What is the context?
Kings begins with David still on the throne but physically weak. Even under blankets he cannot keep warm. His servants seek a young woman to attend him and lie beside him for warmth.
Abishag the Shunammite is brought to him and cares for him. The narrator expressly says that David has no sexual relations with her. The scene establishes the king’s frailty before turning to the question of who will succeed him.
How is this passage commonly understood?
Wesley and Gill understand Abishag’s place in the household as that of a wife, while recognizing that the relationship is not consummated. Their reading also looks ahead to the dispute over marrying her in chapter 2.
The present account emphasizes her care and David’s weakness. It names no particular disease and gives no marriage ceremony. Those details should be distinguished from the explanations readers may draw from the wider story.
What is our position?
We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.