Bathsheba

Bathseba was not a Canaanite

Many esteem Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah “the Hittite”, to have been a Hittite herself, and if not, to have been an adulteress because she was married to a Hittite. But was Uriah really a Hittite?

The word “Hittite”, or Chittiy, according to Strong’s Concordance, is indeed derived from Heth, and was used to describe his descendants; however it is also identical to a form of the word chittiyth, which means fear. A person who was fearsome could indeed be described as a “hittite”! In 2 Samuel 23:1 Uriah the Hittite is listed as one of the 37 “mighty men whom David had”, even after his death! All of the Biblical testimony concerning Uriah proves that he was anything but an accursed Hittite, and a just and faithful servant. The account of his attitude and behavior given at 2 Samuel 11:9-11 is especially noteworthy. And having died on the front lines of battle, Uriah surely lived up to his epithet – once it is interpreted properly – Uriah the Terrible.

2 Samuel 11:6-11:

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? 11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.