The story in 2 Samuel 11 is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. If we mention "David and Bathsheba," "David's Adultery with Bathsheba," "the Bathsheba Affair," or simply "David's Sin," many people will not hesitate to identify such titles with this story. Although it is remembered in the Bible as "the matter of Uriah the Hittite" 1 Kgs , I wonder how many people would identify it as the story of "Uriah the Hittite. The story has been popular among biblical scholars and sages in the past and is still popular among scholars today.
The rabbis of the distant past made excuses for David; they exonerated David by concluding that Bathsheba was given a bill of divorce and found Uriah to be a rebel deserving of death McCarter: The early Christian fathers formulated David into a theological paradigm, connecting the story of David's passion with David's repentance and pardon by God Petit.
Then the historical-critical scholars have been busy analyzing the story as part of objective history; the story has been analyzed as part of the Succession Narrative or the Court History of David e. In more recent years, some scholars have begun to see the story as literature and applied narrative techniques to interpret the story; they have been busy filling the narrative "gaps" in the story e. There are others, especially woman scholars, who are trying valiantly to rescue Bathsheba from th e patriarchal text and its interpreters e.
However, Uriah the Hittite, the man and his story, has not received enough attention by scholars and sages. Use this link to get back to this page. Then there is Uriah the priest which is mentioned in the book of Ezra and Isaiah. The Bible makes it clear that Uriah was not an Israelite, but a Hittite.
But his name suggests a few different things. One, his parents joined the Israelites and adopted their beliefs. Two, Uriah was half Israelite or three, he himself joined Israelite and converted to Judaisme; therefore he changed his name.
The Hittite was a tribe of people that lived between the Euphrates and Damascus. In the book of Joshua, they always appear as the dominant race to the north of Galilee. He could have even been a friend. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.
King David sent for Uriah after he had slept with his wife, Bathsheba, and made her pregnant. He asked Uriah how the battle was, and then sent him home to freshen up. David was hoping that Uriah would sleep with his wife, and others would think he was the one responsible for her pregnancy. Uriah did not go home but slept at the entrance of the palace. When the king asked him why he did not go home, he said that he could not go home while Israel and Judah were staying in tents and his commander and the fighting men were camped in open country.
Uriah was a fair and just man because he could not imagine going to enjoy himself while those he left on the battlefield were not enjoying themselves. He considered others before considering himself.
Even when the king got him drunk and sent him home, he still did not go home. He did not worry about what the king would say or do because he knew that his intentions for not going home were noble and honorable. Especially when tell us to do questionable things or things contrary to the Word of God. We can decide not to do them and explain to them in a loving way why we will not. We should obey the things God tells us and when man asks us to disobey God, then we should boldly decline and give an honest explanation.
So, it was natural that when Uriah was sent back to the battlefield and told that he had to go to the frontline where the battle was hottest, he did not object or flee. He knew that he had a duty to fulfill to his king a. He obliged and went to the position Joab assigned him. Unfortunately, that is where he met his death.
Even though this was a setup for his fall. From the fact that he was a Hittite who had a Hebrew name, Uriah must have changed his religion and nationality. Especially because his name reflects a belief in the God of Israel. Uriah joined the army of Israel to fight against the enemies of Israel. That means that he would possibly end up fighting even his own people, the Hittites. This is because the Hittites were considered enemies of Israel.
Yet Uriah joined the army still and served faithfully Deuteronomy That means he had demonstrated special achievements in other previous battles. He understands their authority and doesn't treat them as equals 2 Samuel Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife?
His mention of the ark, Israel, the army and Joab his Captain in battle, shows his loyalty to them. Also, he could not endure the thought that the ark of God and his fellow soldiers were fighting while he was enjoying himself at home. But he chose to stand his ground. David sent Uriah to the battlefield with a letter to Joab. A letter that gave instructions on how he would be killed.
David must have been sure that Uriah was not going to open it, because he was trustworthy. When he was called from the battlefield, he obeyed.
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