Who Was King David’s Mother? (Part 3 – Other Speculations)

 

In the last post, we discussed how David was treated as an outcast because his mother had been previously married to a heathen king (the king of Ammon) and thus David’s brothers and father treated him as an outcast. In this final part, we’ll look at some other speculations about who the mother of King David was.

Other Speculations about Who King David’s Mother Was

The explanation I’ve laid about above seems to make the most historical, and most of all Biblical, sense. But, there are others floating around out there as well.

One speculation I’ve found was that David’s father Jesse accused David’s mother of committing adultery. The account goes that Jesse disowned her, and married another woman. But, that woman felt sorry for David’s mother and, on the night of the marriage, swapped places with her and Jesse actually slept with his original wife, thinking it was his new wife (think Jacob, Rachel, and Leah), thus impregnating her with David, though he wasn’t aware of it. Therefore, he disowned her and David.

Another speculation is that Jesse committed adultery with a Hittite and that is how David was born, and why he was consequently rejected by his brethren, having a strange woman for a mother. This same thing happened to Jephtha in Judges 11:1-2  Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.  (2)  And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

Again, the explanation we’ve laid out in this post is more Biblically viable than the others we’ve found. None of it matters other than to get a better understanding of the kind of drama that happened in the lives of those we love to read about in the Bible! They were people, just like us!!

More scriptures for further reading on the reasons for God’s prohibition of the Hebrews marrying Ammonites and Moabites

Numbers 25:1-2  And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.  (2)  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

Deuteronomy 7:3-4  Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.  (4)  For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

1 Kings 11:1; 4 – 6  But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; (4-6)  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.  (5)  For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  (6)  And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

Ezra 9:1-2  Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.  (2)  For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

Nehemiah 13:23-26  In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:  (24)  And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.  (25)  And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.  (26)  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.2 Corinthians 6:14-16  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  (15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  (16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.