Bathsheba's Controversy
The Convincing Case of King David, The Murderer
In all its complexities, its self-contradictions, its ambiguities, and its varied translations the Bible is one of the most difficult texts to fully understand. One prime example of the Bible’s vagueness is found in Second Samuel, chapters eleven and twelve in which the controversial “Bathsheba Incident” occurs. In this story, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, is impregnated by King David after he is astounded by her beauty and could not resist his temptation. In fast paced string of events, Bathsheba’s pregnancy leads to David murdering Uriah in the guise of a military death. While many maintain that the impregnation of Bathsheba and the death of Uriah were entirely due to the lustful and demagogic actions of David, some argue that Bathsheba was the true mastermind of the whole situation and seduced David, had a hand in Uriah’s murder, and actively sought the benefits of being part of David’s harem. The latter …show more content…
The argument follows the logic that Bathsheba is trying to gain power in the court of David through bearing the King’s child. Proponents of the idea that Bathsheba seeks personal gain through conceiving the King’s child look to the only line that Bathsheba speaks, “I am pregnant” (11:5) as evidence for their claim. However, it is more likely that Bathsheba’s message to David merely reflects her subordination to authority as she presents a simple report to the King. This very terse message may have also served to remind him of his blatant act of adultery (Kim and Nyengele: 105). If Bathsheba were really a seductress, an accomplice in Uriah’s murder, and a seeker of the spoils that come with being a King’s wife, then wouldn’t she have had a greater tone of excitement in her declaration of
In all its complexities, its self-contradictions, its ambiguities, and its varied translations the Bible is one of the most difficult texts to fully understand. One prime example of the Bible’s vagueness is found in Second Samuel, chapters eleven and twelve in which the controversial “Bathsheba Incident” occurs. In this story, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, is impregnated by King David after he is astounded by her beauty and could not resist his temptation. In fast paced string of events, Bathsheba’s pregnancy leads to David murdering Uriah in the guise of a military death. While many maintain that the impregnation of Bathsheba and the death of Uriah were entirely due to the lustful and demagogic actions of David, some argue that Bathsheba was the true mastermind of the whole situation and seduced David, had a hand in Uriah’s murder, and actively sought the benefits of being part of David’s harem. The latter …show more content…
The argument follows the logic that Bathsheba is trying to gain power in the court of David through bearing the King’s child. Proponents of the idea that Bathsheba seeks personal gain through conceiving the King’s child look to the only line that Bathsheba speaks, “I am pregnant” (11:5) as evidence for their claim. However, it is more likely that Bathsheba’s message to David merely reflects her subordination to authority as she presents a simple report to the King. This very terse message may have also served to remind him of his blatant act of adultery (Kim and Nyengele: 105). If Bathsheba were really a seductress, an accomplice in Uriah’s murder, and a seeker of the spoils that come with being a King’s wife, then wouldn’t she have had a greater tone of excitement in her declaration of