The mention of David’s wives serves to show that he also shared in the same loss as his men. He was not aloof from their pain and suffering. There could, of course, also be political motives for specifically mentioning their names. David was later crowned by the elders of Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1–7). He had to have the backing of the influential families in the area, and his marriages were a means of securing that.
5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.