King David Between Power and Adultery: Jewish Perspectives on David and Bathsheba’s Relationship

Abstract

David and Bathsheba's biblical tale is both dramatic and ambiguous: A strong man spots a stunning stranger and tells his men to call her. She conceives a child. The man makes a feeble attempt to hide it, but in the end, he kills the woman's husband, and they subsequently get married. Recent days have seen frenzied internet debates among evangelicals on an issue pertaining to this old story: Did David have an affair with Bathsheba, or did he rape her? The solution has effects on a biblical hero's reputation as well as how youngsters are taught the well-known narrative. However, the discussion itself sheds light on—and may even alter—the perspectives held by evangelical Christians on gender, sex, power, consent, and abuse. Like the Bible, the midrashim regarding Bathsheba and her son King Solomon and her husband King David place her in a supporting role. She is never punished for her connection with David, even though her emotions and feelings are never discussed; this suggests that the rabbis thought of her as a virtuous, guiltless woman. The rabbis highlight that God approved of David's marriage to Bathsheba and pardoned David for his transgression against Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. The rabbis present Bathsheba as Solomon's mentor during his lifetime, correcting him when he deviated from morality. This article is a contribution to biblical studies on a Jewish Perspective. The study sheds light on the debate about David having an affair with, or raping Bathsheba. This places David's narrative between the discussion of power and adultery.