Why does the bible say that David kept all the commands of the Lord when he so clearly didn't?
Upvote:0
The Talmud related that when the Israelites went out to war they gave their wives bills of divorce to prevent their wives from becoming an agunah "chained wife" so technically Uriah and Bath Sheva were Divorced when David took her as a wife.
Hittites were prohibited from entering into the Congregation of Israel so his marriage to Bath Sheva was a transgression of the Torah and a justification for his being slain as it would have been an idolatrous marriage.
I don't see where taking a census was a violation of the Torah unless it was taken directly without a half-shekel census being done in order that the half shekel atone for their soul. Shmoth (Exodus) 30.15
As I understand both of these cases, David repented of his sin and was forgiven but the only mention of imperfection in David was according the the Jewish Bible (Tanach) "the matter of Uriah the Hittite!"
Upvote:3
This is one place where the NIV translation falls short. The quoted passage says “[David did not fail] to keep any of the LORD’s commands.” However the Hebrew word used here is soor, which means to turn aside. Note that the NIV cross-references Deut. 5:32 and 1Ki 9:4, which both talk about turning away from God’s commands. This is one passage where other translations give a better picture:
because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. (1Ki 15:5, NASB)
Or
because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (1Ki 15:5, ESV)
So, where the NIV’s talks about keeping the commands, these other translations talk more about a lifestyle. David knew of God’s mercies that bring forgiveness for his sins (Ps 25:6-7). The sacrificial system of the OT provided a means for sinners to come into communion with God (though not as perfectly as the sacrifice of Christ). From this passage we see that David’s lifestyle, similar to many Christians today, was one where he would sometimes mess up, but he always saw his mistake right away and he came right back to God.
The exception of Uriah was a sin that David did not repent of right away. First, we know he hid it until at least after Bathsheba announced her pregnancy. Apparently he had relations right after her period (2Sam 11:4) and if we assume she knew about the pregnancy when her next period was due, that was about one month in between. Then add the time to kill Uriah, and we have easily have weeks to months of him living in this sin before he repents (2Sam 12:13, Ps 51). So, while he did eventually repent, this was one point where David was clearly walking outside of God’s laws, vice a quick fall and get back up.
More post
- 📝 How did Thomas More manage to save his family?
- 📝 What are the theological reasons some Protestants are Zionists?
- 📝 Are we born sinners?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the belief held by Jehovah's Witnesses that Jehovah and Jesus Christ are separate entities?
- 📝 Would Jehovah’s Witnesses anointed with the Holy Spirit be unable to suffer demonic possession, whilst un-anointed Jehovah's Witnesses could?
- 📝 In Mormonism, how is the doctrine of Adam & Eve inability to have children prior to the Fall explained?
- 📝 Does eternal functional subordination replace the two natures theory?
- 📝 What is the biblical support for the original sin being an infinite sin?
- 📝 What personal possessions did Pope John Paul II have at the time of death?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, how can a Christian be freed from the concupiscence of the flesh and thereby possess a sinless body?
- 📝 If all demons are believers, then why are some humans atheists?
- 📝 Why did early Christians in Acts still go to the Jewish temple every day?
- 📝 What is meant by "men have been raised up from the fall to far greater heights?"
- 📝 How does the Hebrew Roots movement handle Paul's statements which imply Christians should not be enslaved to the Jewish Law?
- 📝 Why did the slave girl at the gate stop Peter but not John?
- 📝 Has the Catholic Church outlined specific Biblical passages which should not be taken literally?
- 📝 Historicity of which Biblical characters is recognized by Archaeology/History?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church have a position on slavery reparations?
- 📝 Why are Sts. Peter and Linus not on the cool scrollbar-of-the-popes on vatican.va
- 📝 Are all forms of giving equally morally 'good' according to the Catholic church?
- 📝 Why is 'putting to death' condoned in the Bible?
- 📝 What is the source of the 44 assertions made in the Creed of Athanasius?
- 📝 Does Numbers 5:11-22 describe sanctioned abortion?
- 📝 Why doesn't the Gospel of Peter, who was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, lead the new testament?
- 📝 How do Mormons interpret Phillipians 2:6?
- 📝 What options does a person of Church of England religion have if they are not sure if they were baptized in infancy, and can't prove it either way?
- 📝 How is the New Covenant consistent with Deuteronomy 4:2?
- 📝 God appearing to non-believers
- 📝 What is the eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox understanding of mortal and venial sin?
- 📝 Why did the early Christian church stop building and worshiping in temples?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why does the bible say that David kept all the commands of the Lord when he so clearly didn't?
- 📝 What does the Bible say about this question- Why do Jesus and God have two seats in heaven when they are the same God?
- 📝 Why does the Bible say that people no longer need to ‘feel guilty’ under the gospel, as compared to the Old Testament?
- 📝 Does the Bible say when the day of the Lord (as described in 2 Peter 3:10) will occur, and does it go into more detail about this particular event?
- 📝 Does the Bible ever say that the Ark of the Covenant flew or levitated?
- 📝 Why does LDS teaching say that the Priesthood returned to earth if John never left?
- 📝 Does the Bible say anything about our human relations being kept after death?
- 📝 Where in the Bible does it mention that God mourns with us when we mourn?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, why does Paul spend so much time arguing that the law doesn't apply, when Jesus seems to indicate that it does?
- 📝 Did most of the people that Jesus heal believe he was God? If so, why does the Bible not record them asking for salvation?
- 📝 Why does the Catholic Church say that the plan of salvation includes Muslims?
- 📝 Where in the Bible does it say that God is creating a new earth?
- 📝 Does the Bible say that it is better to have been born after Christ?
- 📝 Does the Bible say if animals in Eden were carnivorous, or when animals on Earth became carnivorous?
- 📝 Why does church tradition teach that one third of the angels fell with Lucifer when no verse supports that
- 📝 Where in the Bible does it say that sacrifice can only be done on the temple?
- 📝 Why does Paul emphasise that Jesus is the Son of David in 2 Timothy
- 📝 Does the Bible say for sure that Daniel was a eunuch?
- 📝 Where does the Bible say that nature will speak the word if men don't?
- 📝 Why does the priest say the words of the consecration in a low tone in the EF when Jesus probably did not say it in a low tone?
- 📝 Why Does Herod Say He Had Beheaded John the Baptist When He Knows He's in Prison? (Mark 6)
- 📝 Why at Judges 2:1 does it say the angel of the Lord would never break his covenant he swore to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?
- 📝 Why does bible say we all are sinners?
- 📝 Does the Bible state that when we go to heaven, we can still be tempted?
- 📝 When Christ refers to the end times, does the Catholic Church say that he was was referring to the destruction of the Temple, or the apocalypse?
- 📝 When scripture says, God "knows all things", does that include every action and decision every human will choose to make in the future?
- 📝 how does the bible WORD FOR WORD say that h*m*sexuality is wrong?
- 📝 Does Bible say anywhere that if a woman was raped, she needs to marry the one who raped her?
- 📝 Does the New Testament say that Christians should read the Bible every day?
- 📝 Why does the unknown author of Hebrews attribute authorship of Psalm 95 to David, but in my bible it is not written that the author of it is David?
