2 Samuel 11:3

Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam In 1 Chronicles 3:5 she is called Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel. Eliam(God of the people) and Ammiel(people of God) are compounded of the same words placed in different order. If this Eliam was the same as Uriah's brother-officer, mentioned in ch. 2 Samuel 23:34, Bath-sheba was the grand-daughter of David's counsellor Ahithophel. This, it has been thought, explains Ahithophel's adherence to Absalom (ch. 2 Samuel 15:12) as an act of revenge for the seduction of his grand-daughter and the murder of her husband. The theory has been well worked out with much ingenuity by Prof. Blunt (Undesigned Coincidences, p. 135 ff.), but must be regarded as very doubtful: for (1) the identity of Eliam the son of Ahithophel with Eliam the father of Bath-sheba cannot be proved; (2) even if the relationship is granted, an ambitious and unscrupulous man such as Ahithophel would be more likely to regard the elevation of his granddaughter to the position of the king's favourite wife as an honour, than to feel aggrieved at the circumstances by which it was effected.

Uriah the Hittite One of David's "mighty men" (ch. 2 Samuel 23:39). His name (light of Jah) indicates that although he was a Canaanite by race, he had adopted the Jewish religion. Another Hittite in David's service was Ahimelech (1 Samuel 26:6). On the ancient Canaanite nation of the Hittites, see note on 1 Samuel 26:6.