THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Why did David choose to confine the concubines who were wronged by the avaricious usurper (2 Sam. 20:3)? He deemed it sinful to engage with them following their disgraceful violation by his son, as the law categorically prohibited such actions. However, he refrained from marrying them off to another man, fearing this could become a pretext for usurping royal authority. Furthermore, such a union would not constitute a true marriage, because, as the Apostle asserts, “there is an adulteress living with her husband, if she be a husband to another” (Rom. 7:3). While the law permitted a husband who despised his wife to divorce her, it was not animosity that caused their separation, but rather the illicit relations initiated by the son. Therefore, David relocated them to a different dwelling, ensuring they received all necessary care.