Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

2 Samuel 15:16

So the king left, accompanied by all his family and officials, except for ten concubines, whom he left behind to take care of the palace.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Concubinage;   Cowardice;   David;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Concubine;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ahithophel ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Jerusalem;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sol'omon;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Household;   Ittai;   Olives, Mount of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Pilegesh;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
Hebrew Names Version
The king went forth, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.
King James Version
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
Lexham English Bible
The king went out with all his household following him, but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house.
English Standard Version
So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house.
New Century Version
The king set out with everyone in his house, but he left ten slave women to take care of the palace.
New English Translation
So the king and all the members of his royal court set out on foot, though the king left behind ten concubines to attend to the palace.
Amplified Bible
So the king left, and all his household with him. But the king left behind ten women who were concubines to take care of the house (palace).
New American Standard Bible
So the king left, and all his household with him; but the king left ten concubines behind to take care of the house.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So the King departed and all his houshold after him, and the King left ten concubines to keepe the house.
Legacy Standard Bible
So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house.
Contemporary English Version
David left behind ten of his wives to take care of the palace, but the rest of his family and his officials and soldiers went with him. They stopped at the last house at the edge of the city.
Complete Jewish Bible
So the king set out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women who were concubines to care for the palace.
Darby Translation
And the king went forth, and all his household after him, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.
Easy-to-Read Version
King David left with everyone in his family, except ten of his slave women. He left them to take care of the house.
George Lamsa Translation
So the king went forth and all his household after him. And the king left ten women who were concubines to keep his house.
Literal Translation
And the king went out, and all his household at his feet. And the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the kynge wente forth on fote wt all his housholde. But ten concubynes lefte he to kepe the house.
American Standard Version
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.
Bible in Basic English
So the king went out, taking with him all the people of his house, but for ten of his women, who were to take care of the house.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the king departed, and al his housholde at his feete: And the king left ten concubines to kepe the house.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.
King James Version (1611)
And the king went foorth, and all his houshold after him: and the King left tenne women, which were concubines, to keepe the house.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the king and all his house went out on foot: and the king left ten women of his concubines to keep the house.
English Revised Version
And the king went forth, and all his household after him, And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the kyng yede out, and al his hous, on her feet; and the king lefte ten wymmen concubyns, `that is, secundarie wyues, to kepe the hous.
Young's Literal Translation
And the king goeth out, and all his household at his feet, and the king leaveth ten women -- concubines -- to keep the house.
Update Bible Version
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, that were concubines, to keep the house.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women [who were] concubines to keep the house.
World English Bible
The king went forth, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.
New King James Version
Then the king went out with all his household after him. But the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.
New Living Translation
So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.
New Life Bible
So the king left with all those of his house. But he left ten of his women to take care of the house.
New Revised Standard
So the king left, followed by all his household, except ten concubines whom he left behind to look after the house.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So the king went forth, with all his household attending him, - but the king left ten women who were concubines, to keep the house.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king went forth, and all his household on foot: and the king left ten women his concubines to keep the house:
Revised Standard Version
So the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house.
THE MESSAGE
So the king and his entire household escaped on foot. The king left ten concubines behind to tend to the palace. And so they left, step by step by step, and then paused at the last house as the whole army passed by him—all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and the six hundred Gittites who had marched with him from Gath, went past.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

Contextual Overview

13 A messenger reported to David, "The Israelites are pledging their loyalty to Absalom." 14 So David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, "We must get away at once if we want to escape from Absalom! Hurry! Or else he will soon be here and defeat us and kill everyone in the city!" 15 "Yes, Your Majesty," they answered. "We are ready to do whatever you say." 16 So the king left, accompanied by all his family and officials, except for ten concubines, whom he left behind to take care of the palace. 17 As the king and all his men were leaving the city, they stopped at the last house. 18 All his officials stood next to him as the royal bodyguards passed by in front of him. The six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath also passed by, 19 and the king said to Ittai, their leader, "Why are you going with us? Go back and stay with the new king. You are a foreigner, a refugee away from your own country. 20 You have lived here only a short time, so why should I make you wander around with me? I don't even know where I'm going. Go back and take all your people with you—and may the Lord be kind and faithful to you." 21 But Ittai answered, "Your Majesty, I swear to you in the Lord 's name that I will always go with you wherever you go, even if it means death." 22 "Fine!" David answered. "March on!" So Ittai went on with all his men and their dependents.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the king: Psalms 3:1, *title

after him: Heb. at his feet, Judges 4:10, 1 Samuel 25:27, 1 Samuel 25:42, *marg.

ten women: 2 Samuel 12:11, 2 Samuel 16:21, 2 Samuel 16:22, 2 Samuel 20:3, Romans 12:2

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 12:2 - exceeding

Cross-References

Genesis 15:5
The Lord took him outside and said, "Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that."
Genesis 15:8
But Abram asked, "Sovereign Lord , how can I know that it will be mine?"
Genesis 15:9
He answered, "Bring me a cow, a goat, and a ram, each of them three years old, and a dove and a pigeon."
Genesis 15:11
Vultures came down on the bodies, but Abram drove them off.
Exodus 12:40
The Israelites had lived in Egypt for 430 years.
1 Kings 21:26
He committed the most shameful sins by worshiping idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had driven out of the land as the people of Israel advanced.)
Daniel 8:23
"When the end of those kingdoms is near and they have become so wicked that they must be punished, there will be a stubborn, vicious, and deceitful king.
1 Thessalonians 2:16
They even tried to stop us from preaching to the Gentiles the message that would bring them salvation. In this way they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed. And now God's anger has at last come down on them!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king went forth,.... Which determined the case:

and all his household after him family and his court; they followed his example, and attended him in his flight:

and the king left ten women, [which were] concubines, to keep the house; not to defend it, which they were unable to do, but to look after the household goods and furniture, that they were not damaged by the conspirators; though one would think they could be of little service, and may wonder what he should leave them behind for; but this seems to be ordered by the overruling providence of God, to bring about what was threatened him, 2 Samuel 12:11; and it is much he had not thought of it; but it was hid from his eyes, that it might be fulfilled.


 
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