“Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our Lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our Lord the king may be warm.” So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.”
I Kings 1:1-4 NKJV
a. King David was old, advanced in years: This was the twilight of a glorious reign. David was now so old that he could not even keep himself warm, much less rule the nation.
i. David was about 70 at this time. He seems even older than his years; but for David, it wasn’t just the years - it was the mileage. He seemed to live the lives of four or five men in his lifetime.
b. Let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm: This sounds strange - perhaps even immoral - to us, but this was proper of David to allow. This did not bring a moral cloud over the last days of David’s life.
i. It was proper because it was a recognized medical treatment in the ancient world, mentioned by the ancient Greek doctor Galen. When Josephus described this in his Antiquities of the Jews, he said that this was a medical treatment and he called the servants of 1 Kings 1:2“physicians.”
ii. It was proper because David almost certainly made this young woman his concubine. While it was unwise for David to take more than one wife, it was not at that time illegal or specifically prohibited by God. Later, Adonijah would condemn himself to death by asking for Abishag as a wife. His request would only be so outrageous if Abishag had belonged to David as a concubine.
iii. Therefore they chose someone eligible for marriage or concubinage (a virgin), and a lovely young woman. “Whose beauty might engage his affections, and refresh his spirits, and invite him to those embraces which might communicate some of her natural heat to him, as was designed” (Poole).
c. Abishag the Shunammite: From ancient times, many have wanted to associate this beautiful young woman with the Shulamite addressed in the Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon 6:13 and throughout).
d. She cared for the king: This scene of David’s diminished ability shows that the question of David’s successor had to be addressed. King David could not last much longer, and his family history had been marked by treachery and murder. At this point, it was worth wondering if there could be a bloodless transition from David to the next king. (Guzik)
Could Not Get Warm!
I can relate to this! There are times I can’t get warm and I get next to the wood stove, take a hot shower, get in the hot tub or heat a shoulder wrap in the microwave.
But if we examine ourselves spiritually, is your soul hot or cold?
I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior so spiritually my soul is warm basking in His love ❤️ and my home is not of this earth but in heaven!
I can’t wait to go home, what about you?
Blessings
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