Prompt: Reflect
on and discuss the characterization of David, Bathsheba, Nathan, Joab, and
Absalom you find in 2 Samuel 9-20. What adjectives come to mind in describing
them? Are any “sympathetic” characters? What, if any, “timeless” qualities do you
find in these stories?
In
this assignment, we visit David only as an adult and King- there is no room for
David the boy wonder or David the underdog. Instead, we see David painted as
the ideal King of the Israelites- a people for whom no king but God should have
been necessary, but who demanded one all the same.[1]
David’s recurring theme is one of justice and loyalty marred by personal
desire. David seeks out the son of Jonathan to show loyalty to his best friend,
despite the fact this son was lame and otherwise considered useless.[2]
David expresses a desire to treat the Ammonites fairly because he had so been
treated.[3] He shows himself capable of determining right
from wrong, but his own loyalty to himself and his desires interferes, as shown
in his conversation with Nathan regarding Uriah and Bathsheba[4]
and again later regarding the quarrel between Amnon and Absalom.[5] The work clearly regards David as a great and
fearsome leader- the enemies of Israel only ever are 'obnoxious', rather[6]
than any real threat. He loves his sons,
to a fault. He begs for the life of his infant son, he sends his daughter to
care for Amnon when he is ill, and though he is angry when Amnon rapes Tamar,
David does not punish him. He weeps for both Amnon[7]
and Absalom[8],
despite the literary fact that both needed very much to die. He seems
indifferent to his daughters, but that is not unusual within the Scriptures in
general. David demonstrates an enormous
capacity to forgive and ignore wrongs done to him, as well- he overlooks Amnon’s
rape of Tamar, brings Absalom back to the city after Amnon’s murder, honors the
servant Ziba after Mephibosheth’s supposed betrayal (and subsequently forgives
both Mephibosheth and Ziba) and rebukes his troops when they are all stoned by
Shimei.
In
many ways, David is an allegory for the relationship between Yaweh and his
people. David loves his children, no matter what. He rewards faithfulness. He
forgives those who ask for it. He
defends the Israelites and his family from all who threaten them. When read
from the viewpoint of the New Testament, David is the early, flawed prototype
for Jesus.[9]
David demonstrates not only how Yaweh loves the Israelites with infinite
patience and compassion, but also the flaws of attempting to humanize or
replace Yaweh’s place in their lives. David cannot replace Yaweh because David
is also a human, is also flawed- but he can help people understand how the
relationship between humans and Yaweh should be, and why humans should not wish
to place a King between themselves and Yaweh.
Like
many other Hebrew Scripture wives, Bathsheba is a marginalized and tragic
figure. She has an affair with David- was it forced? No one knows, but the fact
that she was ritually cleansing herself after menstruation is a neat bit of
symbolism as to the severity of David’s transgression. She clearly has
compassion, for she mourns both Uriah and the dead son, but once Solomon is
born, she vanishes from the narrative. As with other treatments of women in the
Hebrew Scriptures, Bathsheba’s role is to provide David with an heir- and once
that function is accomplished she no longer matters to the narrative. Nathan, too, is marginalized in this later
part of David’s life. He serves only as the literary device to explain all of
the horrible things that will befall David because of his transgression with
Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah.
These two characters exist as plot progression narratives, not as robust
or interesting characters on their own.
Joab
serves the literary function of David’s conscience and temperament. He is also
clearly a skilled warrior, and much trusted by David, who sends Joab out at the
head of the entire Israelite army numerous times. Joab is extremely loyal to David, never
seeking to overstep his relationship with David (such as when he calls David to
finish the fight against Rabbah and so assume the glory in Chapter 12) or complaining
about his complicity in arranging Uriah’s death, despite any personal objections
or judgements. Joab also assists David even when David cannot see what is best,
such as when he works to bring back Absalom when David’s grief is so great, and
later, when Joab kills Absalom despite David’s plea. Joab knows Absalom must
die to keep David safe- and that David cannot bring himself to harm his
son. Joab also criticizes David and
reminds David of his deeper responsibility and duty to his people- that David
cannot wallow and linger in his own grief and sorrow, but must lead his people,
as he has been charged.[10] It is difficult to understand Joab’s role
when one views David as an allegory for Yaweh, but from a literary standpoint,
Joab is the necessary muscle that allows the hero to remain untarnished and
vulnerable. We would not like David much if he murdered Absalom- no matter how
much we come to dislike Absalom by the end of the tale. We admire Joab for his devotion, we are wary
of his ruthlessness, and we are thankful Joab is on David’s side.
Absalom
is such an interesting character. He beings so sympathetically- he is
righteously outraged by the treatment of his sister, the abuse of his elder
brother, and the seeming indifference of his father. The rest of the story,
though, causes one to wonder: is this an act? It seems out of place for the
Scriptures to place such a huge attachment of a male on a sister or daughter. Indeed, avenging the stolen virtue of women
is more of an excuse for other grievances of Israelite men, rather than justice
for a woman abused. Assuredly, Simon and Levi slaughtered those at Sechem on
pretense for Dinah’s rape- but since the rape had already been atoned and the
marriage legalized, it was really about pride and wealth. Absalom is no
different. He uses Tamar as his excuse to plot against Amnon, who stands
between him and the throne. He plots
shamelessly against David while in exile and when brought back. He is depicted as vain and spoiled- his
countenance is beautiful, with long thick hair[11] and
he feels entitled to treatment like a king. Burning Joab’s fields because Joab,
who serves David- not Abaslom- is an ultimate mark of petty and cruel
self-centeredness. It marks Absalom’s true nature, which is further revealed as
Absalom plots against his father through the rest of the story. Like those who
are unfaithful to Yaweh, Absalom initially seems reasonable and appealing to
the Israelites, but ultimately he is utterly and completely destroyed. Just as Yaweh forgives those who turn from
him, David forgives Absalom- but just as Absalom died for his transgressions,
so too are the unfaithful to Yaweh punished.
The
story of David is one of my favorites, and one with which I am very familiar
through another literary venue. The
novel, God Knows by Joseph Heller, is one of my favorite works, and the
coloration of the characters that Heller paints is difficult for me to discard
when I turn to scripture. The
timelessness of the story itself is evident in many literary works. King Lear,
with his undying love of spiteful daughters, comes to mind- or any story where
a father mourns for the unruly behavior of his children. In some ways, I
believe the earlier stories of David- which are much more about a shining hero,
endure with a mythic sense of grandiosity. Older David, though, endures in the
secret hopes of every parent, who would forgive anything of their children, and
in the secret fear we all have about God: why would he punish an innocent for
our mistakes? What hope would we not hold that maybe God will yield and spare
one we love so much. As David says,
there is always hope.
[1] 1 Samuel
8
[2]
2
Samuel 9
[3] 2
Samuel 10
[4] 2 Samuel
12
[5]
2
Samuel 14: 1-21
[6] 2
Samuel 10: 6
[7] 2
Samuel 13:37-39
[8] 2
Samuel 19: 1-4
[9] This
is not the place for such a discussion, but I wonder if the depictions of Jesus
by the Gospel writers deliberately left out depictions of family attachments as
they sought to draw a comparison to David and Jesus, all the better emphasize
the perfect Love of God (and Christ and the Holy Spirit.) This idea comes to me from the suggestion in
the Bradly Embry article, when he points out that major figures of the Scriptures
are often contrasted against one another to better draw out the lessons from
one or the other.
[10] 2
Samuel 19:5-7
[11] It is ironic
that the same thick hair he prides himself on becomes his doom, as it ensnares
him in the brambles. This is also interesting symbolism, since long and beautiful
hair appears on those who are devout and sworn to God. We know Absalmon is not,
because he cuts his hair twice a year, but the parallels to Sampson and to
Absalom, weakened and ultimately killed because of their hair, is unmistakable.
