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Uriah the Hittite

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Biblical Character

The Resume

    Born in Israel
    Appears mainly in the Second Book of Samuel
    Soldier in King David's army
    Husband to Bathsheba, who conceived a child with King David, while he was on the battlefield (2 Samuel 11: 2-3)
    Was subsequently killed 'in the forefront of the hottest battle' to conceal David and Bathsheba's adultery (2 Samuel 11: 15-17)

Why he might be annoying:

    His wife cheated on him and conceived a child with another man.
    He could have saved himself, David, his wife, and everyone else involved, a great deal of trouble if he had just obeyed his King's orders and had gone to bed with his wife, thereby unwittingly covering up his wife's infidelity.
    Theologians and scholars have bent over backwards for thousands of years trying to paint him as a villain to excuse David's actions, with some even claiming he was an abusive husband.
    For example, Midrashic legend claims that he was the only soldier capable of removing the armor from Goliath's dead body, but would only do it if he would be promised an Israelite for a bride. He then chose Bathsheba, whom David was apparently in love with.
    He is also the basis for the miserly, sycophantic antagonist, Uriah Heep, in Charles Dickens' classic 'David Copperfield.' (In case there's any doubt, the 'UH' initials provide a pretty good clue.)
    He was portrayed negatively by Kieron Moore in the cringe-inducingly awful Gregory Peck-Susan Hayward Biblical epic vehicle, 'David and Bathsheba' (1951).
    As with many Biblical figures, there is debate as to whether or not he even existed at all.
    Even though David reveals himself to be a corrupt ruler in their encounter, many readers still identify more with David than Uriah, who is often deemed to be 'too good to be true.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    His name roughly translates to 'the Lord is My Light.'
    He is indirectly the namesake for the heavy metal band, Uriah Heep.
    He is recognized as the embodiment of the loyal soldier who is willing to endure hardship alongside his comrades at all costs.
    He died senselessly as part of a political cover-up (and became a victim of posthumous character assassination).
    He is the subject of the Prophet Nathan's widely quoted 'Parable of the Lamb.'
    King David lost the Lord's favor and arguably paid for the rest of his life for his causing Uriah's death: loss of Bathsheba's child, nearly losing his throne to his son Absalom, etc.
    He is memorialized in both the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles as one of the 'Mighty Men.'
    The Gospel of Matthew gives him 'honorable mention' as an indirect ancestor in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:6).
    It is widely believed that ethnic/racial prejudice factored into his treatment, as the Hittites were a persecuted minority group who had not completely assimilated to Israelite culture (some have even argued that, as a descendant of the Canaanites, he may have been black).
    It is very likely that his wife did not choose to commit adultery with David and that she only succumbed because he was the King.
    The images of David delivering Uriah his own death warrant and his subsequent death on the battlefield have furnished Biblical art for centuries.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying