Bat Sheva

II Samuel, 11:2-3

Vayihi l’et haerev It happened toward evening

Vayakam David me’al mishkavo  That David arose from his bed

Vayithalech al gag beit hamelech And strolled on the roof of the king’s house

Vayar isha rohetzet meal hagag  From atop the roof he saw a woman bathing

V’haisha tova mare m’od And the woman was very beautiful

… Halo zot bat sheva… Is this not Bat Sheva…?



The episode of Bat Sheva is painful to read. In many ways it is reminiscent of the episode of the golden calf. Just a few pages ago, in chapter 7, Hashem sends a word to David through prophet Nathan, commanded him to build a Temple for him, promising David and his descendants all possible blessings, and David comes and sits down before Hashem, and talks to Him directly, and he is on top of the world, and just like Israelites bowed to golden calf after the revelation on mount Sinai, David falls after his revelation and forfeits the blessing for the passion of the moment.

The opening pasuk of Chapter 11 can have multiple interpretations. It happened toward evening – the literal evening of the day or towards the evening of his life? David arose from his bed – literally, or stirred from the normal routine, changing his life in some drastic way? Halo zot bat sheva – according to Shira Eliaser this statement implies recognizing someone he’s known for a while but only now saw in a new light – is this the same Bat Sheva, when did she become beautiful, when did her face become radiant, when did ruach hakodesh grace her pretty head?

11:3 Is this not Bath-Sheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

The names of Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite (23:34) and Uriah the Hittite (23:39) are listed among the thirty warriors who were with David in the cave of Adulam (23:13, I Samuel 22:1). Bath Sheba grew up in David's military camp, her parents and her husband were his early disciples, she knew him before he became the king, as everyone's hero and spiritual leader.

David had no lack of beautiful women, among his eight wives and numerous concubines, but, again according to Shira, Bat Sheva was special in a way that she was spiritual. She was not just washing, as is says in the next statement 11:4 she was immersing in the purifying waters of the mikveh, coming close to Hashem, radiating light. To test David he was shown not just a pretty face, but someone truly special, much like himself, his intended soul mate.

11:4 “David sent messengers and took her. She came to him and he lay with her; she had been cleansing herself from her impurity. She then returned to her house”.

David was a king. He had resources and right to have as many wives as he wished. The numerous rabbinical commentaries suggest that Uriah must have divorced her before he left for the battle. Why did she have to return to her house? How could he let her go? How could she go back after being with David? Was this her choice to go back, did he insist for her to stay - the whole encounter is just a pasuk, a sentence in the book.

After learning that Bat Sheva conceived a child, David is trying to preserve the status quo. He tries to manipulate Uriah to go to Bat Sheva, to solidify her marriage to Uriah by assigning the child to him. Only when his plans fail does he use his royal authority to set her free. This is one possibility.

Another scenario is that Bat Sheva left on her own, and just as Jonathan maintained his loyalty to Saul, she returned to Uriah, her husband. By refusing to go to his house Uriah essentially signs her death sentence, as having a child when he was away at war would ensue public stoning. David does not let this happen, he refuses to loose her and sends Uriah to death, choosing between the two evils.

11:26 The deed that David had done was deemed evil in the eyes of Hashem.

How did David happen to be in the palace, chilling on the roof, while the rest of the men were at war? After the revelation in Chapter 7 David is yearning to be closer to G-d, this is when he writes Psalm 27 where he expresses his innermost desire to be in G-d’s presence and contemplate his glory all the time. He is tired of fighting, of being on the run, he is finally home at rest, and he takes a break. This is the first and the last time when he did not join the battle, but stayed back to meditate in silence and solitude, just like when he was a young shepherd in the fields of Bethlehem. He is really high, and he moves with the spirit, and the same spirit that drives him to sing and to write the most exalted poetry in honor of G-d, pushes him to get up from his bed in the middle of the night and go up to the roof and see Bat Sheva.

12:13 David said to Nathan: “I have sinned to Hashem!”

Hashem gave David a gift and a test, blessing and curse, and David fails miserably. He forgets about G-d, forgets why he is there in the palace, on the roof, in this world, in the first place. He allows his passion to turn into brazenness, treating his intended, his soul mate, like a harlot. He schemes and manipulates to give her into the hands of the man who does not care if she gets condemned to death. The greatness of David is that he does not try to defend himself, does not accuse anyone else, but accepts his guilt and ensuing punishment.

12:15 Nathan then went to his house.

Same phrase is used as in 11:4 above, recalling that Bat Sheva returned to her house. The first son of David and Bat Sheva dies as a punishment for their sin, and then comes forgiveness:

12:24 David comforted his wife Bat Sheva, and he came to her and lay with her; she gave birth to a boy and called his name Solomon. Hashem loved him.

There are so many layers to that story, so many possibilities, however if we can understand anything about the personality of David, the main love story in his life, above all passions, all distractions and above the greatest love of his life -  is the love of God.