2 Samuel 16:21
He answered, “10 of your father’s wives stayed behind to look after the house. You have to sleep with them, as if you are married to them. If you do that, you will make your father ashamed, and he will hate you properly. Then everybody will know that you are the big boss in his house now. Everybody will hear that you were really brave, and that you did it in the open. Then they will follow you.”
Plain English Version
In The King James Version
In Context
20So Absalom said to that wise man, Ahithofel, “All right, tell us, what do we do first?”
Cross References
Genesis 6:4Those men that were called the Sons of God, they slept with the pretty women, like men usually sleep with their wives, and then those women had kids called Nefalim. Those Nefalim kids grew up to be big, strong fighting men. They were the great fighters in the stories from a long time ago.
Genesis 35:22While they were living there, Jacob’s son Reuben went to the woman called Bilhah. Bilhah worked for Jacob’s family, and she was like another wife for Jacob. And Reuben slept with Bilhah, like a man sleeps with his wife. Then somebody told Jacob that Reuben did that bad thing. These are the names of Jacob’s 12 sons.
Genesis 49:3Then Jacob said, “Reuben, you are my oldest son. You were born first. You were born at that time when I was a strong young man. You were the most important and the most powerful of all my sons.
Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 16:16-23
Hushai Deceives Absalom; Ahithophel's Wicked Counsel. ( b. c. 1023.) 15 And Absalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? why wentest thou not with thy friend? 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord , and this people, and all the men… Read the whole commentary →