Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, later became David's wife and the mother of Solomon.
Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's mighty men. David committed adultery with her, resulting in her pregnancy (2Sa.11.3). After Uriah's death in battle, arranged by David, Bathsheba became David's wife and gave birth to Solomon (2Sa.12.24). Later, when David was old, Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan worked together to ensure Solomon's ascension to the throne (1Ki.1.11-31). As queen mother, Bathsheba held a position of influence in the royal court (1Ki.2.13-19). She is also mentioned in the superscription of Psalm 51, which is associated with David's repentance after his sin with Bathsheba. In 1Ch.3.5, Bathsheba is referred to as "Bath-shua," and her four sons with David are listed. Bathsheba's story illustrates the consequences of sin, God's mercy and forgiveness, and the importance of divine sovereignty in the fulfillment of God's plans.
Ahithophel as Bathsheba's grandfather
FamilyHypothesisBathsheba is daughter of Eliam, and a mighty man Eliam is called son of Ahithophel the Gilonite; some therefore see Ahithophel's betrayal as tied to David's treatment of his granddaughter. Scripture does not make this link.
Where the text shows it: 2 Sam 11:3 — Bathsheba daughter of Eliam2 Sam 23:34 — Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite2 Sam 15:12 — Ahithophel leaves David for Absalom Ways people read this (2)
- Jewish midrashic tradition and many modern commentators accept the link as plausible.
- The name Eliam is not rare and the text never says the two are the same person; the motive is inferred.
Sources: 2 Sam 11:3 · 2 Sam 23:34 · 2 Sam 15:12
David, Bathsheba, Uriah and Nathan
RoleStated in the textDavid took Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, and arranged Uriah's death by placing him in the front line. Nathan confronted David with a parable; David confessed, and the child died. Bathsheba later bore Solomon.
Sources: 2 Sam 11:2-5 · 2 Sam 11:14-17 · 2 Sam 12:1-14 · 2 Sam 12:24
Solomon versus Adonijah: the succession struggle
RoleStated in the textAdonijah, backed by Joab and Abiathar, declared himself king. Nathan and Bathsheba got David to confirm Solomon, and Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah anointed him at Gihon. Solomon then had Adonijah and Joab killed and sent Abiathar to Anathoth.
Sources: 1 Kgs 1:5-10 · 1 Kgs 1:32-40 · 1 Kgs 2:23-35
Four women in Matthew's genealogy
FamilyDebatedMatthew names Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and "the wife of Uriah" in a list otherwise of men. Tamar, Rahab and Ruth are likely non-Israelites or of irregular circumstances, and Bathsheba is named by Uriah. Commentators propose that Matthew highlights Gentile inclusion, scandal, or God's use of irregular paths.
Ways people read this (3)
- Gentile-inclusion view: the women are foreigners or associated with foreigners (Bathsheba as the wife of a Hittite).
- Irregularity view: each woman stands in an ambiguous moral or marital situation.
- Messianic-prophecy view: each story shows God working outside human expectation.
Sources: Matt 1:3 · Matt 1:5 · Matt 1:6
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
12 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1339