Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 12
David obtained Bathsheba as his wife in a very wrong and evil manner. However, David then turned back to God and God forgave him. God accepted them as husband and wife; he did not tell them to separate from each other or to divorce.
So here we see that, for the first time, Bathsheba is called David’s wife. Previously, she was called the wife of Uriah, her former husband (11:26; 12:15).
God did not merely accept her into David’s home as one of his wives. God also showed special kindness to her and to David after the death of their first child. After the usual time, she gave birth to their second son, who would become Israel’s king after David. They called him Solomon, which means ‘peaceful’ in the Hebrew language. It was a good choice of name, because Solomon’s rule was the most peaceful period of Israel’s history.
When David was only a youth, God chose him to be Israel’s future ruler (1 Samuel 16:1-13). It became clear that God had chosen Solomon in a special way at an even younger age. While he was still a baby, God sent a message about him to the prophet (holy man) Nathan. Nathan was the same prophet whom God had used to tell David about his evil deeds (12:1-14). However, this time, Nathan brought a message about God’s love for Solomon. God even had a special name for Solomon: Jedidiah, which means that God loves him. About twenty years later, Nathan joined with Zadok the priest to appoint Solomon king (1 Kings 1:28-40).
Next part: Joab requests David's support in the battle for Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26-29)
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