Background Information On David’s Mother
The Bible speaks of many people, but one of its most famous characters is King David. While everyone knows who King David was, not many people know who his mother was. This article will explore the identity of David’s mother in the Bible and her story.
David is first mentioned in Scripture in 1 Samuel 16, when Samuel anoints him with oil to be the next king of Israel. However, his parents are never mentioned in that passage. Later, in 1 Samuel 17, it is revealed that David’s father was Jesse (otherwise known as Isai). As for his mother, her identity is never actually revealed in Scripture.
Some scholars, including the 4th-century Palestinian rabbi Eusebius, have suggested that David’s mother was Nitzevet (in Hebrew) or Nitzebeyt (in Aramaic). This theory is based on the fact that the Talmud identifies David’s mother with a woman by either name.
Nitzevet and Nitzebeyt were two separate names, as evidenced by 2 Chronicles 11:18. The passage mentions “Nitzevet daughter of Adael” and “Nitzebeyt the daughter of Baanah,” both of whom were at a banquet prepared for King Rehoboam by King Jeroboam.
Nitzevet and Nitzebeyt translate to “strength of the serpent.” This could be a reference to the fact that many ancient cultures believed in a form of dragon or serpent, representing strength and power. It is possible that Nitzevet and Nitzebeyt were the names of two different people. Alternatively, they could have been names given to the same woman by different cultures, or they could have been nicknames applied to different versions of the same name.
Perspectives From Experts
The foremost expert on the identity of David’s mother is Professor Judith Baskin of the University of Oregon’s Department of History. She suggests that the Talmud’s identification of Nitzevet as David’s mother is correct. Most experts agree with this hypothesis. They point out the fact that King Saul, who was David’s predecessor, was described in the Bible as having seven daughters, including Merab and Michal, and that King Saul gave David’s mother as a gift to David.
The Oxford Companion to the Bible notes that it is uncertain whether Nitzevet or Nitzebeyt was David’s mother, but points out the possibility that she may have been an Israelite descendant of Obed, son of Ruth. This would make her a descendant of Jesse, the father of King David. The companion also mentions an alternate theory that Nitzevet may have been David’s mother-in-law, the mother of Michal. However, there is little to no historical evidence to support this theory.
The Encyclopedia Judaica states that Nitzevet is probably the name of David’s mother, and that she was either an Aramean or an Israelite of unknown origin. She may have been a descendant of King Saul.
Rabbi Yosef Karo, in his 15th century commentary on the Bible, writes that Nitzevet was a Midianite and an ancestor of David’s teacher, the prophet Samuel. This is based on the Book of Jubilees, an apocryphal Jewish work from the 2nd century BCE. According to Karo, Nitzevet was the mother of seven of David’s siblings.
Analysis of the Data
The data presented above reveals that there is much uncertainty surrounding the identity of David’s mother in the Bible. While the Talmud identifies her as Nitzevet or Nitzebeyt, there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory. The other possibilities are interesting, but there is also not enough evidence to back up any of these theories.
It is important to note that David may have had more than one mother. He was born in Bethlehem, which was populated by a mixed bag of Jews and Arameans. It is possible that Nitzevet and Nitzebeyt were two different women, or different versions of the same name. It is also possible that David had both an Aramean mother and an Israelite mother.
The fact remains that the identity of David’s mother is a mystery that may never be solved. While the absence of her name in the Bible may be due to the fact that it was customary for women to be unnamed in ancient times, the lack of solid evidence makes it impossible to conclusively identify her.
Examining The Relationship Between David And His Mother
Despite her elusive identity, we can still look at the relationship between David and his mother as described in the Bible. It appears from the text that David had a good relationship with his mother. After being anointed king, he was brought to the royal court where he received gifts from his father and mother.
Furthermore, the Talmud teaches that David had seven mothers: four biological mothers, the prophet Samuel’s wife, Saul’s wife, and Michal’s mother. Since David was born into a polygamous society, it is possible that his mother was actually one of the four unnamed mothers mentioned in the text.
Through further analysis of the biblical text, we can also ascertain that David was very close to his mother. In 1 Samuel 18, he is described as mourning her when she died. This suggests that he held her in high esteem and respected her as a mother figure.
Related Political Implications
The identity of David’s mother in the Bible has political implications. In 1 Chronicles 2, we learn that King Saul had seven sons, including David. This indicates that Saul, who was an Israelite king, had at least one child with an Aramean woman. Therefore, if the Talmud’s identification of Nitzevet as David’s mother is correct, then it suggests that there was intermarriage between Israelites and Arameans.
The narrator in 2 Samuel 7 refers to David as “the son of an Ammonite woman.” This could mean that David had an Ammonite mother, in addition to his Aramean mother. In this case, it could be argued that David’s parentage is evidence of the friendly relationship between Israelites and Ammonites. This could have had far-reaching political implications in the ancient world.
Theological Implications
Lastly, the identity of David’s mother has important theological implications. The Talmud states that she was a descendant of Moab, an enemy of Israel. In this context, her son’s rise to power would be understood as a divine act of mercy, a sign that God loves all humanity, regardless of their ethnicity.
The traditional view suggests that the birth of David was ultimately an act of God, who gave him a special mission to rule and protect Israel. The fact that God could choose someone from a nation that was traditionally hostile to his people indicates his willingness to use people regardless of their background, gender and social class.
Deuteronomic Influences and Relevance to Modern Times
The exact identity of David’s mother may remain a mystery, but the story of her son and his reign as king is a reminder of the Deuteronomic influences within the Bible. The Deuteronomist Code is a set of moral and ethical laws found in the book of Deuteronomy. The code requires respect for social hierarchy and a commitment to justice for the weak and the oppressed.
The story of David’s mother can be seen as a reminder of this code, for it speaks of a foreign woman who may have held a low status but whose son was chosen by God to become the greatest king in Israel’s history. The story serves as a reminder to all of us of the ways in which God can turn humble beginnings into a great success.
Ultimately, the identity of David’s mother in the Bible remains a mystery. She may have been an Israelite, an Aramean, or possibly even an Ammonite. The fact that her name is not mentioned in the Bible could be a reflection of the fact that women’s names were often not recorded in ancient times. Regardless of her identity, her son’s success story can still inspire us to strive for greatness and look to God for support in achieving it.
