of the child who was the chief reason the union of David and Bathsheba was remembered as important. It is erroneous, therefore, to interpret Solomon’s birth and the assertion that “Yahweh loved him” (v. 24) as indicating that “the grace of God once again shines out over this child—and so over David, too” (Hertzberg). On the contrary, David, though his sin has been “transferred” and atoned for, remains in disgrace as far as the author of chaps. 10–12 is concerned, and David’s house is to be a permanent