בַּת־שׁוּעַ
Bath-shua,
Definition
Bath-shua is a proper name meaning 'daughter of wealth' or 'daughter of opulence.' It refers to a woman named in 1 Chronicles 3:5 as the wife of King David and mother of four of his sons: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. This name is generally understood to be a variant or alternative name for Bathsheba (בַּת־שֶׁבַע, H1339), whose story is detailed in 2 Samuel 11-12 and 1 Kings 1-2. The use of 'Bath-shua' in the Chronicler's genealogy may reflect a different textual tradition or a deliberate stylistic choice to emphasize her status or lineage.
Biblical Usage
This name appears only once in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 3:5, within a genealogical list of David's sons born in Jerusalem. Its usage is strictly as a proper noun identifying David's wife. The parallel account in 2 Samuel 5:14 and 1 Chronicles 14:4 lists the same sons but does not name their mother, while the narrative portions of Samuel and Kings use the name Bathsheba exclusively.
Etymology
The name is a compound of בַּת (bath, H1323), meaning 'daughter,' and שׁוּעַ (shûaʻ), a form related to שׁוֹעַ (shôaʻ, H7771), meaning 'cry for help' or 'wealth.' Here, the sense is 'wealth' or 'opulence,' making the name 'daughter of wealth.' It is explicitly noted as being 'the same as H1339 (Bath-sheba),' though Bath-sheba's second element is derived from שֶׁבַע (shebaʻ), meaning 'oath' or 'seven,' yielding 'daughter of the oath.' The variation may be due to textual transmission, dialectical differences, or intentional wordplay.
Semantic Range
While primarily a personal name, its identification with Bathsheba connects it to significant theological themes. Bathsheba's story involves David's sin, repentance, and God's covenant faithfulness, as the line of Solomon (her son) continues the Davidic dynasty leading to the Messiah. The name 'daughter of wealth' may subtly contrast with the poverty of spirit in her story's context, or it could highlight the providential blessing and royal status ultimately granted to her lineage despite human failure.
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried descriptive meaning or reflected parental hopes. A name meaning 'daughter of wealth' likely indicated a family of high social status or prosperity. The interchangeability with 'Bath-sheba' ('daughter of the oath') in the biblical record shows that individuals could be known by different names or titles, possibly reflecting different traditions or emphasizing different aspects of their identity (e.g., lineage vs. a pivotal event).
Bath-sheba (בַּת־שֶׁבַע, H1339) — The more common name for the same individual, meaning 'daughter of the oath.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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