Sexual Politics
The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 1 Samuel 14:50 NASB
Ahinoam – There is no doubt that this woman’s name is unusual. In fact, the name means, “my brother is delight.” What? A woman whose name means brother? But that’s not all. Ahinoam shows up in two places in the Bible. This is the first. She is Saul’s wife. Inexplicably, the NIV leaves out “of Saul” in its translation, although the context is quite clear and the Hebrew text includes the possessive ‘eshet sa’ul. The second occurrence of this name is in 1 Samuel 25:43. That text reads, “David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives.” This is problematic. Does David take the wife of Saul as his wife? Several lexicons try to avoid this moral problem by suggesting that there are two women with this name. How likely is that? Two women whose names mean a male? I appreciate the motive of the authors, but I’m afraid the more obvious answer makes more sense. David took Saul’s wife as a sign of superiority and revenge.
There is a precedent. Reuben attempts to displace his father, Jacob, by sleeping with Jacob’s concubine. Lust is not the motivation. This is coup. It is a demonstration of power and authority. If I can posses my father’s consort, or my king’s wife, then I have asserted my right to rule in his stead. David may also seek revenge for Saul’s failure to fulfill the promise of Merab, but taking Ahinoam is a sure sign of power, a slap in the face of the king. This is sexual politics in ancient times. The text records that Ahinoam was the mother of David’s first born son, Amnon, whose name means, “faithful,” but turns out to be anything but that.
It’s interesting and important that the Bible records no reaction from Ahinoam. Except in this verse, she is always mentioned as David’s wife, the mother of Amnon. But not a word more is spoken of her. In sexual politics, she is an instrument of power in the hands of a man, not a person in her own right. She is Ruth before marriage to Boaz—a nobody, a useful pawn on the chessboard of opposing kings. Pawns are valuable for the greater game, but they are the first to be sacrificed in the cause. This woman, whose name is as confusing as her role, is used to make a statement. And the statement is not hers!
Can we garner any application from this reprehensible history? I think so. Isn’t our world filled with those who use pawns to maneuver for power? Have we not been both victims and perpetrators in this great political game? Is there not a single person in your past who wasn’t like Ahinoam, used by you for your gain? Are we not equally guilty of removing the value of a person when we use someone as a tool? Perhaps Ahinoam really is a “brother” to us all, a reflection of what we have done to each other.
Topical Index: Ahinoam, David, wife, 1 Samuel 14:50
Ouch.
I have used. I have been used.
When I sin against another, I have to first devalue them; make them less than. Less than me, of course. When I lie, I am using the person I am lying to. When I neglect someone, I am excusing it by putting them in the shade. When I manipulate others I am refusing to honor their right to choose freely. We are shocked by sexual usage of others, but by the time use gets to sex, it is no longer sex, of course. Sexual perversions are all about power. I sin because I feel powerless, and so succumb to temptations that promise power or protection.
I wonder if David was hounded so many years as a curse for starting out by acting on his sense of powerlessness with antics such as this. We choose our curses by agreeing with their premises. He felt powerless, and acted upon that sense, which opened him up for the manifestation of powerlessness. For 18 years that throne of power eluded him as he ran for his life. He got a belly full of powerlessness as he twisted and turned, lied and pretended, and failed repeatedly to figure out how to self serve that throne.
I checked out that place of self pity and rebellious desperation. I felt completely exposed to use and abuse, too. I hollered and raged and sucked it up as I lost ground and lost it again until I ran out of everything with which to wage war. In the process, I learned how not to trust ALL the wrong things (useful). By default, in the end, there was only one place left to go to find shelter. Trust is best learned from the bottom. Use of others leaves the door open to being used and abused. Manipulation cuts both ways in unholy, unequal, out-of-order “inordinate affections”. All the wrong ways to love. David’s shenanigans did not get him what they were designed to. Neither have mine. I give up a lot faster these days.
“Trust is best learned from the bottom.” LOVE IT!
Your exposing yourself, especially of late, exposes us all. Thanks for helping us grow, and grow closer as God designed and intended.
Now this is interesting,
David done what others viewed to be right in the eyes of the followers…
Or is this more about the law if your brother dies before conceiving his widow you must take to bare a child in remembrance…
I heard the other day that when we trust in the holy spirit in us we will generally be led to freedom in doing God’s will…
David trusted in flesh to prove God’s intent, as did so many before him yet out of his seed Yeshua rose to rule forever.
What is it in these untorah like deeds that gets us drawn closer to God, or is it rather the repentance thereafter that God is interested in…
Good start skip wanted to involve getting closer to God. We are staying on the mark. Most often it is misunderstood that the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31 speaks of Grace which it does but most think that Israel blew it but really it is a renewed Covenant. By faith the entered in and we can also. Repentance is the key factor. Yahweh most often is telling his people to return back to him. When we lose sight that his people have been doing this all throughout history of the Bible we think it’s all about us. I often see myself as part of a family connected to them forever which continues into history. With Jacob’s name being changed to Israel we’ve become the sons of Israel. Jacob struggled with God and his name was changed not only that but his character. So it is with me my character changes I was once in a place where I burned Bridges to relationships even as a Christian believer I called myself Joy Crusher the people who love me the most where my targets. But now I cherish the connections God has given me to relationships relationships are vital if we can learn from others we are considered wise. So others can learn from us possibly Galatians tells us that I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live nah not me but Christ in me he does the works. Works we were intended to do by faith because of the love of Christ in US who died for us while we were sinners. When I started to believe this my life was radically changed people ask what happened and you know what scripture gives me the answer when people ask for the answer for the hope that is within you tell them about Emmanuel God with and in US.
Also Elijah in the cave at Horeb Elijah pours his heart out to God. Cave in Hebrew broken place strip down bear asks the Lord why are the people not turning 2 you? Yahweh replies what are you doing here sent you wow ouch Elijah had no excuse do we? Continue to say returning to the cave shut yourself and listen the scripture says and he said he meaning God he was there with him and after seeing the earthquake the Thunder all the displays of God went back and then he turned out to the mouth on the case put on his mantle Hebrew meaning Glory he was wrapped in his glory HallelujahI should continue to seek this place and I hear God speaking to me go straight stop here don’t go to the left or to the right let me guide you we comfort you let me whisper in your ear with my still small voice and speak to your heart still and know all that I I am God hallelujah. 1st Kings chapter 19 please read it
Brett it seems as if you are telling me that to be Hebrew we need to understand what a word meant before we try to understand how this historic event is intended to help me find rest in my current situation.
Generally this sounds like John 4:23-24 YHVH is spirit we must serve him in spirit and truth. The the apostolic writings say that the natural man cannot understand the things of God as they are spiritually concern…
Back to the creation of Adam we go…
Good good point seeker I will try to keep that in mind but also if we learn from the spirit spiritual things the carnal man can follow suit. I’m also trusting that most people here already know most of the historical background. Thank you again
What would spiritual concern then imply… Allegoric insight, mystic revelation, exegesis or just plainly as God intended and only the one affected will truly know.
So the serpent was the first politician!
You just uncovered the plot to over throw the Kingdom of heaven.
He is shrewd, but he is a loser!
We know who gets the girl:)
Hi Skip and everyone,
Is it not possible that David’s wife Ahinoam was named after King Saul’s wife Ahinoam, instead of being the same person? Because it would have been illegal for David to have married both Saul’s wife and daughter, as the Torah pronouces this to be wickedness (Lev 18:17) and surely would have warranted a rebuke from the LORD as in the instance with Bathsheba. Also, Saul’s wife would likely have been past the child-bearing age by the time as her son Jonathan already had children of his own. Just a thought.
Sorry, but it is extremely unlikely that Ahinoam is a SECOND woman named for Saul’s wife. There is no indication in the text for this, and the text states her place of origin without comment on the process of naming her. The oddity of the name itself suggests it is the same person.
It doesn’t seem likely that either David or Saul paid any attention to the Torah prohibition. After all, Saul gave David’s other wife, Saul’s second daughter, to another man while she was married to David. This is POLITICS, not obedience. Don’t try to spiritualize David. He does a lot of things that violate Torah long before (and after) Bathsheba. There is more on this when I finish the book.
Finally, child-bearing age doesn’t necessarily apply here either, although it is your strongest point. If she were married to Saul at 14 or 15, had Jonathan, and in her late years married David and bore him exactly ONE son, the time span can still work, even without divine intervention.
This story – and the subsequent impact on David’s sons, all of them – is far more HUMAN than we might imagine.
Arguments from silence are simply arguments, not evidence.
Interesting! As i read through this i also found myself wondering more about Amnon. As we have learned children learn more from what their parents do rather than what they say. We have also learned that many wives from Torah (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, etc.) all had the skill of manipulation for theirs or their childrens’ gain. Why would Amnon (The faithful) want to over through his Father’s kingdom? Was it he alone or was there something behind the fact that his mom, used as a pawn in sexual politics, wanted her own sort of revenge? Or possibly a feeling of power she felt like she deserved? How often do we project our insecurities and feelings onto our children, sometimes even subconsciously? What was the trauma that Ahinoam went through and how did that affect her and her children? Another reminder that the characters of scripture go through the same things we do. They have the same emotions, same insecurities, same family dysfunction. They are a mess a lot of the time, yet God’s hand is involved in their lives. Thank you LORD for continuing to be present in our lives, even when we don’t recognize it. Barrack HaShem!