2Sa 11:3 | TNotes | STEP | 11:3 Bathsheba means “daughter of seven” or “daughter of oath.” Her father Eliam was the son of Ahithophel (see 23:34 ), an adviser sought by David and then by Absalom (15:12 ; 16:23 ). Much to David’s chagrin (15:31 ), Ahithophel later shifted his allegiance from David to Absalom (17:1-4 , 14 ) and advised Absalom to sleep with David’s concubines on a rooftop, in open view (16:20-22 ). • Uriah is a Hebrew name (meaning “Yahweh [is] my light”); either he was a foreign mercenary, a convert to Israelite religion, or an Israelite of Hittite heritage. Uriah might also have been a member of the non-Israelite aristocracy in Jerusalem that predated David’s conquest of the city. He was one of the Thirty

a11:3►

b23:34►

c15:12►

d16:23►

e15:31►

f17:1-4►

g14►

h16:20-22►

i23:39►

‏ 2 Samuel 11:3

11:3 ^a Bathsheba means “daughter of seven” or “daughter of oath.” Her father Eliam was the son of Ahithophel (see 23:34 ^b), an adviser sought by David and then by Absalom (15:12 ^c; 16:23 ^d). Much to David’s chagrin (15:31 ^e), Ahithophel later shifted his allegiance from David to Absalom (17:1-4 ^f, 14 ^g) and advised Absalom to sleep with David’s concubines on a rooftop, in open view (16:20-22 ^h).

• Uriah is a Hebrew name (meaning “Yahweh [is] my light”); either he was a foreign mercenary, a convert to Israelite religion, or an Israelite of Hittite heritage. Uriah might also have been a member of the non-Israelite aristocracy in Jerusalem that predated David’s conquest of the city. He was one of the Thirty—David’s mightiest warriors (23:39 ⁱ).