The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 275

(6) the beRutiful B~thsheba, (7) the unfortunate Tamar, (8) the wily woman of 'fek,>ah, (9) the devoted R1zpah, (10) the peo.ceable woman of Abel, and (in a minor degree) (11) the terrified nurse of Mephibosheth (eh. iv. 3), (12) the faithful maidservant at Bn-rogel, (13) the sympathizing woman of Bahurim (eh. xvii.17, 18). Bathsh8ba was the daughter of Eliam (Ammiel, 1 Chron. iii. 5), the granddaughter of Ahithophel the king's counsellor (eh, xxiii. 34), and well known (ver. 3) ae the wife of Uriah tLe Hittite. ." Eliam and Uriah must have been thrown much together, being both of the same rank, and being each one of the thirty-seven officers of the king's guard" (Blunt,' Undeeigned Coincidences'). She .;,as: 1. Endowed with perilowi gifts-extra- ordinary beauty (ver. 2), ardent temperament, quick perceptions, ambitious aims. Something of her natural character may be inferred from 1 Kings i. 15-21 and 1 Kin"s ii. 13-21, "a woman ignoral)t of ruling, but skilled in love-matters." 2. Destitute ~f adeg_'ll,(1,te,safeguards, such as would have been afforded by the presence of her husband, who was away at the siege of Rabbah; careful moral training; and firm religious prin- ciples (Prov. :d. 22). 3. Overcome by a great temptation. "And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came," etc. "There is no intimation whatever" (as Delany endeavours to show) "that David brought Bathsheba. into the pa.lace throug.h craft or violence; but rather that she came at his request, without any hesitation, and offered no resistance to his desires. Consequently, she is not to be regarded as free from blame" (Keil), "One is even disposed to suspect that she was a designing, ambitious woman, who .)aid a snare for the king. Nothing is told us concerning her in order $,at the _iniquity of David might not be relieved" (R. Tuck, 'The First Three Kings of Israel'). She, like others, admired the king, felt flattered by his attentions, and bad not sufficient moral strength to resist his wishes or control her own inordinate vanity. "Had she been mindful of her. matrimonial fidelity, perhaps David had been soon checked in his inordinate desire" (Hall). Yet she was a woman "more sinned aga.inst than sinning" (ver. 27; eh. xii. 4). 4. Observant of customary ceremonies. "And she was purified," etc. "More scrupulous about the ceremonial law than the moral" (Lev. xv. 18). "She also mourned for her husband when she heard of his death ( ver. 26), but not_ for her sin which. caused it" (Guild); being chiefly concerned about appear- ances; for her sin had been kept, as far as possible, a profound secret. 5. Visited "&y deserved chastiJement. Beset by tormenting anxieties and terrible fears, knowing the penalty due to her transgression; and, subsequently, overwhelmed with grief on account of the affliction and death of her child; nor was this the only retribution she experienced. 6. Treated with merciful consideration. (Ver. 27.) As David himself, the supreme administrator on earth of the Divine Law, did not suffer death, "anJ. it is easy to perceive that, to leave this single act of criminality unpunished in a great king, was for the advantage of the people" (Michaelis,' Laws of Moses,' i. 37), as be was expressly exempted from it by the word of the prophet (eh. xii. 13); so, in the exercise of his royal prerogative, he very properly dispensed with the penalty in the case of the partner of his guilt. Like him, a.lso, she probably repented of her sin; and "mercy glorieth against judgment" (Jas. ii. 13). Evil was even overruled for good (eh. xii. 24; 1 Chron. iii. 6; Matt. i. 6; Luke iii. 31). It has been thought (though without sufficient reasgn) t_hafi .the counsels contained in Prov. xxxi. were given by her .to her son Solomon. ',';Favo1Jr.is deceitful•.and beauty is _v!Wl.:. but a woman that feareth the :{lord, she sha.ll ·l:>e_praised."-D. _ •.•. V~rs:.~is,-:{jiauaALEM, RABBAB.) Enianglements qi.sin: H& who once leav.es the rjght·path little knows how fat he may go astray or how great will he his per- plexities e.nd perils. Possibly he ma.y 'never ·return; certainly he will not return without overcoming immense difficulties, an,d finding ouJ; by hitter experience his folly and perversity, "The gates of hell are open night and day: Smooth the descent, and easy is the way ; But to retw·n and view the cheerful skies, In this the task and mighty le.bolll" lies." (Dryden's ' Virgil.') Sin is commonly 11ttended (as in the caJe of David) by- 280 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [on. :u. 1~7.