Psalm 51:1-17

In the NRSV, the superscription of Psalm 51 reads: “To the leader, A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone [in to] Bathsheba.” These three characters—David, Nathan, and Bathsheba—all show up in 2 Samuel 11-12.[1] To understand this psalm, we should first read it in light of the story in which David’s sin occurred.  When we do, we learn that David “…saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful (2 Sam. 11:2, NRSV).” The woman was also married to a man named Uriah, a soldier in David’s army, who was away at war (2 Sam. 11:3, 6-7). In this story, the description of David’s sin is not a lengthy poem, but a brief sentence: “So David sent messengers to get [Bathsheba], and she came to him, and he lay with her (2 Sam. 11:4, NRSV).” 

We now see that the sin to which David confesses in Psalm 51 is an egregious abuse of power. The NRSV and NIV say that David’s messengers were sent “to get her.” The KJV, CEB, and NASB add an additional layer by utilizing the phrases “took her,” “take her,” and “had her brought” to describe the messengers’ action toward Bathsheba.[2] We are given no information about Bathsheba’s response. However, modern readers cannot ignore that a woman “taken” or “gotten” by men could be in grave danger. Scripture does not give us an accurate picture of how the messengers do or do not use force “to take” Bathsheba to David. However, we do know that Uriah is not home; Bathsheba is alone. Therefore, when King David’s messengers knock on her door, she is outnumbered and overpowered. The king, King David, has sent messengers to her door. Bathsheba cannot say, “no.” 

Preaching Psalm 51 in the context of 2 Samuel 11-12 requires us to consider the context into which the passages will be preached. Though neither scripture uses the word “rape,” both invite modern interpreters to consider the possibility that this could be the abuse of power to which David is confessing. Bringing this subject matter to the pulpit should be informed by our own knowledge of pastoral concerns in the congregation. Who in the pews is a victim of sexual assault? Often, our answer to this question might be, “I don’t know.” Even so, it is likely that several people in our congregations, women specifically, are survivors of rape and sexual assault.[3] This reality presents preachers with at least one opportunity and one challenge. 

The opportunity presents itself as a chance to speak frankly about rape from the pulpit. Doing so is faithful to both text and context. The text of the scripture reduces Bathsheba’s voice to, “I am pregnant (2 Sam. 11:5c, NRSV).” Bathsheba only speaks that which has been done to her. Where is Bathsheba’s psalm of lament that reflects her petition to God? The gulf between text and context can be bridged when the preacher speaks into this void, creating a space where survivors are assured that God hears their lament even when it cannot be said aloud. The last time I chose to acknowledge Bathsheba’s pain in a sermon on this passage, an elderly woman shook my hand after the service and with tears in her eyes, said in a voice barely above a whisper, “Thank you for telling the truth.”

Feedback from congregants after a sermon such as this might not always be the norm. The challenge presented by reading Psalm 51 in light of Bathsheba’s story involves being prepared to offer pastoral care to those who have survived rape and who are only beginning to verbalize their experience. Preachers should seriously consider their own limited capacity to provide necessary psychological services to those living with sexual trauma, but must nevertheless be prepared to respond when a congregant shares such a burden with us. While we are ill equipped to offer psychological feedback, we are well prepared to allow our response to flow from the theological category of “belief.” Preachers are tasked with continually asking the church to believe the confession that Jesus is the Christ. Here, the tables are turned as our congregants ask us to believe their confession that they have suffered sexual assault. Proclaiming the good news in this setting means saying the words, “I believe you.”[4] Just as we would expect a confession of faith to be followed by the embodied pursuit of holiness, our confession of belief must be followed by our willingness to connect people to reputable therapists in our communities. By confessing our belief and acting accordingly, we reproclaim the good news that God hears Bathsheba’s cry and answers her long unheard prayer for healing.  

By taking Bathsheba’s plight seriously, we are better equipped to understand the significance of David’s confession. Especially in light of Ash Wednesday, two verses stand out: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me…The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Ps. 51:3, 17).” Our culture is all too familiar with abuses of power that involve men taking sexual advantage of women. We are, unfortunately, also too familiar with the way men typically respond to being confronted with their sin: “Talk to my lawyer…no comment…not guilty.” David’s confession is countercultural. He doesn’t appeal to someone who can help him clear his name, he begs God for mercy. Instead of staying silent, he speaks his transgressions aloud. Rather than maintaining his innocence, David knows he has done evil and that he is worthy of judgment. Despite his status as “king,” he knows that he is dust, and to dust he will return.

Psalm 51 invites preachers to bear witness to the ways in which God initiates justice for both the powerful and the powerless. God brings down the powerful from their thrones and lifts up the lowly (Luke 1:52). Those who make others feel like dirt are, in the end, animated dust themselves. Preachers must hold this tension, inviting listeners to bring themselves before God: the judge who judges rightly between powerful and powerless, perpetrator and victim, oppressed and oppressor. Perhaps we see a glimmer of this justice in David’s own confession. He says that God will not despise “a broken spirit.” Though David speaks the words, whose spirit is more broken than Bathsheba’s, her husband murdered by the man who “took” her and with whom she now lives? God will surely not despise Bathsheba’s broken heart.  [1] For an excellent treatment of Bathsheba’s story, see Kazimiera I.H. Fraley’s “2 Samuel 11:1-15” posted here: https://www.aplainaccount.org/2-samuel-111-15/.   [2] In his sermon preached in Duke Divinity School’s Goodson Chapel, Old Testament Professor Brent Strawn notes that, “The key verb in [this] story is ‘take’…David proves to be like any other despotic ruler: a ‘taker’ (Sept. 28, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBDNajp_Ems&list=PL-_N-pg4WXLI4MDUP_hn3DQiL2RI60GLz&index=18&t=2254s).”  [3] 90% of all victims of rape are female. One out of every six American women is the victim of a completed or attempted rape. 48% of these victims were sleeping or performing another activity in their own home. https://www.rainn.org/statistics/scope-problem [4] If you find yourself wary of affirming an event that you cannot confirm as “accurate” and therefore as “true,” consider this piece by Danielle Tumminio Hansen: “Remembering Rape In Heaven: A Constructive Proposal for Memory and the Eschatological Self,” Modern Theology 37.3 (2021). In it, she addresses the issue directly: “Memories are not always accurate, but does that mean that they lack truth value?” Her answer is “no” because traumatic memories are both devastatingly clear and blurred at the same time. Victims can experience both vivid flashbacks and total memory repression. The nature of memory recall does not negate the reality that an event truly occurred.