Enraged by his brother's actions, Absalom, the son of Maacah and full brother of Tamar, murdered his half-brother Amnon in revenge (2 Samuel 13). David then married Abigail, and she had a son named Daniel. Given that context, David may have had so many partners because he was in an addictive cycle. As described in 1 Samuel 25, she was first married to a wealthy man named Nabal who treated David cheaply. God removes Davids guilt and shame, but God does not remove the natural consequences that Davids sinful patterns produced. This trend continued through the succession of Israel's kings. The fact she had no children could mean they became estranged. Eglah married David while he was in exile, and had a son named Ithream. David refused to discipline Amnon, so Tamars brother Absalom killed Amnon in revenge and fled to escape punishment (2 Samuel 13). Astle, Cynthia. He gave them Solomon, whose name means "Peace.". However, God's mercies are proven to be far more powerful than any sin or parental mistake(Deuteronomy 5:9-10). If we count the son who died in infancy after having been conceived through David's adulterous relationship with Bathsheba ( 2 Samuel 12:16-23 ), David . While reading through this account, we inevitably stumble across the puzzling records ofKing Davids wives and concubines. The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the most dramatic accounts in the Old Testament. All of these theories have some evidence behind them and leave us with something to chew on. God restored David to intimate spiritual fellowship. But Uriah is a man of integrity (he doesnt want to enjoy anything his fellow-soldiers cant enjoy), so he sleeps outside the palace. It's our job as parents to build a biblical foundation for our children, teaching them to know God and stand firm in the truth of God's Word early. The account is given for our instruction and encouragement. Absalom Absalom, David's third son, or at least the third in line, was handsome, cunning, ambitious, and hot-tempered. This is astonishing evidence of Gods grace and forgiveness. 10. Whereas Saul lacked sufficient self-confidence to lead the nation appropriately, David was ever sure of himself [an important component of true trust in Gd] yet knew to repent in an instant and keep his teshuvah alive . One night in Jerusalem, King David was walking upon his rooftop when he spotted a beautiful woman bathing nearby ( 2 Samuel 11:2 ). When believers sin, they bring disgrace and contempt on Gods name; therefore, God punishes believers to bring them back into fellowship and to show the world that He does not excuse or accept sin. 2 Samuel 11:1 records that the king sent his army out to wage war, but he himself stayed behind in Jerusalem. ***Note: Based upon (2 Sam 12:8), some believe that after Saul died, David married his wives. The Bible doesn't mention the circumstances of David's marriage to Bathsheba, but it does mention that he had three wives before Bathsheba. Even knowing she was another man's wife, David . But his pursuit of righteousness was a family trait. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. When hes not writing stories and defending biblical truth, Joel is committed to helping young men find purpose in Christ and become fearless disciples and bold leaders in their homes, in the church, and in the world. Spread the Word using these free digital resources from the ministry, including plug-ins, banners, and more. Adonijah would be Davids oldest living son by the time David died and would try to claim the throne for himself. By failing to provide justice for his daughter, David not only failed Tamar, but he also failed Amnon, whose sin had gone unpunished. If you have a Bible question for Pastor Doug Batchelor or the Amazing Facts Bible answer team, please submit it by clicking here. Following is a list of the wives of David that we know the names of, along with where they were from, and Bible verses that mention them. Our flagship program features the most informative and inspiring messages from Pastor Doug and more. He married 700 women of noble birth and took 300 concubines. Even so, it wasnt too late to ask for forgiveness and return to intimacy with the Father. The first is that everything in the Bible is worth learning on some level. No matter how active we are in our children's lives, our children grow up and must one day choose for themselves whether they will serve the Lord or go their own way. This theory suggests Bathsheba did not say "no" to David, but neither did she say "yes.". Astle, Cynthia. Bathsheba was a daughter of Eliam and was probably of noble birth. Amon treated Tamar as a used and unwanted outcast, a reputation she likely carried for the rest of her life. Ahinoam: Introduced in 1 Samuel 25:43, Ahinoam is mostly mentioned alongside Abigail, since both wives accompanied David together while He fled Saul. It doesnt matter how hard we try to thwart Gods plans; He will always accomplish exactly what He intends. Solomon responded by having Adonijah killed (1 Kings 2:25). God plainly told the Israelites when they selected a king, he was not to have multiple wives (Deuteronomy 17:17). While Uriah was away at war, David saw Bathsheba bathing in her courtyard one night; she was beautiful, and David lusted after her. Still, we dont know if David named Solomon his successor because he favored Bathsheba, because God favored Solomon, or to compensate for everything Bathsheba had suffered. Even though God favored his second son with Bathsheba, this doesnt mean that God wanted their relationship to happen. Claim: David "power raped" Bathsheba. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Instead of owning up to the liaison and making restitution, David took an even more sinful approach to the crisis. Because of King Saul's sin, which is recorded in 1 Samuel 15:10-23, Saul lost the kingdom given to him by God. Macaah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur(1 Chr 3:2)(2 Sam 3:3) It is all too common for skeptics and mockers to cite such things in Scripture to devalue the moral integrity of the Bible and dismiss the possibility of Scripture being Gods Word. And David sent and inquired about the woman. Had David intervened and been more active in guiding and correcting his children's sin and bad behavior early, he might have saved the lives of Amnon, Absalom, and even Adonijah, whose ambition and lust for power had gone unchecked for most of his life. Comments that include name-calling, profanity, harassment, ridicule, etc. The names of the eight wives of King David were: Michal, Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, Egla and Bathsheba . Suppose you make some terrible decision in your life that is irreversible. Join Pastor Dougs church for special music, inspiring sermons, and empowering church training. Bathsheba, Mother of Solomon, Wife of King David, David and Goliath Bible Story Study Guide, Battle of Jericho Bible Story Study Guide, Meet Absalom, Rebellious Son of King David, Was It Rape? Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, David's fifth wife.5. Rather, God works through the effects of our sin to bring about His purposes, though He still abhors our sinful actions. Uriah still wont go home. Is it any wonder that Amnon, Absalom, and even Solomon would also be caught in sexual sin later in life? The source for everything happening at Amazing Facts. There is a dangerous assumption which accompanies many Bible readers and serves as the root of numerous stumbling blocks. Bathsheba had no rights. 4 Things You May Not Know About Abraham in the Bible 20 Facts You May Not Know About Moses from the Bible Who Was Mary Magdalene in the Bible? 7 Bibliography. 1. When presented with the polygamous lifestyle of David (or anyone else for that matter) it is essential for us to keep several overarching truths in mind. They are: -Japhia-Elishama-Eliada-Eliphelet-Tamar, the only daughter named amongst David's children. God always opens pathways to repentance and freedom for us and provides escape routes for every temptation we encounter (1 Corinthians 10:13) If we ignore those, God will provide conviction when we sin (1 John 1:9). 3. Nathan predicts the babys death and that violence and abuse will continue in Davids family. Unfortunately, bad habits can be learned and passed on to our children if not challenged or corrected early. He cant sleep (maybe because hes not fulfilling his purpose? To consummate his insurrection, Absalom slept with his father's concubines in public for everyone to see (2 Samuel 16:20-23). Solomon as David's life on earth came to an end, God chose Solomon, Bathsheba's fourth son, to succeed David as king of Israel. That example would come through his descendent, Jesus Christ, in whom David's broken, imperfect family would be redeemed, and all people could be forgiven, restored, and redeemed. As Old Testament characters go, King David is probably the most famous. Saul had no choice but to give Michal to David as his wife (1 Samuel 18:20-27). Who Were the 12 Disciples of Jesus? Sue Schlesmanis an award-winning author, teacher, and church leader. After this, the Lord struck Nabal and took his life. In all of Scripture, the life of David may be the most dramatic recorded. And God not only forgave them, He even blessed their marriage with another child. The world-renowned Amazing Facts Bible school will help you know Gods Word better than ever. First, 2 Samuel 11:711 describes how David tried to attribute Bathsheba's pregnancy to Uriah. Michals husband Paltiel trails behind her, weeping (2 Samuel 3:13-17). God in His grace restored David back to a healthy spiritual relationship with Him. If Christians are not ready, they will get blind-sided by such objections and may even suffer doubt of their own faith. As he took note of her beauty, David abused his authority as King and forced her to lie with him. Her future child(ren) would be raised within a context of sexual misconduct, manipulation, competition, cover-up, and violence just as Nathan predicted. Who Was Isaiah & Why Was He Important? He won King Sauls daughter Michal for killing 400 Philistines and cutting off their foreskins. In all of Scripture, the life of David may be the most dramatic recorded. She was given by the hand of her treacherous father Saul the first king of Israelwhile he lingered on the throne in his fallen state. You can lean into Gods calling for your life and let him use your circumstances to create good. David also had a son with Bathsheba before she bore Solomon. Admittedly, its not always the most exciting part of the Bible to read, however it is incredibly important for understanding the historical accounts recorded. Although the lists of his mighty men (2 Samuel 23:8-39 & 1 Chronicles 11:10-47) are given after David has become king, many of them may have been the loyal followers who stayed with him when he was fleeing King Saul.At the very least, they fought side by side with him. Saul had no choice but to give Michal to David as his wife ( 1 Samuel 18:20-27 ). Saul also had other concubines that are not included in this list. This doesn't count the concubines he had (2 Samuel 5:13). David used several different women to balance out his faults. David had eight named wives, others unnamed, and an unknown number of concubines. To that total we would add all the unnamed sons of his concubines. A lack of integrity in one area always seeps into a lack of integrity in other areas. Thus, although Abishag was not Davids wife or concubine, her intimate connection with the king resulted in people using her as a pawn. Solomon wrote in the Proverbs to "start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it," and for God-seeking parents, this is always the goal (Proverbs 22:6). The stories and names of some of them have transcended more in history, while others have simply been mentioned without specifying the origin. (Ephesians 6:10-18). It was not David's best or brightest moment. Joab does it. Eventually, all of his decisions were made poorly. If you have perpetrated crimes or taken advantage of others, you can confess your sins and change your habits. This verse says unequivocally that when David sent messengers to fetch her, she went to David of her own free will. David enjoys a beautiful relationship with God after his sin, writing many more Psalms of worship and thanksgiving. David killed a lot of people in battle. 1), ***Note: Some believe that David was also married to Merab based upon (1 Sam 17:25), however (1 Sam 18:17-19)(2 Sam 21:8) appears to disprove this. His first six sons, recorded in 2 Samuel 3:1-5 and 1 Chronicles 3:1-4, are: 1. As Davids life shows, nothing good comes of pretending a sin doesnt exist. The Bible routinely describes polygamy in a negative light, so it may be hard to understand why David, a man after Gods own heart, (1 Samuel 13:14) had multiple wives. 2. This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. (James 4:4-10), Reach out for help. (Exodus 20:14, 17), Integrity isnt natural. We are told the names of some of his wives in the verses below,however, it says in (2 Sam 5:13) that when David got to Jerusalem he took more wives. We are not given the names of these women. While he walked around on the roof of his house, David spied the married woman, Bathsheba, bathing. Comments made on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday may not be approved until the following Monday. Women had little protection in the ancient world, although the Bible has always outlined rules for treating them justly. ), so he goes for a walk on the roof. All rights reserved. When it came time to be paid, Nabal instead refused to pay David and his men. 12. Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel, one of David's first wives ( 1 Samuel 25:43 ). Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel, one of David's first wives (1 Samuel 25:43).2. In brokering peace and power for Israel among neighboring nations, Solomon acquired 1000 women. Saul then promised David the eldest son . God forgave Davidand usof any and all confessed sin. He not only became the next king, but he was also blessed as an ancestor of the Messiah. David clearly struggled with this many times. David asked his servants about her and was told she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's mighty . The list of wives married during his exile is repeated in 2 Samuel 3:2-5. Davids confession in 2 Samuel 12:13 is beautiful and simple: I have sinned against the Lord. First and foremost, our sin is always against God, so its his forgiveness we must seek first. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. With malintent, Saul initially tried to give his first daughter, Merab, to David in marriage to put David in peril by the hand of the Philistines. But power and money makes us feel like we deserve certain indulgences we might not have without a position of power. Solomon replied, you might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! (1 Kings 2:22). Though David had (probably) eight wives and (probably) 10 concubines, King Solomon seemed to take things up a notch in a Biblical case of "hold my beer." According to 1 Kings 11, Solomon was recorded to have at least 700 wives (though the text itself only mentions those wives "of royal birth"), and at least 300 concubines. Incongruence happens when we ignore or disobey Gods laws. However, most scholars believe there were two ladies named Ahinoam. The best evidence pointing to this is that Davids wife Ahinoam is always referred to as Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Sam 25:43) or Ahinoam the Jezreelitess (1 Sam 27:3)(1 Sam 30:5)(2 Sam 2:2)(2 Sam 3:2)(1 Chr 3:1), while Sauls wife Ahinoam is referred to as the daughter of Ahimazz (1 Sam 14:50). Stephen Baker is a graduate of Mount Union University. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. However, we don't know how many more. Their names are not recorded. Who Were David's Wives, and Why Should We Know Their Names? In his arrogance and lust for power, Absalom eventually turned the hearts of the people against his father and later succeeded in taking the throne of Israel, plunging the nation into a civil war (2 Samuel 15). However, after Solomon became king, Adonijah used Bathsheba to ask Solomon a favor: he wanted Abishags hand in marriage (1 Kings 2:13-23). Today, its common to say that someone has fallen out of love, married the wrong person, found the right person, etc., but if either part of love affair is married to someone else, its wrong. In the springtime, when all kings ride out to war, David neglected his responsibilities as king and sent Joab, the commander of his army, to fight in his stead. Absalom killed Amnon his brother, and then Absalom was killed. In addition to Davids free will to stop his adulterous and murderous actions at any point, God also sent Nathan to confront David and remind him that God demanded his obedience. When David died, Solomon became king after executing his rival Adonijah. However, these lists only mention the wives that David had sons with, and the 1 Chronicles list ends with these were the sons of David, not including his sons born to concubines (1 Chronicles 3:9). God explicitly prohibited polygamy. David consoled Bathsheba by getting her pregnant again, this time with a son the named Solomon. Helping you get the most out of your Sabbath School quarterly every week. Judging from Solomon's later wisdom, which we read in the Proverbs, it seems David had succeeded in instructing and building a solid spiritual foundation for his son to stand upon (1 Kings 2). (1 Samuel 13:14), Beware of power. A:We cannot not know for certain how many wives David had. Our children may inevitably adopt some of the bad habits and practices they learn from us. According to the Bible, his first wife was Michal, the daughter of King Saul. David's mighty men were a group of his best thirty-seven fighters (later expanded to around eighty). This opened an even bigger door for Absalom to take matters into his own hands. Adonijah as David neared the end of his life, Adonijah, David's fourth son by his wife Haggith, exalted himself as king. He talks to Uriah about the battle and sends him home so hell sleep with his wife and the affair will be hidden. If God remained faithful to David in spite of his failings, we can rest assured He will remain faithful to us despite ours. Cover 98.5 percent of the UK with Bible truth now! They are as follows: Michal:She is the first of Davids wives. The prophet Nathan rebuked David, and Bathshebas child died. She gave birth to . Bathsheba and David's Adultery Led Him to Greater Sins. From that time forward, Michal despises David (2 Samuel 6:16). David sent this letter to Joab by Uriah, who had no idea that he was carrying his own death sentence. Confession and repentance not only makes our hearts whole again; it also resets our physical and emotional states. How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life 4 Things You May Not Know About Abraham in the Bible, 20 Facts You May Not Know About Moses from the Bible, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 2 Samuel 3:2-5 (NASB) Therefore, it appears that either 1) David never married Saul's wives, 2) the wives of Saul became David's wives or concubines since 2 Samuel 5:13-16 and 1 Chronicles 3:9 tells us that David had other wives and concubines or 3) David only cared for Saul's wives since they were . Get yours before supplies run out. Answer. Sauls hopes of David falling by the hand of the Philistines is once again thwarted because David killed 200 Philistines and gave double the agreed-upon dowry. He is the writer of a special Scripture study/reflection addendum to Someplace to Be Somebody, authored by his wife, Lisa Loraine Baker (End Game Press Spring 2022). As a result, Bathsheba became pregnant with their illegitimate child and told David he was the father. God never did. In his epistle to the Romans, Paul mentions the edifying nature of the entire Old Testament stating, For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Given that Biblical genealogies are not always definitive (sometimes they just mention notable family members or the notable offspring), there could be wives the Bible doesnt mention. The womens pagan backgrounds wooed Solomon away from truth and introduced Israel to idolatry. It is told in the book of 2 Samuel 11. Three of these wives, Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, are prominent in Scripture, but the other 5 are mentioned only in the verses given in the chart. So David sends Uriah back to the front with a note for Joab, the general, to put Uriah in an exposed position where hell be killedto make sure by pulling the other troops back and leaving him stranded. What Makes Makoto Fujimura a Great Christian Artist? Comments containing URLs outside the family of Amazing Facts websites will not be approved. He had a daughter named Michal, who King Saul had given him in exchange for killing 400 Philistines. Bathsheba was King David's most famous and controversial wife, in part because their marriage came after an illicit extramarital affair at the height of David's reign over Judah and Israel (circa 1005965 BCE). Keep in mind, he stayed on his face for seven days in genuine contrition and grief for his sinsbegging God for mercy. Later she and David had a second son, Solomon, who God favored (2 Samuel 12:25). We know Abigail was unusually wise, and nothing about how she related to David later in life.
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