Why did David have Abishag the Shunammite attend him, and did he sleep with her?

David was old and could not get warm, so his servants sought a young woman to lie in his bosom and care for him (1 Kings 1:1-4). Abishag the Shunammite was brought to the king, and she served him. The text says David did not know her (1 Kings 1:4).

Passage context

In 1 Kings 1:1–4, David is portrayed as very old and unable to keep warm. Court attendants propose finding a young woman to care for him; they locate Abishag of Shunem, bring her to the king, and the narration states David did not have sexual relations with her. These verses introduce the book’s opening narrative arc: the transition from David’s reign toward the next regime. David’s frailty explains why palace figures take initiative, and Abishag’s placement in the royal household becomes a concrete narrative detail that later episodes can leverage.

Why it matters

These verses open 1 Kings by showing David’s physical decline: he is old, weak, and cannot keep warm even under many coverings. That weakness is not just medical detail; it creates a setting where other people in the royal household start taking initiative.

Read carefully

A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.

Keep reading

Start with 1 Kings 1:1-4, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.