When the name of Bathsheba is mentioned in the Word of God, we notice that very little, if anything, is explicitly said about her character. Her beauty is mentioned when David first noticed her bathing herself, and it is clear that, as a mature woman, she was capable of interceding for her son Solomon when his half-brother Adonijah attempted to usurp the kingdom at the end of David’s life. But other than these observations, there is nothing said about her personality, temperament or spirituality. Whenever she is spoken of, it is in connection with another, and even in the New Testament, in the genealogy of our Lord, she is referred to simply as “her that had been the wife of Urias” (Matt. 1:66And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; (Matthew 1:6)). However, we can certainly glean something from the various references to her, and we can be assured that she was a woman of faith.
When David first noticed her, she was washing (or bathing) herself, probably out of doors, behind her home, and likely the only way anyone could see her was from above. Some have advanced the idea that she was possibly a Gentile, since her husband Urijah was a Hittite, but since Scripture is silent on this point, we may dismiss this thought as being irrelevant. Others have characterized her as a seductress, who bathed purposely in this way to attract the wrong kind of attention to herself. There is no scriptural evidence for this, and I believe we may also dismiss this thought. Indeed, everything that Scripture says about her encounter with David and subsequent adultery would point to her being a victim of David’s lust, where there was a very large power imbalance. When she was summoned to appear before David, she could not refuse, and while she could have resisted his advances, again, the power imbalance would have made this difficult. Not that we excuse her; we merely portray the situation as it happened.
Her Marriage to David
What is most impressive about her relationship with David is that after Urijah was killed, David did not cast her off as something worthless. He married her, and even after their first child died when only a week old, he had several other children by her. David was evidently very much in love with her and treated her well as his wife.
More than this, we find that she bore David another son, Solomon, meaning “peaceful.” It is recorded that “the Lord loved him” (2 Sam. 12:2424And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him. (2 Samuel 12:24)) and sent Nathan the prophet, who added another name, Jedidiah, meaning “beloved of Jehovah.” Bathsheba had other sons as well, including one who was named Nathan, no doubt in honor of Nathan the prophet. (His name is found in the genealogy of our Lord in Luke’s gospel, which is generally accepted as being Mary’s genealogy.) Because of the Lord’s special love and favor bestowed on Solomon, it became clear to David that he was to succeed him as king. Again, while Scripture does not say so explicitly, all this would surely indicate that there had been, on Bathsheba’s part, a full repentance for her adultery with David and the maintenance of a godly walk before the Lord.
Moral Integrity and Wisdom
However, what really confirms her character, moral integrity and wisdom is found in Proverbs 31. Here are given to us the words of King Lemuel, who is almost surely King Solomon. Lemuel means “created for God” or “devoted to God,” and the name Lemuel may well have been an endearing personal name with which Bathsheba addressed Solomon. The mother is evidently Bathsheba, and what she taught him is characterized as a prophecy. In raising Solomon, I believe that Bathsheba was in the current of God’s thoughts and realized that one day her son would be king over all Israel. Accordingly she was careful to instruct him well, and to do this she must have had wisdom from the Lord.
Her Warnings
First of all, she gives him three solemn warnings. He was to avoid women with loose morals who would lead him into sinful behavior, he was to avoid the excessive use of alcohol, and he was to be careful to carry out righteous judgment in his realm. All of these are most important, for how many rulers in the annals of history have been tripped up by allowing one or more of these things to ruin their lives! It is bad enough when an individual in private life engages in these things, but when a ruler permits himself to fall into such sins, his whole kingdom is affected. It is most significant that the first of these warnings concerns immorality, which we well know had characterized David and Bathsheba in their initial relationship. By the time this chapter was written, both Solomon and Bathsheba had surely witnessed the disasters in David’s family that had resulted from it, and Bathsheba gives a needed warning to her son.
“A Virtuous Woman”
From verse 10 to the end of the chapter, we find the characteristics of “a virtuous woman” — probably the most complete description of the proper spirit and disposition of a godly woman found in the whole Bible. All this comes from the mouth of Bathsheba, and it surely indicates a heart that followed the Lord and a desire to see her son follow Him too. She mentions a number of attributes that are important, and since the moral principles of God do not change with dispensations, these traits are good for all time.
First of all, in verse 10, she had virtue: that is, she was pure; the word “virtuous” implies strength and courage, for it takes moral courage to live contrary to the spirit and style of this world. Then, in verses 11-12, she was trustworthy, and especially toward her husband. This is a characteristic that a husband values greatly and is perhaps second only to purity. Third, in verses 13-15, she is industrious. In ruling her home, nothing important is neglected.
In verse 16 we find that she had business ability. As has often been mentioned, a woman is not inferior to a man, and in certain areas a wife’s ability may well surpass that of her husband. But we notice that her business ability is carried out with the home as her base; it was her husband who was “known in the gates” (vs. 23), not she. In verse 18, she had wisdom and perception; she has the confidence that her merchandise was good. In verse 20 she exhibits her kindness; she realizes that not all are able to look after themselves as well as she looks after her household, and she reaches out to the poor. In verse 21 she has the foresight to get ready for winter and to prepare the necessary things ahead of time. In all of these activities, another has noted that her hands are mentioned seven times and her mouth only once.
A Woman’s Character
Finally, we find perhaps the best comment of all. Here was a woman whom Scripture itself says was “very beautiful,” yet her advice to her son is not to look at the outward appearance, but rather on a woman’s character. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised” (vs. 30). No doubt her husband would praise her, but in the next verse we see the praise that comes from her own works. We have noticed that it is her husband who was “known in the gates,” but then in verse 31 we read, “Let her own works praise her in the gates.” Surely this shows us that while God did not intend the woman to undertake public rule, yet her consistent godly rule of the home would result in “her own works” — that is, her male children — being a credit and praise to her, as they took up responsibilities as men. In the record of the kings of Judah and Israel, most of the time the mother’s name is mentioned, for the Lord knows how much influence she has on her children, either for good or for bad.
As we have already remarked, all this advice came from Bathsheba. It confirms to us the work of God that took place in her soul and which gave her the grace, wisdom and moral courage to undertake the instruction of Solomon, who was to be a type of Christ in His millennial reign.
W. J. Prost