MPV Commentary

Abishag Cherishes David in His Extreme Age.

King David was now an old man, having reached his seventieth year (2Sa 5:4-5). However, the demands of a military life, combined with physical and mental exhaustion, had prematurely worn down his robust constitution (1Sa 16:12). In ancient Palestine and Egypt, people typically slept in separate beds due to the hot climate (Ec 4:11). Only when medical reasons dictated otherwise would they share a bed. David's physicians recommended that Abishag sleep with him as a way to provide warmth and comfort, aware that inhaling young breath could revitalize his worn-out body.

This practice was not merely for physical comfort but also had a hygienic purpose – to prolong the king's life (Porter, Tent and Khan). The fact that the health of a younger person can be transferred to an older one is well established in medical science. It's likely that Abishag was made a secondary wife or concubine due to the polygamous customs of the time (see 1Ki 2:22).

Abishag was from Shunem, a town in the tribe of Issachar located on an elevated plain near Tabor, about five miles south (Jos 19:18). The town is now known as Sulam.