David

Continuing to look at the sex lives of some of the Biblical heros. Trying to create a biblical list of things considered sexually immoral. Was Paul considering David when he said that the sexually immoral (pornoi πόρνοι) will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Chor 6:9) Or did pornoi mean something else?
In Matthew Jesus is often referred to as “son of David”. Our New Testament starts out with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matt 1:1).

“David was probably the greatest lover in the Old Testament. As a man after God's own heart, he was the greatest responder to the Love of God. He was very handsome. He had "beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance" (1 Samuel 16:12). The Hebrew word for David is dw!D*, from the root which means delight from love, or lover. The first letter of his name is the pictorial for the point of a female breast. The root, dwD) (dodh), meaning beloved or love delights, has two of these letters.” (http://www.biblenews1.com/garden/David1.html )

The story of David and Bathsheba is told in a way that acknowledges David was in the wrong. He committed adultery by having sex with another man’s wife. He then added to that sin by having the other man killed. It would be hard to defend David here. In this case the Bible helps clarify that David had done something wrong. The story clarifies that “what David had done upset the Lord.” (2 Samuel 11:27) A prophet is sent to help David recognize his sin. David repents of his sin “I have sinned against the Lord!” 12:13 and that God forgives him. However the child conceived of this sin would still die as a result.

This story makes it clear that the combination of adultery + murder is very wrong.

However, the rest of David’s relationships however are described without a hint that they were wrong.

• God gave David the wives of Saul. (2 Sam 12:8)
• David pays Saul two hundred foreskins as the bride price for Saul’s daughter Michal.
• Saul later sent Michal to Galim to marry Palti, son of Laish.
• David gets Michal back.
• 1 Chronicles 3 lists 7 wives with the list of David’s descendants (Michal is missing from this count)
• David also had at least 10 concubines or mistresses

David may have also married a mother and her daughter. A woman named Ahinoam is listed as first wife of Saul (I Samuel 14:50). David's first wife is Michal, the daughter of Ahinoam. David also takes Saul's wives (2 Sam 12:8). A woman named Ahinoam is mentioned as a wife of David (1 Samuel 25:43). It is possible there are two women named Ahinoam. Either way David took Saul's wives, and one of Saul's daughters.

David's concubines are mentioned  in 2 Saml 15:13-17. When fleeing from his son Absalom, David left 10 concubines behind. Absalom then “went into” the concubines. When David regained his household he did not “go into” the concubines, but put these 10 women away under guard to live the rest of their lives as a “widow”. (2 Sam 20:3)

David spent his last days with a young virgin in bed with him. The story says David did not have sex with her. But for us today looking back it is still an odd way for an old man to end his days. The story emphasizes that they searched the nation for a young beautiful girl to keep his old body warm. I wonder why they didn’t search for a large older widow with possibly more warmth to give, and with less appearance of pedophilia. (1 King 1:1 – 4)

Questions to consider:

• Is there a hint that David thought it was wrong to have many wives and mistresses?
• Did God later correct him? 
• Did any prophets speak against it? 
• Did the Biblical authors think this was wrong?

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Start from the top:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take the Sexuality and The Bible Quiz Here