David and Batsheva/2
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David and Batsheva
Exegetical Approaches
Guilty of Adultery and Murder
David sinned egregiously, committing both adultery and murder.
"וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד וַיִּדְרֹשׁ לָאִשָּׁה"
Batsheva's role
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לְאוּרִיָּה רֵד לְבֵיתְךָ
וַאדֹנִי יוֹאָב
Natan's parable
Punishment
חָטָאתִי לַי"י
רַק בִּדְבַר אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי
How can David stay married to Batsheva?
Why did he merit dynastic rule?
Not Guilty of Adultery or Murder
Bavli Shabbat, Rid, R. Yaakov Fidanque, Malbim,
Sources:Though David's actions deserved a measure of censure, he did not violate the Biblical prohibitions of adultery or murder.
Divorced status – According to these sources, in David's era anyone who went to battle divorced their wives so as to prevent them from becoming a "chained woman" (עגונה) if the soldier were not to return from war. The sources disagree regarding the nature of the divorce and when that status is conferred:
- Full divorce – According to R. Tam and R. Yaakov Fidanque, marriages were dissolved as soon as the husband left to war. If so, when David approached Batsheva she was no longer a married woman and there was no possible issue of adultery.
- Conditional – According to Rashi and the Rid, in contrast, the divorces were conditional on the husband not returning home. As such, when David slept with Batsheva her status was unknown, and it was only after Uriah's death that she was retroactively considered divorced.
"וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד וַיִּדְרֹשׁ לָאִשָּׁה" – Malbim suggests that the phrase "וַיִּדְרֹשׁ לָאִשָּׁה" means that David was seeking to know not the identity of the lady, but her marital status, and whether she was soneone who had been given a divorce form her husband.
Batsheva's role
Guilty of Murder but not Adultery
Ralbag
