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Answer
Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, was initially married to Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s loyal soldiers «And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? », (2 Samuel 11:3). However, she later became the wife of King David and the mother of King Solomon (2 Samuel 11:27;2 Samuel 12:24). The name Bathsheba means “daughter of abundance.” The Bible describes her as “very beautiful” «And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. », (2 Samuel 11:2).
Bathsheba is best known for the story of David’s adultery, as described in 2 Samuel 11. This narrative highlights the contrast between the faithfulness of Uriah and Bathsheba and David’s lustful desires. One evening, Bathsheba was taking a bath, probably to purify herself according to the Law of Moses «And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. », (2 Samuel 11:2,4) «And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. », (2 Samuel 11:2,4). David saw her bathing and desired her. Des
Despite knowing about Bathsheba’s marriage to Uriah, David summoned her to the palace and slept with her. Later, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant «And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. », (2 Samuel 11:5).
In an attempt to conceal his sin, David called Uriah back from battle, hoping that Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:6-10). However, Uriah, remaining faithful to his duty as a soldier, chose not to go home to his wife «And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. », (2 Samuel 11:11). Frustrated by this, David devised a wicked plan to send Uriah to the front line of the battle. Simultaneously, David instructed Joab, the army commander, to withdraw, resulting in Uriah’s death at the hands of the enemy (2 Samuel 11:14-25).
Bathsheba received the devastating news of her husband’s death on the battlefield and mourned for Uriah «And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. », (2 Samuel 11:26). Subsequently, Bathsheba became David’s wife. Unfortunately, the sorrow did not end there. David and Bathsheba’s newborn baby, unnamed in the narrative, died just seven days after birth as a consequence of David’s sin «And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him tThat the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not listen unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? », (2 Samuel 12:18). In Psalm 51, David confesses his sin with Bathsheba and prays for forgiveness.
As queen, Bathsheba bore Solomon, her second son, who later became the king of Israel «And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. », (2 Samuel 12:24). This son was dearly loved by God and given the name Jedidiah, which means “loved by the Lord.” In modern terms, Bathsheba experienced the joy of a “rainbow baby.”
Bathsheba recedes from the biblical narrative until later, when she plays a crucial role in securing Solomon’s succession to the throne (1 Kings 1:11-35). When Adonijah, another son of David, declared himself as the king of Israel during David’s old age, the prophet Nathan reminded Bathsheba of David’s oath that Solomon would be his successor. Bathsheba and Nathan promptly approached David to remind him of his promise. Bathsheba bowed before King David and told him of Adonijah’s actions. Then she emphasized the dire situation she and Solomon faced: “My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals” (1 Kings 1:20-21). Nathan confirmed Bathsheba’s report. Consequently, David gave the order, and Solomon was officially crowned as the king of Israel.
There are a few additional details to note about Bathsheba. After Solomon ascended to the throne, Bathsheba innocently assisted Adonijah in requesting that Solomon allow him to marry Abishag the Shunammite, who had been David’s platonic companion (1 Kings 2:13-21). Solomon rejected the request, recognizing that Adonijah was attempting to use Bathsheba to finagle his way to the throne. Solomon had Adonijah executed along with everyone else who took part in the plot to wrest the throne from him (verses 22–35).
Many scholars argue that Bathsheba may have been the mother of Lemuel mentioned in Proverbs 31:1–9. Considering that King Lemuel is believed to be a nickname for Solomon, it is possible that Bathsheba, as his mother, instructed him to walk in reverence of the Lord. Also, in the genealogy of Jesus provided in Matthew 1:1–17, Bathsheba is indirectly referred to in verse 6 as “the wife of Uriah” (ESV).
Bathsheba’s story reminds us that God has a plan, and He can work even through difficult situations with imperfect people to bring about something good. Queen Bathsheba, despite the unsavory events surrounding her coming to the palace, became the mother of the wisest and most successful king ever to grace the throne.
