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When most people read the story of David and Bathsheba, it’s almost always through a male lens. David’s sin is highlighted, yes, but often with a tinge of sympathy. People talk about the child dying, the “tragedy of accountability,” or even make jokes about David’s lust. Rarely do we stop and ask: What about Bathsheba?
Think about it. Bathsheba was bathing in her own home, in a space she shared with her husband. She was living her life rightly—married, settled, secure, probably excited about the possibility of children, missing her husband, understanding her role as a military spouse, supporting him and their country. She was doing everything “right.”
And then a King’s lust shatters it all. He calls her, sleeps with her, gets her pregnant, and then—without her consent or say—kills her husband. Just like that, Bathsheba loses her dignity, her first child, and her husband.
The idea that Bathsheba was “tempting” David is not supported by the biblical text. In 2 Samuel 11, the story is very clear. Again, David saw her bathing from the roof of his palace. She was on her own roof, likely engaging in a normal, private act of washing herself. There’s no indication she was trying to get his attention.
David sent for her.
The text explicitly says that David “sent messengers and took her” (2 Samuel 11:4). He initiated the encounter. Bathsheba had little choice. In that society, the king’s word was law, and refusing him could have been dangerous—or worse. The power imbalance was extreme.
So, let it also be known that the responsibility was fully on David. Bathsheba was a victim of circumstance and of David’s abuse of power. Any suggestion that she “tempted” him is a misreading that reflects cultural bias rather than the biblical narrative.
I find it ironic that men often weep for David in this situation, but almost never pause to consider what it must have felt like as a woman. Bathsheba didn’t choose this path, yet she bears the emotional and social weight of it.
God was rightfully angry with David—but what about the woman he wronged? Did David ever apologize to Bathsheba? Did he ever make amends or bring her any sense of justice? What redemption, if any, was bestowed upon her?
Later Life and Influence
This story is not just about David’s lust, sin, or accountability. It’s also about the quiet suffering of women whose voices are often erased from the narrative.
Bathsheba went on to give birth to Solomon, who became one of Israel’s greatest kings. She had significant influence in David’s court, especially in securing Solomon’s succession to the throne (1 Kings 1).
This shows she was politically astute and respected, although her rise to prominence came out of a situation that was neither fair nor consensual.
Bathsheba’s experience deserves reflection, respect, and acknowledgment. She was never the temptress—she was the one wronged, and that truth matters. Yet out of her pain came transformation. She became a queen and the mother of a powerful king. What David intended as sin, God turned into destiny. Perhaps God knew all along that Bathsheba was a woman of greatness.
