The Wife of Uriah-Matthew 1:6

Joshua · #1 (**permalink**) 11-14-2006, 11:12 PM

Matthew 1:6 and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

What was the purpose/significance here of referring to Bathsheba as the wife of Uriah, rather than Bathsheba or David's wife?

Contra_Mundum · #2 (**permalink**) 11-14-2006, 11:29 PM

I would say: to emphasize how God overcomes sin by his overruling prividence.

"You meant it for evil, but I meant it for good."

That geaneology also names Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, beside Mary. Two at least, maybe three, were Gentiles. Women, even foreigners or former prostitutes, were no less critical to the birth of the Messiah--according to the determined foreknowledge and counsl of God--than the kings and great men listed.

All happened by divine design.

North Jersey Baptist · #3 (**permalink**) 11-14-2006, 11:30 PM

Matthew 1:6 6 and to Jesse was born David the king. And to David was born Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah;

Josh - consider what Matthew wrote earlier:

Matthew 1:5 5 and to Salmon was born Boaz by Rahab;

Notice that Solomon and Boaz's birth mother are mentioned (although Bathsheba by inference). Why is that? Rahab was a harlot and David was an adulterer. Rahab played a part in the Davidic line while Bathsheba followed suit in the Messianic line. I happen to believe it is a tremendous story of God's grace in using a harlot and the horrendous sin of the King of Israel in order to accomplish God's redemptive plan.

That is the reason I believe Matthew points these two people out.

P.S. Bruce rightly brought up Tamar and Ruth into the equation.

Pilgrim · #4 (**permalink**) 11-14-2006, 11:32 PM

Matthew Henry

Quote:

There are four women, and but four, named in this genealogy; two of them were originally strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, Rachab a Canaanitess, and a harlot besides, and Ruth the Moabitess; for in Jesus Christ there is neither Greek, nor Jew; those that are strangers and foreigners are welcome, in Christ, to the citizenship of the saints. The other two were adulteresses, Tamar and Bathsheba; which was a further mark of humiliation put upon our Lord Jesus, that not only he descended from such, but that his descent from them is particularly remarked in his genealogy, and no veil drawn over it. He took upon him the likeness of sinful flesh #Ro 8:3, and takes even great sinners, upon their repentance, into the nearest relation to himself. Note, We ought not to upbraid people with the scandals of their ancestors; it is what they cannot help, and has been the lot of the best, even of our Master himself. David’s begetting Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias is taken notice of (says Dr. Whitby) to show that the crime of David, being repented of, was so far from hindering the promise made to him, that it pleased God by this very woman to fulfil it.