BATH-SHEBA

bath-she'-ba, bath'-she-ba (bath-shebha`, "the seventh daughter," or "the daughter of an oath," also called Bathshua bath-shua`, "the daughter of opulence" (1 Chronicles 3:5); the Septuagint however reads Bersabee everywhere; compare BATHSHUA ;HPN , 65, 67, 77, 206 for Bath-sheba, and 67, 69, note 3, for Bathshua): Bath-sheba was the daughter of Eliam (2 Samuel 11:3) or Ammiel (1 Chronicles 3:5); both names have the same meaning. She was the beautiful wife of Uriah the Hittite, and because of her beauty was forced by David to commit adultery (2 Samuel 11:2 ff; Psalms 51). Her husband Uriah was treacherously killed by the order of David (2 Samuel 11:6 ff). After the death of her husband David made her his wife and she lived with him in the palace (2 Samuel 11:27). Four sons sprang from this marriage (2 Samuel 5:14; 1 Chronicles 3:5), after the first child, the adulterine, had died (2 Samuel 12:14 ff). With the help of the prophet Nathan she renders futile the usurpation of Adonijah and craftily secures the throne for her son Solomon (1 Kings 1:11 ff). Later Adonijah succeeds in deceiving Bath-sheba, but his plan is frustrated by the king (1 Kings 2:13 ff). According to Jewish tradition, Proverbs 31 is written by Solomon in memory of his mother. In the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 16) Bath-sheba is mentioned as the former wife of Uriah and the mother of Solomon by David.

See ADONIJAH ; AMMIEL ; BATHSHUA ; DAVID ; ELIAM ; NATHAN (1) ; SOLOMON .

A. L. Breslich

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.