His house: that is, the royal palace. When the writer speaks of a house later in the verse, this was very likely a separate building and should therefore be rendered “another house” (Contemporary English Version) or “a different building.”

David and the king refer to the same person. It may be better in certain languages to say, for example, “King David” in the first case and then use the pronoun “he” afterward.

Concubines: see 15.16, where it is said that these women were left to take care of the palace as David fled Jerusalem. And note also that they were involved in sexual activity with Absalom as a result of Ahithophel’s advice (16.21-22). The text at that point does not say that they were raped, and it is presumed that they did not attempt to reject Absalom’s advances, thinking that David would never return. By having had sexual relations with Absalom, these concubines had humiliated David and were defiled. It was for this reason that David refused any further relationships with them and that they were shut up until the day of their death. This was apparently a kind of house arrest, but David provided for their needs and did not punish them further.

Provided for them: this is a very general statement, but it is usually interpreted as referring to the provision of food and clothing. A similar use of the verb, though in a slightly different form, in 1 Kgs 20.27 is translated “were provisioned” by Revised Standard Version. Some contemporary renderings in this case are “he provided for their upkeep” (New Jerusalem Bible), “he gave them food” (New Century Version), “giving them their allowance of food still” (Knox).

Did not go in to them: some translations indicate a rather general abandoning of the women. New Jerusalem Bible, for example, says that David “never went near them again.” But more specifically, this is a euphemism meaning that he did not have sexual relationships with them again. A clearer model may be “he did not have sexual relations with them” (New Century Version).

As if in widowhood: the words so translated are not entirely clear in the traditional Hebrew text. The Targum speaks of “widows whose husband was alive,” and the ancient Greek version says “living widows.” Since their most recent “husband” had been Absalom, they would have been true widows. Anderson takes the expression to mean “being in a permanent widowhood.” Most likely the sense is that they were “living as if they were widows” (Revised English Bible), that is, they never again had sexual relations with any man.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .