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. In Matthew 1:6, "the wife of Uriah" is mentioned as one of the ancestors of Jesus. Using Psalm 55:23, it would mean that Ahithophel could not have gone past the age of 45 years (note again that this is the conservative estimate). And the claim that Allah is a moon God has been debunked many times. In a previous article, I demonstrated that the Bible generally allowed marriage and sex at the onset of puberty (with the exception of Numbers 31:18 which seemingly allowed sex even before puberty). [97] Finally, the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature provides perhaps the best explanation (emphasis ours): Ahijah the Pelonite appears in 2 Samuel 23:34 as Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, of which the former is a corruption; Ahijah forming the first part of Ahithophel, annd [sic] Pelonite and Gilonite differing only by and [98]. Why didnt you go home?, 11 The chest and Israel and Judah are all living in tents, Uriah told David. Note that this estimate is higher than the age assigned to Ahithophel by the Jewish sages. By the way, Im not a non-Muslim, but a Sunni Muslim and I apologize if I have by mistake made these allegations. David was the first person to break this tradition. The answer comes from Psalm 55:23 (emphasis ours): But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. Nathan was the first child of Bathsheba that she was given the right to name. Bathsheba is one of only five women listed in the ancestry of Jesus Christ ( Matthew 1:6 ). However, that is not what I am claiming. Even if we grant a new upper limit, 90 years, that does not improve the situation for embarrassed Christian apologists. Table 1: Age comparisons between David, Ahithophel, Solomon, and Bathsheba at different times. [78] Finally, in Acts 13:22, God is quoted as testifying about David as a man after my own heart. David had Uriah himself carry the message that led to his death (2 Samuel 11:615). So, here is a summary about Ahithophel and his role during Davids reign: If Ahithophel was Bathshebas grandfather, then determining his approximate age would allow us to estimate Bathshebas age as well. Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went into her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24).Davids actions may not seem like a comfort to 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for 33 years over all Israel and Judah. WebIf he became king at 30 and ruled for 40 years, he would have been approximately 70 years old when he died. [5] According to 2 Samuel 23, Eliam was among the Thirty elite warriors under Davids command. 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.. This is confirmed by 1 Kings 15:5, which states (emphasis ours): David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lords commands all the days of his lifeexcept in the case of Uriah the Hittite.. [2] Of course, in the previous article, I showed evidence from within the Bible. Several scholars see Bathsheba as the granddaughter of Ahitophel,[10] as do passages in the Talmud. Regardless, most sources reasonably identify the two Eliams as the same person, including, There is simply no reason to make assume otherwise, other than to avoid the embarrassment of finding out Bathshebas true age. Share. 34,) was one of Davids valiant men, [92] https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/2-samuel-11.html#3, Eliam. As Jonathan Brown explains: the medieval ulama considered the point at which a girl was fit for intercourse to be too varied to be firmly legislated for. [29][30][31] Lawrence O. Richards states that the biblical text supports the innocence of Bathsheba, that David took the initiative to find out her identity and summon her, and that she was alone at the time and had no way to refuse the requests of a King. This view was based on the Quran, which states regarding the orphans who have not reached the marriageable age (emphasis ours): And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you, but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness. We can reasonably assume that she could not be older than 20. David, shooting at the bird, strikes the screen, splitting it; thus Bathsheba is revealed in her beauty to David.[14]. David had six wives while he ruled in Hebron as king of Judah. That Ahithophel had then a married grand-daughter is less probable than that there were in Israel two Eliams.[81]. (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. Note that this is the most conservative estimate. Rather, Ahithophel must be the close friend, since he was Davids counselor. Just doing my small part, bro. And also, can you subscribe and follow my website? Thus, he went back to his home and hanged himself (2 Samuel 17:23). Other commentaries, such as those of Matthew Poole. Considering she was old enough to be married yet still without children, Bathsheba was likely 16-19 years old in the story. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam (2 Samuel 11:3, Ammiel in 1 Chronicles 3:5). If this was the normal lifespan at the time, and the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days, then we can reasonably estimate Ahithophels age to less than 40 years. By the way, I made a website and I have debunked the claim which you have made Allah the Moon God. She is best known for the Biblical narrative in which she was summoned by King David, who had seen her bathing and lusted after her.[2]. So, either way, it seems that the name in 1 Chronicles 11:36 was a textual corruption, and thus, unreliable. And do not give the weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you, but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of appropriate kindness. And my master Joab and my masters troops are camping in the open field. Once David took the bait, Nathan pronounced Gods judgment: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king over Israel Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? As stated above, Saul was in his 70s when he died. 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. [68] Sanhedrin 69b, https://www.sefaria.org/Sanhedrin.69b.11?lang=bi. 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. Other commentators also explain the verse this way. This elite group also included Uriah the Hittite (v. 39). I (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1988), p. 439. Moreover, according to the, Ahijah the Pelonite appears in 2 Samuel 23:34 as Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, of which, But David was not a role model for all times! Thus, while some people (a, Even if we grant a new upper limit, 90 years, that does not improve the situation for embarrassed Christian apologists. and Ali Al-Ridha said "At that time, women whose husbands passed away or got killed in the war would never get married again (and this was the source of many evils). Are these prayers also meant to be interpreted allegorically? [5] Thus, Ahitophel was Bathshebas grandfather. When he realized that Absalom had not taken his advice on how to fight David, Ahithophel knew that the conspiracy against the king would fail. Adonijah, the fourth son of King David from Haggith (2 Samuel 3:4). Its important to note that this is an estimate and could vary by a year or The report came back: Isnt this Eliams daughter Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 So David sent messengers to take her. She returned to her own home (2 Samuel 11:4). The Lord loved him; 25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. 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. He therefore induced Absalom to commit an unpardonable crime (2 Sam. At the entrance to her driveway was a small lot, where a small mobile home was parked. Christians should try to be consistent. Son of Ahithophrl and father of Bathsheba (https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/fbd/e/eliam.html). [34] He is no longer able to control his family, and ends up being overthrown by Absalom. See the same link to the playlist. King David accepted this as his punishment, went to the house of Yahweh and worshipped him (2 Samuel 12:2023). The son of Ahithophel (2 Samuel 23:34). (LogOut/ Also, we cannot forget that his life was the story behind the musical in the Bible known as The Book of Psalms. Furthermore, as stated, David himself was 70 years old at the time of his death. Bullinger,[35] Thomas Cooke,[36] the Benson Commentary,[37] Clarkes Commentary,[38] John Trapp,[39] the Pulpit Commentary,[40] Hawkers Poor Mans Commentary,[41] the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary,[42] Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary,[43] the Lange Commentary on the Holy Scriptures,[44] the MacArthur Bible Commentary,[45] Wesleys Explanatory Notes,[46] and Whedons Commentary on the Bible,[47] also identify Ahithophel as the subject of the psalm. Im not a non-Muslim. She was especially loyal to her son Solomon, making sure he followed David as king, even though Solomon was not David's firstborn son. King David once saw Bathsheba bathing on her terrace. [68] Similarly, Smiths Bible Dictionary states that he was approximately 32 years old and died around 1023 BCE (emphasis ours): a native of Giloh, was a privy councillor of David, whose wisdom was highly esteemed, though his name had an exactly opposite signification. As told in 2 Samuel 11-12, Bathsheba was married to Uriah, one of Davids mighty men ( 2 Samuel 23:39 ). But as for me, I trust in you.. WebFrom the roof he saw a woman bathing. Talmud Niddah 29b; Halacha is clear, ritual bath must be done during the morning hence, there is no connection with Bathsheba who took a bath during the night (2 Samuel 11:2). [6] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/smiths-bible-dictionary/ahithophel.html, [7] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ats/a/ahithophel.html, Ahithophel seems to have been the grandfather of Bathsheba., [8] https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/fbd/a/ahithophel.html, Ahithophel was the mainspring of the rebellion. How could they both be alive in 1 Chronicles 27 when Ahithophel supposedly committed suicide in 2 Samuel 17? We have already seen evidence in a previous article that the marriage was Biblically valid. If David was a sinner who had slept with a 7-year old, how could God describe him as a man after my own heart? She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Since this is now firmly established, we may ask what relevance it has in determining Bathshebas age at the time of her marriage to David. The man said, She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.. This does not mean that Muslims should marry their 9-year old children in modern times, because as stated above (see objection #5), people we would consider children in our times were not necessarily considered as such in ancient times. Its date and authorship must be left in the region of mere conjecture. The Talmud seems to have underestimated his age at 7 years old. [17][18][19][20][21][22], Bathsheba (Barsabeh, Bathsabeh) is venerated in Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as a saint. [96] On the other hand, Hastings Bible Dictionary blames a scribal error for the difference and claims that the original reading in 1 Chronicles 11:36 was Gilonite (thus, it was Ahijah the Gilonite). [8] Rather than go home to his own bed, he preferred to remain with the palace troops. [] Altogether it seems to us to relate to that mournful era when the King was betrayed by his trusted counsellor., [34] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/c2000_Psa/Psa_051.cfm?a=533001, Now David evidently wrote this psalm when he was fleeing from Absalom. The next verse after her baby died covers a nine-month period. "Bath-sheba", "2 Samuel 11 - NIV Bible - In the spring, at the time when kings go off to", "Sting.com > Discography > Mad About You, 7", Current Ummah of Islam (Ummah of Muhammad), ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bathsheba&oldid=1147580428, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia without a Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, David, and Bathsheba (who is unnamed), are referenced, in the. Bathsheba's son, King Solomon, rises to greet her, bows down in veneration, and furnishes her a seat at his right hand. This cannot refer to Absalom. King David became king at the age of 30. David's punishment came to pass years later when one of David's much-loved sons, Absalom, led an insurrection that plunged the kingdom into civil war. 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? Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.. Rather, by the onset of puberty, they were adults and were treated as such. 5. [48] http://blb-ra.blueletterbible.org/mcgee_j_vernon/Psa/19134_Psalm_55_1-5.mp3 (mark 1:45). Nathan noted that Yahweh would punish David's house for Uriah's murder and taking his wife, and would let someone close ( rea) to David take away / seize ( laqach) all his wives and have him lie with / rape ( kab) them in broad daylight for everyone to see (2 Samuel 12:912). A hadith quoted in Tafsir al-Kabir and Majma' al-Bayan expresses that Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Whoever says that David, has married Uriah's wife as the legends are narrate, I will punish him twice: one for qazf (falsely accusing someone of adultery) and the other for desecrating the prophethood (defamation of prophet David)". He was the grandfather of Bathsheba.[69]. Son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, and one of Davids heroes ( 2 Samuel 23:34 ). You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. [15] As a queen and mother, she was also associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven. She was most likely between the ages of 12-14, which means a 40 year old man married such a young girl. You Muslims believe Muhammad is a role model for all times!, In my view, we should leave it to the experts (e.g., physicians and psychologists) to determine what is an appropriate age for maturity, if there is one. He could have been as old as 11 years if we assume that the four years in 2 Samuel 15:7 refers to the time from Absaloms return from Geshur (2+3+2+4=11). Not only was this marriage permitted, it resulted in the birth of yet another beloved figure, Solomon. Yes, David must have been in his late 30s to his early 40s and Bathsheba would have been young but of age, not an adolescent. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked about the welfare of Joab and the army and how the battle was going. The reader should recall that Hushai the Arkite was the double-agent in 2 Samuel 17 who persuaded Absalom to ignore Ahithophels advice on how to fight David. The only solution would be to assume that Ahithophel was mentioned in passing and was actually dead (the Chronicler states that Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada). Others may come to accept the evidence presented but will still attempt to downplay it. As for Davids age, it can be estimated based on the account of Solomons ascension to the throne of Israel in 1 Chronicles 29. Thus, Solomon was 911 years old at the time of his great-grandfathers death. Eliam, in turn, was the son of Ahitophel the Gilonite (2 Samuel 23:34). 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. [60] Wesleys Explanatory Notes also suggests this interpretation but is rather vague. David pleaded with God to spare his child, fasting and spending the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground (2 Samuel 12:1617), but after seven days the child died (2 Samuel 12:18). 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).
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