Recently I was pondering on Proverbs 31 and started thinking about the authorship of that chapter. I recalled reading in some commentaries that “Lemuel” could have been a childhood name for Solomon, but the conclusion that immediately occured to me was rather startling. After coming home from work, I checked a few study Bibles and commentaries on Proverbs 31 and confirmed what I had recalled: many (if not most) Bible scholars down through the centuries have believed that “Lemuel” was king Solomon, and that his mother composed and taught him this proverb in his youth. This leads to the very logical conclusion (seeing that we know exactly who Solomon’s mother was) that is is highly probable that the original source of Proverbs 31 was none other than Bathsheba, the wife of King David.
Yes, Bathsheba, the adulteress.
Now Bathsheba is not an example Christian women have held up for their daughters to follow down through the centuries. Many mothers have told their daughters, “I hope you grow up to be like the Proverbs 31 woman”. I doubt if any have said, “I hope you grow up to be like Bathsheba.” Horrors, no. Bathsheba and the Proverbs 31 woman are on the opposite end of the spectrum, right?
And yet, the context of Scripture could indicate that Bathsheba herself is the origin of this chapter. Not that there aren’t any other theories about the authorship of this chapter, but this is the one with the strongest historical and traditional support. It’s an intriguing possibility, one that bears some consideration and meditation.
Try reading Proverbs 31 again, keeping Bathsheba’s story in the background of your mind. Bathsheba knew what it was like to not be a virtuous woman. Only through sad experience had she learned that “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain . . . ” Her sin had crushed her and taken the lives of her first husband and child. She knew the stigma of defilement. She was more than a failure, she was a moral outcast.
Yet, somewhere along the way between II Samuel 11 and Proverbs 31, a change of heart occured. The Bible tells us a great deal about David’s repentance, but very little about Bathsheba’s. Yet it seems that along the road of life she learned that ” . . . a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” She repented and set about being the virtuous woman that God created her to be.
Bathsheba was the mother of the wisest man who ever lived. If Proverbs 31 is indeed the product of her heart and mind, then it should be no surprise to us that such a woman could beget such a great, wise man.
The story of Bathsheba teaches us that virtuous womanhood is not rooted in perfectionism, niceness, and self-effort. It starts with repentance, cleansing, brokenness, and learning the fear of the Lord. Some think that Proverbs 31 is an impossible standard, but I prefer to think of it as a description of the grateful service a forgiven, cleansed woman offers to her Savior. Bathsheba was a woman who had been forgiven much. So be a Bathsheba. Repent and receive abundant forgiveness. The cross is the way, the only way, to enter the path of virtuous womanhood. A real Proverbs 31 woman is not a perfect woman, but a redeemed woman, freed from the bondage of sin to serve her Lord and Master. That is the kind of woman that the author of this often misunderstood proverb would have you to be.
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May 4th, 2010 - 8:27 am
Amen. Amen, amen, amen.
Very much like Peter, who denied Christ three times, later preaching on the day of Pentecost…
“Thank You, O my Father, for giving us Your Son…”
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May 5th, 2010 - 12:36 am
Incredible post. This is definitely one of my favorites. I love what you said here: “The story of Bathsheba teaches us that virtuous womanhood is not rooted in perfectionism, niceness, and self-effort. It starts with repentance, cleansing, brokenness, and learning the fear of the Lord.” Amen.
I began my pursuit of Biblical womanhood on self-effort and not with a penitent heart. I am so thankful to God that He broke me of my own self-righteousness. Thank the Lord for His precious mercy.
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May 8th, 2010 - 11:42 pm
great blog. teaches the women out there that once a great mistake is made they can get back up and be strong in the LORD. repentance is everything, and even though the bible only really talks about davids repentance, it was important that she followed God to since she was davids wife. i like this one alot. praise the LORD!
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July 9th, 2010 - 7:41 pm
And yet she is still called the adulteress while David is praised as a man after God’s own heart…give me a break!
Women are not the root of all evil and they are not second class citizens!
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j.d. stegall Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
you are correct- women are not the root of all evil and they are not 2nd class. understand the bible IN its context and you will not be confused. david was called a man after God’s own heart because he repented when he was found out and he didnt blame someone else for his mistake.
once you put the bible together like a puzzle, it is impossible to take it out of context and contort what God’s says and means.
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Vanessa Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
@Maryann, The point I made in this post was that Bathsheba found redemption, restoration, and cleansing through repenting and forsaking her past sins. The Bible doesn’t tell us as much about Bathsheba’s spiritual journey as it does about David’s, yet we see from the character of her son Solomon that a tremendous turnaround must have taken place in her life.
A woman will only find wholeness through repentance, not through trying to pretend that she is perfect. The life of Bathsheba is an excellent example of how God can restore and cleanse the life of a broken and shamed woman.
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July 9th, 2010 - 11:45 pm
i agree-praise the LORD for THAT piece of truth.
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July 24th, 2010 - 1:56 pm
Hi,
I like your commentary . But while reading this commentary about Proverbs 31, a question arose in my mid. Does Bathseba commited a sin of adultery? If we read the chapter of 2 samuel 11 only David was found guilty of sin. for prophet nathan never pronounce cursed on Bathseba only to David. Nor Bathseba was named adultress in the Bible. Bathseba was just a mere victim like his husband Uriah was a mere victim of david’s sin. We must point out that during that time Woman don’t exhibits any rights as they are today. So even bathseba doesn’t want to she can’t do anything.
I agree with you about the commentary in proverbs 31 about a woman of character .I wish my future wife will be like proverbs 31.
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jd stegall Reply:
July 26th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
@noel, she will be like proverbs 31 with much prayer and trust in the LORD. just read , “when God writes your love story” its a great book to see how you can learn to trust God with even finding you the perfect person he had for you from the foundations of the world. thats how i found my wife of 7 years this month and after reading the book, when she appeared in my vision, i KNEW right away she was the one he had for me–stay blessed my friend
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Vanessa Reply:
July 26th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
@noel, The Bible clearly labels David’s and Bathsheba’s sin adultery. Adultery is never the sin of just one person, it always requires two. However, the Bible emphasizes David’s part in their sin the most because he initiated it and arranged the murder of Uriah.
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