Reading the Bible with Horror by Brandon R. Grafius

Author:Brandon R. Grafius [Grafius, Brandon R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
ISBN: 9781978701687
Publisher: Fortress Academic
Published: 2012-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

The Haunted House of David

While the בית דוד (beyt david; house of David) can literally refer to the palace, it is also frequently used as a metaphor for David’s kin (1 Samuel 20:16; 2 Samuel 3:1, 6) and, even more commonly, for the institution of kingship in Israel that flows through David’s bloodline. The earliest extra-biblical reference to David, found in the Tel Dan Stele (usually dated from the nineth to eighth century BCE) is to the “house of David,” indicating that David’s royal line was known outside of Israel.[48]

In the Hebrew Bible itself, the memory of David lingers for centuries after his death, and a longing for the return of the Davidic monarchy continues long after the Israelite monarchy is no more.[49] Throughout the books of Kings, when Israel suffers through a parade of inept, inadequate, and idolatrous kings, David is continually held up as the model against which other kings are judged, and for whose righteousness the people hope will return in another king.[50] Especially after the people have been driven into exile by the Babylonian forces, David becomes a symbol of hope and the future. The “house of David” endures in Israel’s memory long after it has been trampled into the dust by the armies of Babylon.

But the books that detail David’s rise and reign, First and Second Samuel, also narrate a king who lets himself get wrapped up in his own power, bringing the judgment of YHWH on his household and setting in motion a chain of events that will have enormous effects on the nation.[51] It all starts with a king who has too much time on his hands, and who lets his desire get the better of him.

Only a few chapters after David had been promised that his “throne will be established forever” by YHWH (2 Samuel 7:16), David gets into trouble. While taking a nighttime walk on the palace roof, the king spies a beautiful woman bathing. The text already notes that this is “the time when kings go to war” (2 Samuel 11:1), seeming to imply that David is already shirking his duties.[52] Rather than leading his army into battle, he is wandering around aimlessly on his palace roof. On seeing this woman bathing, David enquires about her and has her sent (שׁלח) to the palace for his own pleasure.[53] After this encounter, Bathsheba “sends for David” (2 Samuel 11:5) and informs him that she is pregnant. Bathsheba, who was originally “sent for,” now “sends” (שׁלח again) for David, as her pregnancy has temporarily reversed the power dynamics.[54]

This causes a tremendous problem for David, since Bathsheba is married to a soldier named Uriah, who is off fighting David’s war. (The introductory statement regarding “the time when kings go to war” begins to seem even nastier at this point.) So David engages in a cover-up scheme to attempt to conceal his actions. His first step is to invite Uriah back from the front and try to encourage him to go home and sleep with his wife.

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