📖 Biblical Definition
Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite — one of David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:39) — taken by David in adultery while Uriah was at war (2 Samuel 11). David then arranged Uriah’s death at the front line and married her. The first child died as part of the LORD’s judgment on the sin after Nathan’s confrontation (2 Samuel 12). Bathsheba later bore David four more sons including Solomon, the heir to the throne, and became a powerful queen-mother in Solomon’s accession (1 Kings 1-2). Christ’s genealogy in Matthew 1:6 names her obliquely as "her that had been the wife of Urias" — a deliberate verbal memorial of the sin grace did not erase from the record.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
BATH-SHE'BA, n.
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A scriptural proper name; the wife of Uriah and afterward of David, mother of Solomon.
📖 Key Scripture
2 Samuel 11:4 — "David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her... and she returned unto her house."
2 Samuel 12:13 — "I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."
Matthew 1:6 — "And David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias."
1 Kings 1:31 — "Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern celebrity Christianity excuses David-style sin; Nathan's thou art the man still applies.
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2 Samuel 11-12 is one of the most uncompromising narratives in Scripture. David, at the height of his power, commits adultery with Bathsheba, then murders her husband to cover it. Nathan the prophet confronts him with the parable of the ewe lamb and the verdict thou art the man. David repents (Ps 51 is the document); the Lord forgives but the consequences fall on his house for generations.
Modern celebrity Christianity often excuses David-style sin in pastors and leaders, hiding it for the sake of platform. The Bible does not. Scripture names the sin, names the cover-up, names the prophet, names the death of the child, and ultimately names Bathsheba in the genealogy of Christ. Grace forgives; consequences remain; the gospel is bigger than both.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Bat-sheva (H1339).
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H1339 — Bat-sheva — Bathsheba; daughter of an oath
H223 — Uriyyah — Uriah
Usage
"Modern celebrity Christianity excuses David-style sin; Nathan's thou art the man still applies."
"Grace forgives; consequences remain; the gospel is bigger than both."
"She is named in the genealogy of Christ — the Lord redeems even the worst chapters."