King David’s Crime
Four Levels | Adventures In English Vol I
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Management Notes
Unit: Two (Ancient Tales)
Source : Bible, Samuel II , Chapter 11
Literal Comprehension:
As king, David was in a position to give orders and know that they would be carried out. When David saw Bathsheba, he was attracted to her because “the woman was very beautiful.” (2 Samuel 11:2) Bathsheba’s husband Uriah was away from home when this happened, fighting with King David’s troops against the enemy Ammonites.King David manipulated Uriah’s orders, bringing him home from the battle in hopes that he would spend time with Bathsheba so that the pregnancy would appear to be his. When Uriah refused to visit his home while his fighting companions were away from theirs. Finally, King David sent Uriah back to the battle, giving him a letter to be delivered to Joab, the commander. The letter read, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” As commander of the troops, Joab should have been the one to decide the placement of troops. King David’s specific orders for the placement of one particular fighter ignored Joab’s strategic plans, forcing Joab to place Uriah in an unsupportable position to cover the king’s indiscretion with Bathsheba. The only reason for the crime against Uriah was King David’s need to hide his crime against Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.
Interpretation:
This story might be trying to tell us that everyone is the victim of passion. The rulers use their special power and enjoy it, but other persons suppress this desire. It may also be interpreted to mean that every is excusable in politics. The king is free to do whatever he likes. But an ordinary citizen is punished if he or she does not helps rulers to satisfy their whims.
Critical Thinking:
I like the story very much as it clearly reflects how rulers use their powers and authority to fulfil their unnecessary desires.Some of the ideas in this story are questionable:
Does king David stand for a good king? If he is a good king, what are the other ruler’s views? If we read this story as a political story regardless of morality, we can appreciate it. It truly describes human weakness. Even the king is not free from passion.
Assimilation:
This story has help me to understand myself better. It also taught me that I should not follow the example of a great person if his action is bad. Absolute power corrupts the leadership of the rulers. If the rulers are corrupt the whole society decay. Now I know why my country has not improved. Immoral and undemocratic politician have used their power for their personal benefits, not for the development of the country. There for the condition of my country becoming worse every day.
