Number of Wives of King David in Scripture
King David had multiple wives and concubines throughout his life, a practice that was permitted, though not without theological commentary, in his era [9, 14]. The biblical accounts list several of his wives by name, and other passages indicate he acquired more over time [1, 3].
During his time in Hebron, David had six wives, whose sons are enumerated in 2 Samuel 3:2-5:
- Ahinoam the Jezreelitess was the mother of Amnon [8]. David had taken her as his wife, along with Abigail, after Nabal's death [2].
- Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, was the mother of Chileab (also called Daniel in 1 Chronicles 3:1) [8].
- Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, bore Absalom [8].
- Haggith was the mother of Adonijah [8].
- Abital was the mother of Shephatiah [4, 8].
- Eglah was the mother of Ithream [8]. The Babylonian Talmud suggests that Eglah may have been Michal, David's first wife, and was called Eglah because she was as dear to him as a calf [7].
After David moved to Jerusalem, he took "more wives and concubines" [1, 3, 14]. Among these later wives, Bathsheba is prominently mentioned [5, 6]. She was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, with whom David committed adultery. After Uriah's death, David married Bathsheba, and she became the mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan [5, 6].
The total number of David's wives is not explicitly stated as a single figure in the biblical text, leading to various interpretations. The prophet Nathan's rebuke to David in 2 Samuel 12:8 mentions God giving David "your master's wives into your bosom," which some interpret as referring to Saul's wives [15]. The Babylonian Talmud interprets this verse to mean that David was permitted to have up to eighteen wives, suggesting that "like these" refers to the six wives already mentioned, and "like those" refers to another six, totaling eighteen [13]. This aligns with a Mishnah teaching that a king "shall not add many wives for himself," but only eighteen [10].
Beyond named wives, David also had concubines. While the exact number of concubines is not specified, 2 Samuel 15:16 and 20:3 indicate he had at least ten concubines [11, 12]. John Gill notes that David had six wives in Hebron and then took "more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem" [14]. Adam Clarke suggests David had "eight wives and ten concubines" in total [9].
The practice of polygamy, while present in the Old Testament, is noted by some commentators as being contrary to God's original design [9]. The biblical narrative records that David's acquisition of multiple wives and concubines continued after his move to Jerusalem, resulting in more sons and daughters [1, 3].
Sources
- 1 Chronicles “David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David became the father of more sons and daughters. -- 1 Chronicles 14:3”
- I Samuel “I Samuel 25:43 (BBE) — And David had taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, to be his wife; these two were his wives.”
- I Chronicles “I Chronicles 14:3 (Rotherham) — And David took more wives, in Jerusalem,—and David begat more sons and daughters.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Abital — (father of the dew), one of David's wives. (2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3)”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Bathsheba, Or Bathsheba — (daughter of the oath), (2 Samuel 11:3) etc., also called Bath-shua in (1 Chronicles 3:5) the daughter of Eliam, (2 Samuel 11:3) or Ammiel, (1 Chronicles 3:5) the son of Ahithophel, (2 Samuel 23:34) and wife of Uriah the Hittite. (B.C. 1035.) The child which was the fruit of her adulterous intercourse with David died; but after marriage she became the mother of four sons, Solomon, (Matthew 1:6) Shimea, Shobab and Nathan. When Adonijah attempted to set aside the succession promised to Solomon, Bath-sheba informed the king of the conspiracy. (1”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Bath-sheba — Daughter of the oath, or of seven, called also Bath-shu'a (1 Chr. 3:5), was the daughter of Eliam (2 Sam. 11:3) or Ammiel (1 Chr. 3:5), and wife of Uriah the Hittite. David committed adultery with her (2 Sam. 11:4, 5; Ps. 51:1). The child born in adultery died (2 Sam. 12:15-19). After her husband was slain (11:15) she was married to David (11:27), and became the mother of Solomon (12:24; 1 Kings 1:11; 2:13). She took a prominent part in securing the succession of Solomon to the throne (1 Kings 1:11, 16-21).”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 21a.14: The Gemara challenges the notion that David had only six wives. But there was also Michal, and so he had at least seven wives. Rav said: One of those six wives, Eglah, is Michal, and why was she called Eglah in the verse? It was because she was dear to him like a calf [ egla ], and so the verse states that Samson referred to his wife with the same term: “If you had not plowed with my calf you would not have found my secret” (Judges 14:18).”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 21a.9: § As for those eighteen women that the king may marry, from where do we derive that number? The Gemara responds: As it is written: “And to David sons were born in Hebron; and his firstborn was Amnon, from Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, from Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah, son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron” (II Samuel 3:2–”
- 2 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 5:13: David took him more concubines - He had, in all conscience, enough before; he had, in the whole, eight wives and ten concubines. That dispensation permitted polygamy, but from the beginning it was not so; and as upon an average there are about fourteen males born to thirteen females, polygamy is unnatural, and could never have entered into the original design of God.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 21a.3: MISHNA: The king “shall not add many wives for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but only eighteen. Rabbi Yehuda says: He may add many wives for himself, provided that they are not like those who turn his heart away from reverence for God. Rabbi Shimon says: Even if he wants to marry only one wife, if she turns his heart away, he should not marry her. If so, why is it stated: “He shall not add many wives for himself”? This teaches that even if his wives are like Abigail, who was righteous and prevented David from sin (see I Samuel, chapter 25), it is prohibited ”
- 1 Chronicles (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Chronicles 3:5: These were all the sons of David,.... By his wives: beside the sons of the concubines; who are not reckoned, and how many they were is not known; he had ten concubines at least, Sa2 15:16 and Sa2 20:3. And Tamar their sister; not the sister of the sons of the concubines, but of his other sons, and only of Absalom by the mother's side, of whom see Sa2 13:1.”
- 1 Chronicles (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Chronicles 3:5: These were all the sons of David,.... By his wives: beside the sons of the concubines; who are not reckoned, and how many they were is not known; he had ten concubines at least, Sa2 15:16 and Sa2 20:3. And Tamar their sister; not the sister of the sons of the concubines, but of his other sons, and only of Absalom by the mother's side, of whom see Sa2 13:1.”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 21a.10: And the prophet Nathan said to King David in his rebuke: “And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that were too little, then I would add to you like these and like those” (II Samuel 12:8). “Like these”; this is referring to the wives enumerated above, meaning another six. “And like those”; this is referring to another six, so that all together there are eighteen he would be permitted to marry.”
- 2 Samuel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Samuel 5:13: And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron,.... He had six when he was at Hebron, Sa2 3:2, and now he took more, which was not to his honour, and contrary to the law of God, Deu 17:17; the concubines were a sort of half wives, as the word may signify, or secondary ones, and under the others: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David; besides those in Hebron mentioned in Sa2 3:2.”
- 2 Samuel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Samuel 12:2: The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. In which the wealth of men lay in those times and countries; these in the parable signify David's wives and concubines, which were many; he had six wives in Hebron, and he took more wives and concubines out of Jerusalem, when he was come from Hebron, Sa2 3:2; and besides his master's, or Saul's wives, given to him, Sa2 12:8. . 2 Samuel 12:3 sa2 12:3 sa2 12:3 sa2 12:3But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb,.... Uriah had but one wife, who was much younger than he, called a lamb, an ewe lamb, a little”