For example, Willis Beecher states under the entry Ahithophel in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (emphasis ours): It is not strange that men have inferred that the son of Ahithophel was the father of Bathsheba. Follow King David accepted this as his punishment, went to the house of Yahweh and worshipped him (2 Samuel 12:2023). This article has offered a novel contribution to the seemingly unending and unnecessary debate between Muslims and Christians on the appropriate age of marriage and the baseless criticisms of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for his marriage to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Bathsheba was a faithful wife to David. Thus, they were following the Jewish customs of the time, which included marriage at around 12 years of age for girls. I swear on your very life,[d] I will not do that!. Some Bible dictionaries mention both Eliams without any additional information. Ahithophel was known as Davids counsellor, [41] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/pmc/psalms-55.html#23, And the prayer here used is followed with another in the history, to turn the counsel of Ahitophel, an enemy of his, but held in great reputation, into foolishness., [42] https://www.studylight.org/commentary/psalms/55-13.html, My guide my counselor; as Ahithophel was to David (1 Samuel 15:12; 1 Samuel 16:23)., [43] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/kad/psalms/55.htm, This Old Testament Judas is none other than Ahithphel, the right hand of Absalom., [44] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/lange/psalms/55.htm, In retaining this reference to David, however, we are not to think of Doeg, Ps. Bath-sheba was the granddaughter of Ahithophel 2 Samuel 23:34., [90] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/2-samuel-11.html#3, [91] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/hcc/2-samuel-11.html#3, By a transposition of letters, he is called Ammiel, in 1 Paralipomenon iii. )[25], Bathsheba's name appears in 1 Chronicles 3:5 spelled "Bath-shua", the form becomes merely a variant reading of "Bath-sheba". David was the first person to break this tradition. King David at once confessed his sin and expressed sincere repentance. [27], Kenneth E. Bailey interprets the passage from a different perspective: he says that David's Jerusalem was tightly packed and Bathsheba's house may have been as close as twenty feet away from David's rooftop; people in ancient times were exceptionally modest about their bodies, so he suggests that Bathsheba displayed herself deliberately, so that instead of being an innocent victim, it was actually she who seduced David in order to rid herself of Uriah, and move in with King David. And Ahithophel began to counsel Absalom on how to destroy David. There is simply no reason to make assume otherwise, other than to avoid the embarrassment of finding out Bathshebas true age. Born: c. 1000 BCE in Bethlehem, Israel Parents: Jesse and Nitzevet (according to the The reason for this was: [f]or the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.. And in 2 Samuel 13 the story of David's son Amnon's rape of his sister Tamar, told so soon after the incident of Bathsheba, seems to draw a parallel between the sexual misconduct of father and son. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked about the welfare of Joab and the army and how the battle was going. Both commentaries base their views on the supposition that the psalmist was still in Jerusalem at the time, whereas David found out about the Ahithophels involvement only after he had fled Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:31). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Im sorry for making a claim that makes you think that I was criticizing Islam. Furthermore, according to 2 Samuel 15:31, upon finding out about Ahithophel, David prayed to God to: turn Ahithophels counsel into foolishness.. He never kept time or season with God, and surely God will not keep or regard his time or season., In the Jewish account threescore years was the age of a man, and death at any time before that was looked upon as untimely, The more sins we do commit, the more we hasten our own death; because as the wise man saith, The fear of the Lord prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened (Pro 10:27); and the prophet David saith, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; for sin is an epitomiser or shortener of everything: it consumes our wealth, it confines our liberty, it impeaches our health, and it abbreviates our life, and brings us speedily unto our grave., [61] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/psalms-55.html#23, But shall be cut off by an untimely and violent death., David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years., Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.. But the inference is really not a probable one. However, Absalom is not named nor is he even hinted at. Uriah is summoned from the front What if someone was 90 years old at the time?, Yes, this is certainly possible, but where is the evidence from the Bible? David's first interactions with Bathsheba are described in 2 Samuel 11, and are omitted in the Books of Chronicles. He confirmed Bathshebas words. There is no doubt that, initially, many will go into denial-overdrive. Uriah the Hittite and Eliam, being both of the kings guard (consisting of 37 officers), were intimate, and Uriah married the daughter of his brother officer (https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/fbd/a/ahithophel.html). I have also 100% debunked the claim that Allah is Best Deceiver and I have provided historical facts and grammar facts for kharul Makereen and I have explained more and made it very clear. Furthermore, God approved of David remaining married to Bathsheba, which resulted in the birth of Solomon, whom God loved. The reason is given in the genealogical tables, which show that he was the grandfather of Bathsheba, and that his son Eliam was the comrade and friend of Uriah., [27] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tpc/2-samuel-15.html#1, Ahithophel, the grandfather of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 15:12; 2 Samuel:3), [29] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/psalms/55.htm, [30] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/psalms/55-13.htm, [31] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/psalms/55.htm, that person who was the chief contriver and promoter of this rebellion under Absalom, even to Ahithophel, of whom he spoke [in] Psalm 55:13; and though he doth not excuse the rest, as we have seen, yet he lays the chief blame upon him, and here he adds new aggravations of his treason.. From the roof he saw a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. The record does not make the impression that Ahithophel was an older man than David. There is an obvious contradiction. Other commentaries, such as those of Matthew Poole. [51] Pirkei Avot, Chapter 6, https://www.sefaria.org/Pirkei_Avot.6?lang=bi. A girls period can start at different ages, so thats not a good argument. Could you also so a video refuting Islam Critiqued on the age of Mary. [26], The father of Bathsheba was Eliam ("Ammiel" in 1 Chronicles 3:5). Thus, while some people (a very small minority) may have lived into their 90s (though no proof exists from the Bible), this would not have been the normal extent of life at the time. We can see from the example of Barzillai that people could have lived into their 80s at that time, but this seems to have been the upper limit. Change). [16] Bathsheba acts as intercessor for her subjects, delivering their petitions to the King: "Pray ask King Solomonhe will not refuse youto give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife". We will use two main sources for this: 2 Samuel and Psalm 55 (though other books will also be used). He desired her and later made her pregnant. After Uriah had been killed in the siege of Rabbah (2 Samuel 11:17), Bathsheba mourned Uriah, but then David took Bathsheba into his house and made her his wife, and she gave birth (2 Samuel 11:2627). An Eliam is mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:34 as the son of Ahithophel, who is described as the Gilonite. This fits quite well with Psalm 55:9, which states: Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city., [50] https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16276/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-55.htm. Absalom calculated on his adhesion from the first (2 Samuel 15:12); the history does not directly say why, but incidentally it comes out: he was father of Eliam (or by transposition Ammiel, 1 Chronicles 3:5), the father of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3; 2 Samuel 23:34; 2 Samuel 23:39)., [9] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hbd/a/ahithophel.html, He may have been the grandfather of Bathsheba, Davids partner in sin and wife, [10] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hdb/a/ahithophel.html, Being Bathshebas grandfather, he had been alienated by Davids criminal conduct, [11] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/mbd/a/ahithophel-.html, A Gilonite, grandfather of Bathsheba, and a very wise counsellor of David, [12] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/rpd/a/ahithophel.html, Some have endeavored to account for Ahithophels treason by the supposition that, as it seems likely he was Bath-shebas grandfather, he wished to revenge on David the evil done to her. Before we begin, let us see what the Jewish scholars said about Bathshebas age when she gave birth to Solomon (dont worry, this is not the main evidence). Nathan was the first child of Bathsheba that she was given the right to name. No, this is not a tu quoque fallacy, which is defined as: an informal fallacy that intends to discredit the opponents argument by asserting the opponents failure to act consistently in accordance with its conclusion(s).[79]. There is virtual consensus among the commentators that the meaning of this phrase is that Davids betrayers would not live half as long as people normally lived at the time. The table below shows a summary of These include Adam Clarke,[56] Matthew Henry,[57] Joseph Caryl,[58] Henry Hammond,[59] and Griffith Williams. Omissions? Would David have called Ahithophel a man mine equal (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/psalms/55.htm). 16:21), which sooner or later would have brought with it, according to Jewish law, the penalty of death; the motive for this advice being to remove Absalom, and thus to make a way for himself to the throne. [17][18][19][20][21][22], Bathsheba (Barsabeh, Bathsabeh) is venerated in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as a saint. But now Adonijah has become king 1 Kings 1:17-19 NIV. [78] Finally, in Acts 13:22, God is quoted as testifying about David as a man after my own heart. [29] David J. Zucker writes that "[s]he is a victim of 'power rape'". Because, I have proven that Allah is not moon god and I have proven also that that khayrul makereen is not something bad but something good and praiseworthy. Bathsheba, also known as Bathshua, is a character that appears in the Hebrew Bible (2 Samuel 11, 12; 1 Kings 1, 2). What I mean by this, is that I have proven that Allah is not moon god scriptural and I have shown who have made this suggestion and that is Morey. In this section, I will try to pre-empt some possible Christian objections. The Talmud states that Ahithophels age at the time of his death was a mere 33 years (since the sages considered 70 years to be the average lifespan). [1] In this follow-up article, I will present powerful evidence that will silence the rabid Christians who criticize Muhammads marriage to Aisha, inshaAllah. In fact, the ages of women are not mentioned except in a few places (e.g., the age of Sarah when she gave birth to Isaac). The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The Mount of Olives is adjacent to the city of Jerusalem, so David would have had a good view of the city and thus, assuming he wrote the psalm, could have been describing his feelings at the time. Why would the author of 2 Samuel have mentioned Eliam in passing on two different occasions and yet have meant them to be two different people and not clarify it, especially since Bathsheba was the daughter of one Eliam, whereas another Eliam was part of Davids elite military unit? In art the subject is one of the most commonly shown in the Power of Women topos. Father of Bathsheba, whose first husband was a Hittite, 1 Samuel 11:3 (= 1 Chronicles 3:5 , where Eliam is called Ammiel ). It should also be borne in mind that David was a prophet, as stated in Acts 2:30: But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.. Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.. Surah 70 Verse 30 which Christians take out of context. Though this is said to be a prayer of Moses, who probably lived some 250 years before the reign of David, it still finds corroboration in the time of David, since Barzillai was 80 years old at the time of Absaloms revolt, and David himself lived for 70 years. If the historical David (peace be upon him) had indeed married Bathsheba at such a young age (without committing adultery), the marriage would not have been consummated until she was physically mature, which would have been at the onset of puberty. However, this was clearly not the norm (even if true). If we assume that the four years refers to the time from the commencement of the criminal schemes (per Barnes), that means that Solomon was no older than 9 years (2+3+2+2=9). (2Samuel 16:23), So, if Ahithophel was less than 40 years of age at the time of his death (let us conservatively assume he was. Great. The Talmud seems to have underestimated his age at 7 years old. [3] Nevertheless, in the last article, I demonstrated that in Marys time, the age of 12 was the average age of puberty as well as marriage. He betrayed David by joining Absaloms revolt. Furthermore, God approved of David remaining married to Bathsheba, which resulted in the birth of Solomon, whom God loved. In the Book of Samuel, Saul, the first king of Israel, failed to reach a decisive victory against an enemy tribe, the Philistines. Tomorrow Ill send you back. So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day. WebNathan ( Hebrew: , Modern: Natan, Tiberian: Nn) was the third of four sons born to King David and Bathsheba in Jerusalem. Its date and authorship must be left in the region of mere conjecture. [72] Sometime after, probably 4 years (2 Samuel 15:7) after reconciling with his father David, Absalom began his rebellion. Thus, when Christians say that Muhammads (peace be upon him) marriage to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was immoral, and if Muslims were to respond by saying well, the Biblical figures married young girls too, so they are also immoral, that would be a tu quoque fallacy. Why didnt you go home?, 11 The chest and Israel and Judah are all living in tents, Uriah told David. Called Ammiel, 1 Chronicles 3:5. The assumption is then that these two Eliams are the same person. That Ahithophel had then a married grand-daughter is less probable than that there were in Israel two Eliams.[81]. [95] Holmans Bible Dictionary argues that the Chronicler may have confused the title of Helez the Paltite (2 Samuel 23:26) and that Ahijah the Pelonite was a textual corruption. However, this does not fit well due to the contradiction between Sauls age at the time of his death and Davids prophecy in Psalm 55:23. Furthermore, as stated, David himself was 70 years old at the time of his death. This is the thing that really hurt David, is that Absalom had turned against him., [35] https://www.studylight.org/commentary/psalms/55-13.html, as mine equal: i.e. [24], Another hadith narrated from Shia scholars states that Ali Al-Ridha, during the discussions with the scholars of other religions about prophets' infallibility, asked one of them, "What do you say about David?" [49], Among the Jewish commentaries besides the Talmud and the Targums, Rashi also identified Ahithophel as the subject of the psalm,[50] and this was also the view of the Pirkei Avot.[51]. [2] Of course, in the previous article, I showed evidence from within the Bible. A beautiful woman, she became pregnant after David saw her bathing on a rooftop and had her brought to him. Though this is said to be a prayer of Moses, who probably lived some 250 years before the reign of David, it still finds corroboration in the time of David, since Barzillai was 80 years old at the time of Absaloms revolt, and David himself lived for 70 years. Figure 1: Map showing how far Ahithophel would have travelled in the short-lived coup attempt by Absalom. He went with Absalom. [35], Along with Eve, Bathsheba was almost the only female whose nude depiction could easily and regularly be justified in Christian art, and she is therefore an important figure in the development of the nude in medieval art. Uriah. And, if we allow the psalm to be Davids, we can scarcely give any other explanation. Sometimes Bathsheba's maids or the "messengers" sent by David are shown, and often a distant David watching from his roof. [66] Saul also lived into his seventies. The messengers are sometimes confused with David himself, but most artists follow the Bible in keeping David at a distance in this episode. [100] Perhaps most controversial is his refusal to assign a particular age to serve as a cutoff. Hehehe, you guys are really funny. He states that: an arbitrary age cutoff necessarily allows incompetent people to gain rights and privileges they probably shouldnt have.[101]. Her feast day is 27 November (01 Tahsas). 52, or the Ziphites, Ps. And my master Joab and my masters troops are camping in the open field. But what if we can use the Bible to reliably estimate the age of another famous female character in the Bible: But how did the rabbis come to this conclusion if the Bible does not directly provide such information? The man said, She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.. An argument has been founded on this to account for the hostility of Ahithophel to king David, [89] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_samuel/11.htm, Eliam Or Ammiel, 1 Chronicles 3:5, the component words being placed in an inverse order. II". David, shooting at the bird, strikes the screen, splitting it; thus Bathsheba is revealed in her beauty to David.[14]. Strengths When she came to him, he had sex with her. According to the decree of God, he might have lived the other half; but he has not done it., [57] https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhcw/psalms/55.htm, They are bloody and deceitful men (that is, the worst of men) and therefore shall not live out half their days, not half so long as men ordinarily live, and as they might have lived in a course of nature, and as they themselves expected to live. The man said, She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam This would be based on physical and social maturity. The traditional ascription to David cannot on any ground be maintained. As an opportunity to feature a large female nude as the focus of a history painting, the subject was popular from the Renaissance onwards. Cmon bro, dont get me wrong. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David. Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. See here for the sheep ate the Quran polemic: Could you also tell or contact the author of this article telling him that a man having a channel called Islam Critiqued claimed to have refuted or debunked the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac. [4] Sanhedrin 69b, https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.69b.11?lang=bi. Share. xxiii. [45] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), p. 636. If we assume that the four years refers to the time from the commencement of the criminal schemes (per Barnes), that means that Solomon was no older than 9 years (2+3+2+2=9). By the way, I made a website and I have debunked the claim which you have made Allah the Moon God. 1055-1023.) As told in 2 Samuel 11-12, Bathsheba was married to Uriah, one of Davids mighty men ( 2 Samuel 23:39 ). David slept with Bathsheba and arranged for Uriahs death when he discovered Bathsheba was pregnant ( 2 Samuel 11:14-27 ). The prophet Nathan rebuked David, and Bathshebas child died. Based on the example of Barzillai, 80 years seems to have been the upper limit of life in Davids time. [4][5][6] David and Diana Garland regard David's action on Bathsheba as an example of rape in the Hebrew Bible.[7]. 2 One evening, David got up from his couch and was pacing back and forth on the roof of the palace. The first son died before he could be named. It should be noted that the Bible does not state Bathsheba was _ years old. Because, Im a Sunni Muslim and Im planning to debunk all anti-islamic claims and anti-islamic arguments. David was married to Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacha, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah during the 7-1/2 years he reigned from Hebron. Improve this answer. Ironically, from an Islamic point of view, marriage at such a young age is prohibited (unless Bathsheba had somehow entered puberty as such an early age and was both socially and physically mature, which is unlikely). 1 Chronicles omits all reference to the way in which Bathsheba became David's wife, and gives only the names of her children in 1 Chronicles 3:5Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. After relating the parable of the rich man who took away the one little ewe lamb of his poor neighbor (2 Samuel 12:16), and exciting the king's anger against the unrighteous act, the prophet applied the case directly to David's action with regard to Bathsheba. The couple had concluded the marriage contract when Aisha was only six but had waited to consummate the marriage until she reached physical maturity.. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-4) Introduction When my Grandmother Palmer was alive, she lived on a farm outside of Shelton, Washington. Illustration of David and Bathsheba. BibleArtLibrary / Getty Images Bathsheba was King David's most famous and controversial wife, in part because their marriage came after an illicit extramarital affair at the height of David's reign over Judah and Israel (circa 1005965 BCE). Then she returned home. 10 David was told, Uriah didnt go down to his own house, so David asked Uriah, Havent you just returned from a journey? We have already seen evidence in a previous article that the marriage was Biblically valid. If Solomon was 11 years old at the time of Ahithophels death (the non-conservative estimate), then Bathsheba would have been around 9 years old at the time of Solomons birth. In this article, we have now seen blockbuster evidence of a beloved Biblical figure (~50-year old David) lusting after and marrying a young girl (~7-year old Bathsheba). The table below shows a summary of this information and calculations of ages for David, Ahithophel, Solomon, and Bathsheba, based on the chronology of 2 Samuel 1117.
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