Who
The wife of Uriah the Hittite, whom David took and whose husband he had killed; Nathan’s rebuke brought David to repentance (2 Samuel 11–12, Psalm 51). She bore Solomon: “The LORD loved him” (2 Samuel 12:24), and secured the throne for him. Matthew names her only as “her who had been Uriah’s wife” (Matthew 1:6). As queen mother she sat at the king’s right hand: Solomon “caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand” (1 Kings 2:19). The Church reads in the queen mother of David’s house a figure of Mary, the mother of the King, crowned at her Son’s right hand.
Key verses
- 2 Samuel 12:24
David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. The LORD loved him;
- 1 Kings 2:19
Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
- 1 Chronicles 3:5
and these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon, four, by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;
- Matthew 1:6
Jesse became the father of King David. David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah’s wife.
Where the Bible names her
Family
Notes
The queen mother
The Books of Kings name the mother of almost every king of Judah, because she held an office. When Bathsheba comes to Solomon, the king rises, bows to her and sets a throne for her at his right hand (1 Kings 2:19); Asa removes Maacah “from being queen” (1 Kings 15:13). Maacah is called the mother of both Abijam and Asa (1 Kings 15:2, 10): she is Asa's grandmother, still holding the office. This queen mother, the gebirah, is the background of Mary's title as Queen, the mother of the Son of David.
Queen Mother (gebirah)A kingdom needs a queen — the four marks of the gebirah
Discussed by
Comments on the verses that name her (8 of 35).
- Glossa Ordinaria on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
Passing over the other sons of Jacob, the Evangelist follows the family of Judah, saying, “But Judah begat Phares and Zara of Thamar.”
- Augustine of Hippo on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
Neither was Judah himself first-born, nor of these two sons was either his first-born; he had already had three before them. So that he keeps in that line of descent, by which he shall arrive at David, and from him…
- Jerome on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
It should be noted, that none of the holy women are taken into the Saviour’s genealogy, but rather such as Scripture has condemned, that He who came for sinners being born of sinners might so put away the sins of…
- Ambrose of Milan on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
But Luke has avoided the mention of these, that he might set forth the series of the priestly race immaculate. But the plan of St. Matthew did not exclude the righteousness of natural reason; for when he wrote in his…
- John Chrysostom on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
Besides this, it shews that all are equally liable to sin; for here is Thamar accusing Judah of incest, and David begat Solomon with a woman with whom he had committed adultery. But if the Law was not fulfilled by…
- Ambrose of Milan on Matthew 1:3–6 (2)Catena Aurea on Matthew
Observe that Matthew does not name both without a meaning; for though the object of his writing only required the mention of Phares, yet in the twins a mystery is signified; namely, the double life of the nations,…
- Pseudo-Chrysostom on Matthew 1:3–6Catena Aurea on Matthew
By Zarah is denoted the people of the Jews, which first appeared in the light of faith, coming out of the dark womb of the world, and was therefore marked with the scarlet thread of the circumciser, for all supposed…
- Glossa Ordinaria on Matthew 1:3–6 (2)Catena Aurea on Matthew
Judah begat Phares and Zarah before he went into Egypt, whither they both accompanied their father. In Egypt, “Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Naasson;” and then Moses…