2S11-12: She Was Pure. He Was Not.

“David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli‘am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti.”-2 Samuel 11:3

So we know that Uriyah’s name means “Light of Yah” or “Light of God.”

But what about his wife Bathsheba?

Well, first of all, homies, in Hebrew, Bathsheba would be BAT-SHEVA.

And no the word “bath” has absolutely nothing to do with the fact she was taking a bath (yes, there are folks out there who will say that).

The word BAT means “daughter”…

As in BAT MITZVAH for instance.

You know what that is, right?

It’s the religious initiation ceremony for a Jewish girl aged twelve years and one day, regarded as the age of religious maturity.

BAT MITZVAH literally means the “daughter of the commandments.”

Its counterpart is BAR MITZVAH which means the “son of the commandments.”

Now, when we come to the word SHEVA…

The consensus is that it refers to the number 7.

Some rabbis of old think this means she was Eliam’s seventh daughter or possibly his seventh child.

Or that the number 7, being the number of completeness in Scripture, indicates some kind of divine intent behind her birth.

But not so fast.

Sheva can also mean “oath.”

So some scholars will say Bat-Sheva was born as a result of a vow her parents made to God.

Back then, the mom normally chose the baby’s name.

But the father always had the final say.

Now another interesting point to note here.

The bath that Bat-Sheva was taking wasn’t your normal routine bath for personal hygiene purposes.

No, when David laid his eyes on her…

She was taking a ritual purification bath!

In other words, she was obeying the Torah. 

So here’s the takeaway coming to me today.

Bathsheba’s name might hint at something sacred…

Like an oath, or even spiritual completeness.

And her bath wasn’t some random spa day.

It was part of her obedience to God’s law.

But David?

He set his eyes on the nakedness of another man’s wife.

And then he crossed a forbidden line.

Bat-Sheva was in the right place doing the right thing in obedience to the Torah when evil came knocking on her doorstep.

My point is…

Not only is it important to make sure you remain obedient to God’s commands…

But you gotta be on guard against those whose behavior is OUTSIDE of the Lord’s Will…

And men of power who would seek to tempt you into sin.

Ya feel me?

We’re told Bathsheva was seduced by King David.

Could she not in some way have resisted his attempts to seduce her?

Of course, I know she was placed in a very difficult situation.

After all, David was the King of all Israel…

He greatly abused his position of power with Bathsheba.

And boy, my heart goes out to her.

If I had been a servant in his headquarters at this time…

And saw what King David was up to…

I like to think I would’ve had the courage to call him out for his suspicious behavior.

“Excuse me homie, but is that lady your wife?

I’m pretty sure she’s the wife of Uriyah.”

Anyway, I think you get my drift.

The lesson remains.

Stay sharp.

Stay clean…

And be on guard… 

“Because your adversary
the devil is prowling around
like a roaring lion,
looking for anyone
he can devour.”
-1 Peter 5:8