Contexts & Connections #1-7 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-9; Psalm 51:1-9 God Blesses from the Beginning Living Faithfully in the Promise The Point We can always seek forgiveness when we sin and stray from God. Key Verse Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. - Psalm 51:1 Summary After seeing Bathsheba bathe on a roof, King David arranges a meeting with Bathsheba and has an affair with her. Bathsheba sends word to David that she is pregnant. In an effort to cover up what happened, David arranges for Bathsheba s husband to be killed so that he can be with her. The prophet Nathan confronts David over his sin using a story of a rich man stealing a poor man s sheep, and David repents. Psalm 51 is traditionally believed to be David s prayer for forgiveness and repentance. Accompanying Text Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance. So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? They said to him, He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time. - Matthew 21:33-41 Contexts Linguistics In Psalm 51:3, my transgressions (Heb. p əšā ay) is better rendered as my rebellious acts. 1 The phrase purge me with hyssop in 51:7 is rendered unsin me by Dahood, which he notes is a more literal and less stylistic translation that gets to the root of what the psalmist is asking for. 2 Geography/Setting This story takes place in Jerusalem at the king s palace. David s army is off besieging Rabbah, a city-state to the north, leaving David alone in Jerusalem to besiege Bathsheba. This juxtaposition is intentional; additionally, David s assumption that he is alone in his sin is also proven to be false as Nathan shows that God saw what David had done. 3 2017-2018 Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 1
History 1 and 2 Samuel were likely written together during or shortly after the Babylonian exile (598-538 BCE), probably group of writers as part of the Deuteronomistic History. Other books likely written during this period that are considered part of the Deuteronomistic History texts include Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Kings. 4 This story takes place during the united monarchy of Israel. King David reigned from approximately 1010-970 BCE, the second of the three kings over the united Israel. Under David s reign, the capital of Israel was moved from Hebron to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5) and the Ark of the Covenant was moved from Ba ale-judah to Jerusalem, as well (2 Samuel 6). These two acts made Jerusalem the cultural, economic, and religious center of Israel. 5 Culture/Religion The parable that Nathan tells references an apparent practice in the nomadic tribes where a member of a tribe could take an animal from their neighbor in order to serve to an unexpected guest only if the host did not have an animal of their own. David immediately sees the injustice in the parable: it was not theft per se, but rather a rich person taking advantage of the poor. This makes Nathan s revelation to David that the parable was about him all the more incriminating. 6 Nathan s reminder that David was anointed king in 2 Samuel 12:7 is a reference to 1 Samuel 16:1-13, where David is anointed by the prophet Samuel. Anointing had much religious weight, as it is used in the Hebrew Bible as a way of setting one apart to serve God. It is also used to refer to the Messiah (Heb. mashiah) which literally meant the anointed one, described in the prophetic books as a descendent of David who would lead the chosen people. 7 Literature/Genre 1 and 2 Samuel are part of the Deuteronomistic History. As such, the books in this category tell a theological history of Israel from the time of Joshua and the judges to the beginning of the Babylonian exile. They are connected to Deuteronomy in that a primary theme is covenantal fidelity to God as outlined in Deuteronomy 1-4. A theological history is an account of historical events within a narrative framework that shows God s relationship to the people of Israel. 8 The Psalms are a collection of 150 (151 in some Bibles) songs, prayers, and liturgical texts. According to tradition, the Psalms were written by King David; however, most scholars agree that the Psalms were written by a variety of writers. Due to the diversity of subject matter and authorship, the psalms are hard to date, though at least some were written as late as the Babylonian exile (see History). 9 Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm, beginning with a confession of sinfulness (Psalm 51:3-6) followed by a prayer for forgiveness (Psalm 51:7-9). The psalm continues beyond our reading for today, with verses 10-12 being a prayer for renewal, and the conclusion, verses 13-17, a reflection on how God s forgiveness brings about renewed passion for serving God. 10 Authorial Intention/Occasion Like much of the Deuteronomistic History, the overall arc of the text is to show God s relationship with God s people. The purpose of Deuteronomistic History is to both provide a theological explanation for historical events and to remind the Israelites living in exile that God is ultimately in charge of history (see Literature/Genre). 11 Audience The original audience of the passage is the people of Israel living in exile in Babylon. The Deuteronomistic History creates an account of God s chosen people from their arrival in the promised land through the eventual fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. David s story is part of the golden age of Jerusalem, as David remained a highly beloved figure in much of the biblical writings; however, one can see that even David was not perfect. 12 2017-2018 Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 2
Common Misunderstandings There is some debate as to the nature of the Deuteronomistic History, as recent scholarship has disputed the claim that the books considered to be part of the Deuteronomistic History were all written in the same period by the same authors. Nevertheless, the theological history approach does share a similar narrative arc, showing Israel s covenantal relationship as the chosen people to God. 13 As stated in Literature/Genre, a common misconception, one that the introduction to Psalm 51 references, is that King David wrote the Psalms. Scholarship has shown that this is not the case. 14 A common interpretation of the David and Bathsheba story is that Bathsheba seduced David. The biblical account in 2 Samuel provides no evidence of this. The question of Bathsheba s agency in the situation is particularly troubling for contemporary scholars, as our contemporary notion of consent did not exist when 2 Samuel was being written. Since Bathsheba would have had little to no agency in the situation, many scholars understand this passage to mean that Bathsheba was raped by King David. Particularly problematic is that Nathan s parable likens Bathsheba to a lamb, property of the poor man (2 Samuel 1-6). In other words, the writers of 2 Samuel understood David s sin as a sin against Uriah and against God, not as a sin against Bathsheba, further revealing Bathsheba s lack of agency in the situation. For more information about the nature of David s and Bathsheba s relationship, read Wil Gafney s commentary on the passage: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2535. More Information For those interested in how the psalms may have originally sounded, check out Suzanne Haik-Vantoura s groundbreaking book, The Music of the Bible Revealed (North Richland Hills, TX: Bibal Press, 1991). To hear what the psalms may have sounded like as sung and performed on lyre, check out Michael Levy s adaptation of Haik-Vantoura s scholarship on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=4lnqcuotizk. 2017-2018 Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 3
Connections Narrative Lectionary Connections Last Week (Joshua 24:1-15 [16-26]) Joshua leads the people into the Promised Land. He gives the Israelites a speech, rededicating the people to God. In between last week s story and this week s story, the people of Israel grew restless without a king, begging Samuel to intercede on their behalf to God. Samuel relents and Saul is chosen to be the first king. Saul eventually leads the people astray, and Samuel anoints David to be the new king of Israel. Next Week (1 Kings 3:4-28) Next week, David s son, Solomon, is now king. Solomon asks God for wisdom to rule the people of Israel justly, and God grants Solomon s request. Solomon s wisdom is quickly put to test as he is asked to judge the case of two women fighting over a newborn child. Other Year 1 Connections The theme of repentance and God s forgiveness is common throughout the Bible. In Exodus 19, Moses gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments as a guide for how to live as the chosen people (10/7/18). In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the parable of the Unforgiving Servant, showing that we are to forgive others just as God forgives us (3/10/19). Finally, in Romans 6, Paul writes that in Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins and given a new-found freedom (6/2/19). Other Bible Connections Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51 (our psalm for today), 102, 130, and 143 are known as the Penitential Psalms. These seven psalms all deal with the theme of repentance for sin and prayers for forgiveness. The well-known Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 tells the story of a young man who squanders his portion of his inheritance, only to be forgiven by his father before he even asks. This parable touches upon God s unconditional love and forgiveness. Thematic Connections Guided by God s Promises God promised great things to David, but how quickly did David mess up? Nathan helps David to see his error and David quickly repents, but the consequences of David s decisions are already set in motion. Even in the midst of this, God forgives David, just as God forgives us. Living Faithfully in the Promise Our story shows that living faithfully is hard, and even God s beloved servant, David, committed a serious sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, and God. In spite of our mistakes, God continues to forgive and invite us to live faithfully. Liturgical/Seasonal Connections We are currently in the Season after Pentecost, often referred to as Ordinary Time. As we move closer to Advent and eventually Christmas, the connection between David, the anointed king of Israel, and Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed one, becomes clearer. Both are servants of God, both are kings, and both have a key role in God s redemptive plan. Hymns/ Music Hymns related to the theme of forgiveness include For by Grace You Have Been Saved, Change My Heart, O God, Great God, Your Love Has Called Us, and God, When Human Bonds Are Broken. Additionally, there are some beautiful settings of Psalm 51, including Turn Our Hearts, Have Mercy, Lord, On Us, and the camp song Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God. Media Connections 2017-2018 Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 4
Contexts & Connections #1-7 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27; 12:1-9; Psalm 51:1-9 The Sherlock Holmes novel The Crooked Man by Arthur Conan Doyle is inspired by the story of David and Bathsheba. The novel is in the public domain and the complete text can easily be found online, including at the following link: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/the_memoirs_of_sherlock_holmes/ The_Crooked_Man. The story of David and Bathsheba has been portrayed numerous times in film, including the 1951 David and Bathsheba and 1985 King David. The gospel-inspired song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen includes a verse about David and Bathsheba, and has been covered by many artists, including Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, and k.d. lang. Visit the webpage textweek.com for links to a large collection of artwork showing David and Bathsheba, and Nathan s confrontation: http://www.textweek.com/art/bathsheba.htm nature of the creation story. 1 Mitchell Dahood, Psalms II: 41-100, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968), 2-3. 2 Ibid., 5. 3 James L. Mayes, et. al., editor, The HarperCollins Bible Commentary, Revised Edition, (New York: HarperCollins, 2000), 269. Additional information from Paul J. Achtemeier, et. al., editor, Rabbah in The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition, (New York: HarperCollins, 1996), 909. 4 P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., II Samuel, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989), 4-19. 5 For the dates of David s reign, see Edwin R. Thiel, The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, 3 rd Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Publishing House, 1983), 78. For the information about Jerusalem, see the entry titled Jerusalem in Achtemeier, et. al., 497-508. 6 McCarter, 299. 7 Ibid. Also, see entry for Messiah in Achtemeier, et. al., 677-679. 8 McCarter, 4-19 and Gina Hens-Piaza, 1-2 Kings, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006), 2-9. 9 Achtemeier, et al., Psalms, 892-894. 10 Mayes, et. al., 413-414. 11 McCarter, 4-19. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid., 6-7. 14 Achtemeier, et al., Psalms. 2017-2018 Spirit and Truth Publishing All Rights Reserved 5