About
Uriah was the husband of Bathsheba, who later became King David’s wife.
Backstory
Uriah was one of David’s top military performers. He is listed as one of the “mighty men” and one of the thirty commanders of David’s army (1 Chronicles 11:26, 41; 2 Samuel 23:24, 39). Uriah was a man of great loyalty and integrity.
He was a foreigner — a Hittite — who apparently converted to Judaism. His name means “my light is Yahweh.”
His wife, Bathsheba, was the daughter of another officer, and the granddaughter of one of David’s advisors (2 Samuel 11:3). She was also very attractive.
One Spring, when the army went out to battle, David stayed behind. He had too many close calls and his men insisted that he stay home where he was safe. But he was still up for a conquest (2 Samuel 11).
David saw Bathsheba bathing the roof and sent for her. In spite of her urging him not to, he slept with her and she got pregnant.
This left David in a bind. Rather than admitting his transgression, he attempted to cover it up. He called Uriah in from the front, wined and dined him, then sent him home with his wife. But Uriah, ever the loyal soldier, refused to enter his home and instead slept on the front porch.
David had Uriah carry a message to Joab, the commander of the army, to put Uriah in the front lines, with the heaviest fighting, then pull back and leave him exposed to be killed. This scheme got rid of Uriah, while maintaining plausible deniability.
David married Bathsheba and moved on. But Nathan the prophet called him out (2 Samuel 12:1-14). The event eroded David’s respect before Joab and others. And it led to consequences in his own family, as he lost the inclination or moral authority to correct his sons.
The first son of David and Bathsheba died (2 Samuel 12:18), but the second one was Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24) who would later become king.