David’s Other Affair
And they sought for a lovely young woman in all the border of Yishra’el, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the sovereign. 1 Melakim 1:3 ISR
Young woman – The opening story of 1 Kings is a very strange story to include in recounting the life of David. David is old. He has trouble sleeping because he is cold. His servants come up with a splendid idea. They provide him with a young, beautiful girl to share his bed. Body heat solves the problem. Hmm?
Aside from the fact that this story seems a bit too intimate and a bit too scandalous to include in the biography of Israel’s greatest king, there are some other oddities. First, where is Bathsheba? Couldn’t she keep the king warm in bed? Perhaps she wasn’t quite so beautiful anymore, but something is amiss. The king is sleeping alone these days. Why?
Secondly, the Hebrew word used to describe this young woman is na’arah. It is usually used to designate a girl of marriageable age, perhaps 14 or 15. Not an older woman. But this word doesn’t always fit the idea of a virgin. Ruth is called a na’arah. So is the concubine of the Levite (Judges 19:3) and a prostitute (Amos 2:7). An odd word choice for sharing the king’s bed, don’t you think?
This girl’s name is Abishag. The name isn’t quite right for the circumstances either. It means, “father of mistake” or “father of transgression” or even “father of deception.” And she is a Shunammite. She comes from the village of Shunem. The name of the village means “two resting places.” It is south of Mount Gilboa. Elisha the prophet was given hospitality by a woman in this village. Her son is the one Elisha brought back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37). The Aggadah suggests that this story of the Shunammite woman who provides for Elisha is the same girl who provided for David.
Of course, we might dismiss all of this by noticing that the text tells us David did not have sex with her. But why include all this intimate detail? Why do we really care what happens in the king’s bed?
Jewish interpretation of the passage points out that the issue is not sexual. The reason the story is important is because this woman becomes a pawn in Adonijah’s attempted coup. After Solomon becomes king, Adonijah seeks Bathsheba’s assistance to gain permission to marry Abishag. It seems like an innocent request, but it isn’t. Solomon sees it for what it is – a repetition of Rueben’s attempt to supplant Jacob as head of the tribe. Adonijah isn’t interested in Abishag. He is interested in the throne and wants to use an “official” relationship with David’s unofficial connection to claim endorsement as king. Solomon executes Adonijah over this sleight of hand.
Jewish exegetes also point out that because David doesn’t have sex with Abishag there are no other claimants to the throne. That’s why the denial of sexual intimacy is important.
What do we learn from this peek into the king’s bedroom? We learn that the history of the dynasty is complicated, full of intrigue even over apparently innocent actions and unconcerned with the bit-part players. But God isn’t unconcerned. If in fact Abishag is the same women Elisha encounters, God’s presence is still very much a part of her life. She might be nothing more than a hot water bottle for David, but she becomes a sign of great faith in her own village. I imagine that she had to live with plenty of gossip. I imagine that she found it difficult to explain how she could sleep with the king and not be intimate. But God vindicated her.
If we needed prime time soap opera scenarios, the Bible gives us plenty of them. That’s because it doesn’t whitewash its actors. But behind them all is the hand of the Almighty. You might ask yourself how you would react if you were Abishag, the young girl called to serve the king. You might reflect on the fallout for your reputation and how you would handle it. And you might ask why God let all this happen.
Topical Index: Abishag, Shunammite, na’arah, girl, young woman, 1 Kings 1:3
The details……. Last night on the news the ex-Pres. of Penn St. was found culpable for sins of omission based on an email. Others have been tripped up for old crimes based on evidence found through modern science. The bible does include these tiny stories, yet how revealing they can be when studied. Thanks, Skip, for bringing this one to light: a tiny story, yet very revealing.
~ So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king ~ (1 Kings 1.3)
Everyday we spend on this green planet, we do not have to look very far to see -there is no shortage of “trauma and drama,” and if there is not enough of our own (?) to satiate our own incredulous need for this,- we have a box of lies we have invited into our homes to provide us with 185 channels, 24/7 of “other people’s lives”. Our own lives seem so dull in comparison. Even our own imaginations seems to pale in comparison to the “perfect world” presented to us in “living color” and in crystal clear HD quality.
There are additional problems it seems that derive from this. It is (it seems to me) a war between the artificial and the authentic, for the world we view from the comfort of our couches is “scripted”- it is plastic, it is artificial, it is superficial- and yet, we invite it into our homes. ( I gotta ask..and love to ask)- why?
Are we looking for “escape?” Is t.v. a deterrent, an escape- a poor substitute- from our own (oh so boring) non-exciting and (heaven forbid) “ordinary” lives?
There is a “preacher” in the house and we have invited him to come in. We pay (from our already limited funds) to have these messages and images relentlessly broadcast and seeded subliminally into our minds- in order that we might buy the right brand of toothpaste and be popular with all our friends and neighbors. We must drive this car, live in this house, speak a “certain way”- look like this, wear the right-color tie, get a three-hundred dollar haircut, (I would if I had hair and three hundred dollars to throw away) in order to live up to the constantly evolving whims and fashions bombarding in unrelenting frequency our gullible, impressionable and moldable minds.
Could this be the young female given to comfort the ones sleeping in David’s bed? Television is the electronic babysitter, “the artificially warm body” for the very young, the very old,- and all ages in between. There is something for everyone- just flip the channels to find it. Entertain and escape, amuse yourself, (a-not muse- to think- amuse: not to think) and lose yourself for the next sixty minutes. Has one hour of your (very) limited life just been wasted? These (wasted) hours do tend to add up!
What effect has television had upon family communication? What “gospel” is constantly being proclaimed across all channels? We control the vertical- we control the horizontal. Would someone please tell me how to think? What I need is some sort of spin on the evening news. (huh?) Find something that fits my lifestyle of rebellion- sit back and enjoy the show- while Rome is burning.
This “young female” in David’s bed is so attractive. She will suck the brains right out of your head- but first, she needs our permission to do so. It is our choice, which channel to watch -or- find the green power button “unplug” from this monstrosity and return to the genuine and the authentic. (Horrors!, real life!- lol!)
Have you noticed these two words tend to travel together? “Peace and quiet.” And why do they call it “The Quiet Time?” Have we become afraid of solitude and silence? Will God be heard above the noise and confusion? (What were His instructions again?) ~ be still and know that I AM God ~
I wonder if David, (cold, tho’ he were) had finally found the true Source of all comfort and solace, of joy and shalom in knowing (intricately and intimately) the Elohim of his fathers. ~ When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, Because You have been my Help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings will I rejoice ~
Is the same God David knew “back in the day”- available to us? Or are we “too busy” with other pursuits? Unplug. ~ be still, and know..~ “After the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper..” (1 Kings 19.12) How can we hear this “gentle whisper”- above all the noise and confusion?
“Fear not, I AM with you- Peace. Be still”- in all of life’s ebb and flow.” May we be ~ wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil ~ bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ~ Will this be easy? Will this require discipline? Will God give unto His own what we need, (when we need it) to accomplish this? “Fear not,” He will. For He is (surely) able when we are willing.
I am reading this story of King David and the woman Abishag and wondering if there is a connection with the story of Ruth. I am thinking about Ruth at the theashing floor. I guess I am looking for the sod level here in this story. I like it when YHVH weaves into the stories the Messiah and the Two Houses of Israel.
If we needed prime time soap opera scenarios, the Bible gives us plenty of them. That’s because it doesn’t whitewash its actors. But behind them all is the hand of the Almighty.
Thank you. I needed to hear that. It puts my life into a perspective that I can handle better.
Always the intriguing topic and subject matter, to challenge us to dig deep beyond the written word. Thanks Skip. Shalom!