, which was a devastating humiliation for David and a symbolic act meant to show he'd permanently replaced his father as king. This moment captures how vulnerable David has become and foreshadows the depth of the conflict tearing his family and kingdom apart.