Most people are familiar with David as a great hero in the Bible because of his fight against the (giant) Philistine warrior Goliath of Gath. David is also known for playing harps and writing Psalms. King David Children were 20, from his different wives.
David had four wives, and the number of women is unknown. The Bible speaks of nineteen sons and a daughter Tamar. If we count the infancy period of pregnancy and deaths due to David’s adult relationship with Bathsheba then David’s wives had at least 21 children, and many of his concubines still there are unknown.
Many of David’s marriages are politically motivated. For example, David’s predecessor, King Saul, used his two daughters as David’s wife at two different times. For centuries, this notion of “connected blood” (the ruler felt bound by the kingdom ruled by his wife’s relatives) was frequently adopted and often violated.
How Many Women did David Marry to as per the Bible?
In this period of Israeli history, polygamy is limited (one man marries more than one woman). Although the Bible lists seven women as David’s spouse, he may have more, and there are multiple concubines, which may prevent David from having children.
The most authoritative literature of David’s wife is 1 Chronicles 3, which lists the descendants of 30 generations of David. The source named seven wives:
Ahinoam of Jezreel, Abigail the Carmel, Maachah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, Bathsheba
How many were King David’s Children born from different wives?
David had at least 21 known sons, two of whom are unknown babies, mentioned in the Bible.
The first group of sons, most often mentioned, were born to David during Hebron and King Judah.
Amnon.
Amnon was the eldest son of David’s wife Ahinoam. He had a low personality and is driven by passion. He fell in love with his half-sister Tamar (Maakah’s daughter) and lured her to his room under a false pretext to rape her. Later he was murdered by Absalom (2 Samuel 13), the full brother of Tamar, who avenged him.
Daniel.
The second son of David’s wife Abigail. His name means that God is my judge. There is no record of his life, leading scholars to believe that he passed away.
Absalom.
Absalom was ranked third and was one of David’s most notorious sons. Absalom gave birth to David’s wife, Maakah’s son, grumpy and longing for food. He planned to murder his half-brother Amnon to avenge his sister’s rape and then plot to steal his father’s throne. (King David Children)
He attracted a group of followers in Jerusalem, and David was forced to flee the city. To help him complete the coup, Absalom had sex with David’s concubine against everyone. When David Commander Joab killed him, he was killed in battle.
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Adonijah.
The fourth son of David was handsome and undisciplined by his wife Haggith (1 Kings 1:6). He is famous for his failure to become King of Israel after his father’s death (1 Kings 1:9). Adonijah was eventually executed by his half-brother Solomon because he continued to riot and attempted to steal the throne (1 Kings 2:23-25).
Shephatiah
David’s fifth son was born to his wife Abital, who knew nothing about it. His name means to means to judge or govern. (King David Children)
Ithream
David’s wife Eglah knows nothing about this son. His name means superiority or advantage.
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Shimea (Shammua).
The son of David’s seventh son Bathsheba was born in Jerusalem, but he knew nothing about him.
Shimea (or Shammua) is the eldest son of Bathsheba mentioned in the Chronicle 3:5. His name means fame. (King David Children)
Shobab
Shobab is also thought to be the son of Bathsheba. His name means returned or turned back.
Nathan.
The eighth son of David was also the son of Bathsheba, who knew nothing about him. We can speculate that Nathan was named after the prophet Nathan, who had a long-term relationship with David.
Solomon
David’s most famous son also came from Bathsheba. God chose Solomon to be the next king of Israel. God is willing to give Solomon all that is required. Solomon demanded wisdom to rule the people (1 King 3: 4-15).
God was so satisfied with Solomon’s demands that he gave wisdom and gave him unparalleled wealth and longevity. Solomon is the author of most proverbs, songs, and preaching books of Solomon. (King David Children)
The other sons mentioned in the name were born to David’s other wives. I couldn’t find more information about the other King David children, but I included the meaning of their names. I found that David was in awe of God, which fully shows that he is a person, and most of his sons praise God by name.
- Ibhar – He chooses
- Elishua -God is Salvation
- Elpelet-God is salvation
- Nogah-Brightness, clarity
- Nepheg-weak, slack
- Japhia-inspiring; appear
- Elishama-God helps; God hears
- Eliada-God’s knowledge
- Eliphelet -God of Salvation
- Jerimoth, he was held high
- An unknown son who died in infancy
Tamar
We don’t know where Tamar is in the birth order, but we do know that she is Maakah’s daughter. We were told that she was raped in the hands of half-brother Amnon, after which she lived alone in the home of her brother Absalom (2 Samuel 13:20).
King David witnessed the death of many sons. This was foretold by God after his ambiguous relationship with Bathsheba. We have many other sons, and we don’t know what their outcome might be. (King David Children)
What we know is that his two sons continue to provide descendants with Bathsheba, and these descendants became the secular parents of Jesus (Messiah). After all the prophecies have been said, the Messiah will come from the House of David.
What Were the Restrictions on Polygamy?
Jewish women say that equating Eglah with Michal is the way the rabbis made David’s marriage meet Deuteronomy 17:17, which is a part of the Torah The law stipulates that the king “may not have too many wives”. David had six wives when he was king of Judah.
There, the prophet Nathan said to David in Samuel 2:12: “I am willing to give you more than twice.” The rabbi explained that this means that David’s existing number of wives can be tripled: from six Increase to eighteen. (King David Children)
Later, when he married Bathsheba in Jerusalem, the number of his spouses reached seven, so the maximum number of David’s wives was less than 18.
Who was the favorite amongst the King David Children?
From the book, even though Absalom did everything to King David, he was still David’s favorite son. In 1 Samuel 18:33, after Joab killed Absalom, the king was shaken. He went to the room above the gateway and cried. When he left, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my Absalom! If I die for you, my son, my son Absalom!”
Conclusion
The Bible does not mention all of David’s children. There are indeed 20 sons and a daughter in the Bible. We also know that Bathsheba had an unnamed son who died from a baby. Usually, the daughters and children produced by concubines are not listed.
We do not know the full names of the mothers of all David’s children, because the Bible only tells us some of his wives, but he has more wives and concubines or secondary wives, and he also had children from there.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
What is the name of David and Bathsheba’s first child?
Nathan is a son born to David and Bathsheba. The first book of the Books of Chronicles has a passage that states the sons of David born to him in Hebron, before recounting their sons and then nine more sons and one daughter of David who was also born to him in Jerusalem.
Which son of David did Jesus descend from?
In the New Testament, the genealogy of Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke traces Jesus’ lineage back to King David through the line of Nathan, which was the line of His mother, Mary the Gospel of Matthew traces it through Solomon, the line of Joseph, his legal father.
What was a concubine in Bible times?
In Judaism, a concubine is a marital companion of inferior status to a wife. Among the Israelites, men commonly acknowledged their concubines, and such women enjoyed the same rights in the house as legitimate wives.
Who is the first son of King David?
Amnon, David’s firstborn, born in Hebron to Ahinoam of Jezreel. Absalom killed him after he raped Absalom’s full sister, Tamar. Kileab (or Daniel), second son, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel. He probably died young since there is no record of his life.
Who became king after David?
Although the Bible states that Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he became king and that his reign lasted two years, scholars have found that these figures are incorrect. More likely he was quite young and his reign equaled that of David at Hebron, about 7 1/2 years.