Lexical Summary chayyuth: Life, living creatures, vitality Original Word: חַיּוּת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance living From chayah; life -- X living. see HEBREW chayah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chayah Definition living NASB Translation living (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חַיּוּת noun feminine abstract אַלְמְנוּת חַיּוּת 2 Samuel 20:3, literally 'widowhood of livingness,' Dr; We reads אַלְמָנוֺת חַיּוֺת living widows ('grass-widows,' who were separated from their husbands), after ᵐ5 χῆραι ζῶσαι, so SS. Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting The only occurrence of חַיּוּת (Strong’s 2424) stands at the close of Absalom’s revolt: “So they were confined until the day of their death, living as widows” (2 Samuel 20:3). The phrase “living as widows” (אַלְמְנוּת חַיּוּת) highlights an ongoing, settled condition. David’s ten concubines had been publicly violated by Absalom (2 Samuel 16:22); royal honor demanded that David neither resume marital relations with them nor release them to other men. They therefore received provision but remained in perpetual seclusion. חַיּוּת underlines that theirs was not a temporary mourning period but a lifelong, embodied reality. Historical and Cultural Background 1. Royal prerogative. In the Ancient Near East the royal harem symbolized dynastic stability. Any sexual use of a king’s concubines by another man was tantamount to a coup (2 Samuel 16:21–22). Covenantal and Ethical Implications • Guardianship and provision. David “provided for them” (2 Samuel 20:3), illustrating the covenantal ethic that leadership entails material care for the vulnerable (Psalm 72:4; Isaiah 1:17). Theological Reflections 1. Life within loss. Scripture often pairs life-language with suffering to show God’s sustaining grace (Job 1:21; Lamentations 3:22-23). Even in confinement these women lived under divine providence. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Compassion for the socially sidelined. Modern parallels include victims of abuse, those living with lifelong stigma, or believers isolated by circumstances. The Church is called to extend tangible provision and relational inclusion (James 1:27). Summary חַיּוּת in 2 Samuel 20:3 captures the tension of living breath within a widowed existence. It illumines themes of protection, consequence, and sustained hope, urging God’s people toward faithful stewardship of power and compassionate care for the long-term wounded while anticipating the consummate restoration promised in the reign of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations חַיּֽוּת׃ חיות׃ chaiYut ḥay·yūṯ ḥayyūṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 20:3 HEB: מֻתָ֖ן אַלְמְנ֥וּת חַיּֽוּת׃ ס NAS: of their death, living as widows. KJV: of their death, living in widowhood. INT: dead widows living 1 Occurrence |
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