Murder of Bathsheba's husband
it began with an affair
King David didn't plan to get Bathsheba pregnant, the wife of one of his elite soldiers. And he didn't want to order her husband murdered. He did it to cover up the affair. David already had at least seven wives at the time. The Bible writer gives no indication if Bathsheba was a willing partner or a woman suffering through a royal command performance. Women seemed to have little to no influence, as in some nations even today. They were treated much like children.From 2 Samuel 11
BATHSHEBA THE NAKED BEAUTY
1In the spring of the year, when kings at war typically return to the battlefield, David sent his army to finish the fight with Ammon. He sent his commander Joab, all the officers, and all the soldiers to Ammon’s capital of Rabbah. But David stayed behind, in Jerusalem. 2Late one afternoon, after a siesta, David got up and walked to the flat rooftop of his palace. He saw a beautiful woman taking a bath. 3David had his people find out who she was. They gave him this report: “The woman is Bathsheba. She’s the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4David sent for Bathsheba. She came to him, he had sex with her, then she went home. At the time of the bath, she was purifying herself at the end of her menstrual cycle. 5She became pregnant. She sent the message to David. “I’m pregnant.” 6David sent a message to Joab: “Tell Uriah the Hittite to report to me.” Joab did. 7David asked Uriah how the war was going and how Joab and the soldiers were doing.URIAH DIDN'T COOPERATE
To quickly sum up the Bible story, David hoped Uriah would go home and sleep with his wife, so he would think the baby was his. Uriah refused to enjoy the comfort of home when his fellow soldiers were fighting to get inside a walled city. So David sent him back to the battle, carrying a secret message for the commander's eyes only. David wanted Uriah killed in the battle. The commander obeyed and sent him to the front line. The prophet Nathan soon confronted David, who repented and then married the widow. Their baby son died. But another son of Bathsheba became Israel's next king. His name was Solomon.David’s war with Ammon
David's war with Ammon
Take a little off the top
Ammon's king took a little off the bottom, too...and King David went to war because of it. David sent ambassadors to Ammon to show his respect for the king who had just died. But the king's son and successor, Hanun, took it the wrong way,From 2 Samuel 10:3-19
3Some of King Hanun’s officials said, “Don’t be fooled by these men. David didn’t send them here to honor you with his condolences. They’re spies. David wants to take our land.”DAVID’S MEN HALF-SHAVED, HALF-STRIPPED
4Hanun arrested David’s men. Then he shamed them by shaving off their beards on just one side of the face and by stripping away their clothes from the waste down. He sent them home that way, horribly humiliated. 5When David met the men, they were ashamed of the way they looked. David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back. Then come home.” 6When leaders of Ammon heard about how angry they made David, they hired armies of mercenaries to protect them. They hired 20,000 Syrian soldiers from the cities of Beth-rehob and Zobah in Aram. They also hired 1,000 from the king of Maacah and another 12,000 from Tob territory.DAVID INVADES AMMON
7When David found out, he sent Joab and the entire Israelite army to Ammon. 8Ammon’s army defended the front gate into the capital city. All the other units took positions in the open field outside the city: Syrians from Aram, along with the soldiers from Tob and Maacah. 9Joab saw he would have to fight on two fronts, between Ammon’s own warriors inside the city and mercenaries behind him in the fields. He picked elite troops to lead into battle against the Syrians. 10He gave the rest of the army to his brother, Abishai, and ordered him to engage the locals of Ammon at the guarded city gate. 11He told his brother, “If the Syrians are too much for me, then stand down from the city and come reinforce my troops. But if the army of Ammon is too strong for you, I’ll come to reinforce you. 12Show your courage and your strength. Remember that we’re fighting for our people and for the land that belongs to the people God. Let’s trust that the LORD will do what he knows is best.”ISRAEL’S ENEMIES RUN AWAY
13Joab and his men sent the Syrian army running away. 14When locals of Ammon saw that their allies had left, they retreated back behind the city walls. So, Joab took his army back home to Jerusalem. 15Syrians of Aram, humiliated by their defeat, called in more troops. They consolidated all their armies into a single attack force. 16Syrian king Hadadezer called up warriors from the other side of the Euphrates River. All the armies assembled at the territory of Helam. Hadadezer led the offensive campaign, with Shobach commanding the army. 17When David got the news, he assembled his army and marched his men to Helam. Syrians of Aram engaged David and the Israelites. 18Syrians eventually withdrew and then ran away. Syrian body count:- 700 charioteers
- 40,000 infantry
- Commander Shobach, mortally wounded
David's war with Ammon, Moab
David takes Jerusalem
David takes Jerusalem
Sneak attack
From 2 Samuel 5
6King David and his men marched north to Jerusalem. They intended to take the city from Jebusite people who lived there. Jebusites were so confident of their defenses that they yelled down to David, “Hey, you can’t get in here. A blind cripple could stop you.” 7David took the walled city anyhow. People sometimes call the city Zion. But David called it the City of David. The name stuck.8David said, “Let’s show those blind cripples how much I hate them. To get to them, you’re going to have to climb up the shaft that drops into their spring of water.” That’s where the old saying comes from, that “The lame and blind aren’t allowed in the Temple.”
9David moved into the walled town and named it City of David. He fortified the position even more, from Millo tower on the perimeter and then toward the center of the city. 10David became a stronger and more respected leader because the LORD of everyone was on his side.
11King Hiram decided to give David a palace as a gift. So, he sent ambassadors along with carpenters and masons, supplied with cedar trees. 12David took that as a sign that the LORD had, in fact, given him the job of king over Israel and had lifted his status for Israel’s sake.
13After David moved to Jerusalem, he took more women into his harem—concubines and wives. They gave him more sons and daughters. 14The names of David’s 11 children born in Jerusalem include: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
PHILISTINES PUT A BULLSEYE ON DAVID
17When Philistines heard David became king of Israel, they targeted him. And they came up from the coast to hunt him. David got news about that, and he retreated to his favorite fortified hiding spot.18Philistines invaded the Valley of Rephaim. 19David asked the LORD, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you let me defeat them?” The LORD said, “Go on up after them. I’ll give them to you.” 20So David went to a place called The Unstoppable Lord. He beat the Philistines, and gave the credit to God. He said, “The LORD plowed through my enemies like a flash flood.” That’s why the place is called The Unstoppable Lord. 21Philistines ran away, leaving their idols behind. David and his men carried the idols away.
PHILISTINES INVADE ISRAEL
22Philistines invaded Rephaim Valley again. 23Once again David asked the LORD what to do. The LORD told David, “Don’t go charging into their front line. Secretly circle behind them and wait at the balsam trees. 24When you hear marching in the treetops, that’s your signal. The LORD is already attacking the Philistines.”25David did what the LORD said. He defeated the Philistines and chased them from Gibeon to Gezer.
Joab murders Abner
Joab murders Abner
Joab murders Abner, Israel's general
2 Samuel 3:17-27 PREPING TO DECLARE DAVID KING OF ISRAEL
17Abner sent a message to leaders throughout the northern tribes of Israel. He said, “You’ve been wanting David as your king for a long time. 18Now is the time to make it happen. God gave David this promise: ‘I’m going to save my people of Israel from the Philistines and all their enemies. I’m going to use you to do it.’”19Abner delivered this message in person to leaders of his tribe, Benjamin. Then he went to David, in Hebron, and told him that Israel was ready to transfer power to him.
20David threw a feast to welcome Abner and the 20 men who came with him. 21Abner said, “Let me go back and call the people together so everyone in Israel can pledge their allegiance to you. Then you can begin to rule wherever you like.” David sent Abner on his way to do that.
JOAB MURDERS ABNER
22Abner left peacefully about the time Joab and his men returned from raiding enemies. They came loaded with property they stole from places they raided.23Someone told Joab, “Just so you know, Abner the son of Ner was here to see the king. Afterward, the king sent him on his way in peace.” 24Joab went to the king and said, “What are you doing? Abner came here and you let him go? Why did you do that? 25Don’t you realize he came here on a scouting mission, to learn as much as possible about you and what you’re up to?”
26Joab stormed out of that meeting with David and secretly sent messengers to Abner. They caught up with him at the cistern well of Sirah. 27Abner went back to Hebron. Joab met him at the city gate and asked him to step to the side so they could have a private talk. Instead, Joab stabbed him in the stomach. It was payback for killing Joab’s brother, Asahel.
King Ishbosheth murdered, beheaded
King Ishbosheth murdered, beheaded
End of King Saul's family dynasty
King Ishbosheth died in his sleep, with the help of two of his bodyguards, both of whom commanded soldiers.
From 2 Samuel 4, Casual English Bible:
ISHBOSHETH’S TWO COMMANDERS
1News of Abner’s death stunned the people of Israel and terrified Ishbosheth.
2Saul’s son had two raiding parties. A pair of brothers commanded them: Baanah and Rechab. The men came from Beeroth, [1] a city considered part of Benjamin’s tribe. 3Original citizens of Beeroth fled earlier to Gittaim. [2] That’s where they live today, as foreigners.
4Saul’s son Jonathan had a young boy who couldn’t walk. The son, named Mephibosheth, was five years old when his father and grandfather died in battle. When the boy’s nurse got that news, in her panic to escape the enemy, she dropped him. He couldn’t walk right after that.
ISHBOSHETH’S LAST SEISTA
5One hot day about noon, the brothers Baanah and Rechab went into Ishbosheth’s house while he was resting. 6They said they were coming for some wheat supplies. But they stabbed Ishbosheth in the abdomen and ran away. 7They snuck into his bedroom while he was sleeping, stabbed him to death, hacked off his head, and ran away with it. They walked south along the Jordan River Valley all night. 8They took the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron. They told him, “This is the head of your enemy, Ishbosheth, the son of Saul who tried to kill you. Today the LORD is giving you justice for what Saul and his family did to you.”
9David told Rechab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, “As God is my witness—the same God who saved me from every danger I’ve faced— 10I killed the man who told me Saul was dead. He came to me in Ziklag to deliver what he thought was welcome news. I welcomed him to death. That was his reward. 11I’m going to do more than that to you, a couple of men evil enough to assassinate a good man sleeping at home in his own bed. You’ll pay for that with your blood and your death.”
12David ordered his men to kill the two, cut off their hands and feet, [3]and hang their bodies by the Hebron pool so everyone could see them. David’s men buried Ishbosheth’s head in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
Notes
1 4:2 The people of Beeroth, some scholars say, were likely not the original Canaanites, but Israelites who had moved into the city. That would mean Baanah and Rechab were Israelites of Benjamin’s tribe and not Canaanites from a town annexed by Benjamin. Centuries earlier, Beeroth was one of four cities of Gibeon that had tricked Joshua into making a peace treaty with them. The location of Beeroth is uncertain, but likely near Gibeon. Original citizens of the town were among the people Saul tried to wipe out, in spite of the ancient treaty (2 Samuel 21:1-9). Survivors later convinced King David to give them revenge and let them kill everyone in Saul’s family except Jonathan’s son, a crippled boy named Mephibosheth. As a cripple, he was no threat to becoming king. People considered him unfit.
2 4:3 Gittaim’s location remains uncertain. The name means “two winepresses,” which is double the meaning of “Gath.” One guess is a town in Philistine territory, about five miles (8 km) northeast of the Philistine town of Ekron. It was called Gath but wasn’t the large Philistine town of Gath. “Gath” was a common name for a town, often half the name, as in Gath-Rimmon (Joshua 19:45). Some say Gittaim may have been Gath-Rimmon.
3 4:12 It’s unclear why David cut off the hands and feet of the men’s bodies. People in ancient times occasionally cut off the hands and feet of living people, to disable them and force them to live in misery. But here, cutting off the hands and feet of the dead may have been to simply show contempt for two dishonorable human beings.
King Saul's son murdered, beheaded
David’s kingdom of Judah
David's kingdom of Judah
David becomes king of his own tribe
The map of Israel and Judah changed after Philistines killed King Saul and most of his sons in battle. David's tribe of Judah crowned him king of the powerful tribe. The other tribes up north and east of the Jordan River stayed with Saul's son Ishbosheth. He was a weak king, easily intimated by his commanding general, who seems to have slept with one of the woman in the king's herem. Not kosher. Initially, the general, Abner, supported Ishbosheth. He even went to battle against David, to defend the crown for Saul's family. But Abner lost to David's forces, and would later broker a deal to join forces with David.Battle for Israel and Judah
That didn't work out so well, David's general, Joab, murdered him. It was revenge for Abner reluctantly killing Joab's brother in battle. After the battle, Joab's brother, Asahel, who "ran like a wild gazelle," targeted Abner, who was retreating for home.Asahel refused to fight anyone else. He kept eyes on his bullseye, the enemy commander running away. Abner looked back and yelled, “Is that you, Asahel?” He said, “You bet it’s me.” Abner said, “Go after one of these other men and take what you want.” Asahel kept gaining on him. Abner said, “Pick someone else. I don’t want to kill you. If I do, how could I ever face your brother Joab?” Asahel kept running. He ran right into the butt end of Abner’s spear. It bore through his stomach and broke through his back. Asahel, David’s nephew, dropped dead. When fellow warriors came to his body, they stood for a time in silence. (2 Samul 2:19-23)Before long, the map of Israel and Judah would change again. David would unite the tribes and use the force of his armies to pacify Israel's neighbors.
For other Bible versions see Bible Gateway. Website of Casual English Bible paraphraser and mapmaker, Stephen M. Miller.
David’s kingdom
David's kingdom
2 SAMUEL 8
DAVID THE CONQUEROR
DAVID DEFEATS PHILISTINES, MOAB
Later, David attacked a group of Philistines and captured their town of Gath and the outlying communities. He also defeated the army of the neighboring country of Moab. He executed two out of every three soldiers he captured. David ordered them to lie on the ground. Then he stretched a rope over them. He let the soldiers under one length of rope live. Then he executed the unlucky soldiers under the next two lengths of rope.SYRIANS FALL TO DAVID
David also killed the Syrian king of Zobah. His name was Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. The king was on his way to strengthen his position along a river. David captured 1,700 cavalrymen and 20,000 infantrymen. He crippled most of their horses by cutting the hamstring tendons in the thighs. But he spared enough to pull 100 chariots. In the battle, Arameans from Damascus came to reinforce Hadadezer’s army. David killed 22,000 of them. Then David set up Israelite outposts in the Aramean territory and the people paid taxes to Israel, as tribute to a superior nation. David always won. God saw to it.GOLD AND SILVER RESERVED FOR SACRED USE
David confiscated the ceremonial gold shields of Hadadezer’s officials and brought them to Jerusalem David took a lot of bronze from the towns of Betah and Berothai. King Toi from the city of Hamath heard David crushed the entire army of Hadadezer. He was happy about that because he had fought Hadadezer many times. Toi sent his son Joram to congratulate King David and to bring him gifts of gold, silver, and bronze. David reserved these gifts for sacred use, dedicated to the LORD. He did that for all the gold, silver, and bronze he collected from the surrounding nations: Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, Amalek, and from King Hadadezer of Zobah.BECOMING THE FAMOUS CONQUEROR
David was making a name for himself. He killed 18,000 people of Edom in Salt Valley. He set up outposts throughout Edom and the people did whatever David ordered them to do. They served Israel. David won battles wherever he fought. God saw to it. For other Bible versions see Bible Gateway.Philistines go to war with Israel
Philistines go to war with Israel
Philistines prep for war with Israel
King Saul and three sons will die in the battle
Philistines assembled their armies at Aphek. Israel’s warriors gathered at Jezreel Spring. Philistine rulers led their armies into the camp, marching them in companies of 100 or battalions of 1,000. King Achish’s army from Gath arrived last, with David’s army marching at the rear.Shocked to see David marching with Philistines
Philistine commanders were shocked to see David there, with his men. They said, “Are you kidding? Hebrews? What are they doing here? That’s David, one of Saul’s men.” King Achish said, “Not anymore. He’s with me now. He defected over a year ago. And he has never given me any reason to doubt him.” Philistine commanders didn’t buy it. Furious, they told Achish, “Send that guy back to wherever you had him. We don’t want him up here in the battle. He might turn on us. If he gave our heads to Saul, that would go a long way to restoring their friendship. This is the guy who got the Hebrews dancing as they sang:Song of David, not so much of King Saul
Saul killed a thousand men. David, a thousand times ten.David an "angel"
Achish told David, “I know you’re an honest man. I’d swear it. In all the time you’ve been with me, I’ve seen you do nothing wrong. If it were up to me, I’d take you into battle alongside me and my men. But the other rulers won’t let me. So go back peacefully. Don’t cause a scene or do anything to upset the Philistine rulers.” David said, “I don’t understand this. What have I done wrong? Name one thing in all the time I’ve been with you. Why am I suddenly not fit to fight the enemies of my king?” Achish said, “David, as far as I’m concerned, you’re as righteous as an angel. But the commanders don’t want you in this fight. They said, ‘He’s not going into the battle with us. Period.’ Spend the night here, but I want you to leave at dawn. Take your men back to their regular duties.”David skips the battle
David and his men left for Philistine territory early the next morning. But the Philistine armies marched up to Jezreel. 1 Samuel 29Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David king
Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David king
Map of Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint David king of Israel
Samuel had a trip to make, from his hometown of Ramah, north of Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, a half-day's walk south. Here's part of the story, from 1 Samuel 16.Story behind the map
The LORD asked Samuel, “Why are you still mourning Saul? I fired him. He’s not the king anymore. What’s it going to take to get you past this? Put some olive oil in a container, an animal horn. Take it with you to Bethlehem. I want you to meet Jesse and his sons who live there. I have picked one of Jesse’s sons as king.” Samuel said, “If Saul hears about this, he’ll kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a calf with you. Tell people you’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrificial meal. I’ll show you what to do. You’re going to use that olive oil to anoint the one I have chosen as king.” Samuel did what the LORD said. He went to Bethlehem. City leaders were afraid to ask why he came there. Shaking with fear they said, “Did you come in peace?” Samuel said, “Yes. I came to sacrifice this calf to the LORD. Ritually cleanse yourselves for worship and you can join me.” Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to the meal and led them through their cleansing rituals.Sizing up Jesse's boys
When Jesse and his boys arrived, Samuel was impressed by Jesse’s son Eliab. Samuel thought, “He has to be the one the LORD picked.” The LORD told Samuel, “Don’t judge this man by how good he looks or how tall he is. I didn’t pick him. I don’t judge people like humans do. They judge by what they can see on the outside. The LORD judges by what’s on the inside—the heart with its character, integrity, and courage."Saul’s hunt for lost donkeys
Saul's hunt for lost donkeys
The good donkey herder Saul goes looking for his lost donkeys
1 SAMUEL 9
SAUL HUNTS DONKEY, FINDS PROPHET
Kish had some donkeys that strayed one day. So he told Saul, “Take a servant with you and round up the strays.”
They searched up and down Ephraim’s hills, and in the territories of Shalishah and Shaalim, and all over Benjamin’s tribal land. No luck. By the time they reached the territory of Zuph, Saul told the young man traveling with him, “We’d better get home. Before long, my dad’s going to start worrying about us instead of the donkeys.”
But the young man said, “Before we go home, there’s a man in the nearby town you might want to see. He serves God. People respect him. Whenever he says something will happen, it happens. Let’s go see him. Maybe he’ll help us finish what we started.”
That man was the prophet Samuel. And he was looking for the man God has selected to become the first king of Israel. Saul was that man.
Saul never found the lost donkeys. They got home some other way. By the time Saul got home, he had become the king of Israel...a job he didn't seem to want.
Saul hunts for lost donkeys