Who was Bathsheba? We know her primarily as the woman with whom David committed adultery. But the biblical text tells us much more. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, the widow of Uriah, the wife of David, and the grieving mother of a seven-day-old baby who died tragically. She later gave birth to Solomon and played an instrumental role in claiming and securing the throne on her son’s behalf.
In this series of lessons, we will observe her transformation. The first lesson, “The Adultress?” considers the familiar story of David and Bathsheba, but it poses the question, “Was Bathsheba a willing participant or an unwitting victim of David’s sexual desire?” In the second lesson, we discover that Bathsheba’s child is sick and dying, a tiny victim of David’s sin. We grieve with Bathsheba and ask “Why?” with her, trying to find comfort, as she did, in the birth of her second baby, Solomon. By the third lesson, Solomon is a grown man. When his brother Adonijah claims the throne, Solomon does not fight for the kingship—Bathsheba does! Finally, in the last lesson, Bathsheba is instrumental in the demise of Adonijah, thereby ensuring that Solomon’s throne is no longer contested.
Who was Bathsheba? She was a complex figure who developed from the silent object of David’s lust into a powerful, vocal, and influential queen mother.
