The note that David left ten concubines behind to keep watch over the palace represents his practical allocation of resources and his decision to leave behind those who cannot contribute to the flight or the military campaign. The specification of concubines suggests the subordinate position of these women within the royal household and the ease with which they are separated from the king in pursuit of military necessity. The concubines' task—to keep watch over the palace—suggests an expectation that the palace will be occupied and controlled by Absalom's forces and that the maintenance of the structure is preferable to its destruction. The verse establishes a practical detail of the flight while suggesting the tragic separation that occurs within the royal household as family members are divided by necessity.

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