- 2 Samuel 11:2: …from the roof [King David] saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
- Genesis 1:31: God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day.
In Hebrew the underlined phrasing is the same in both verses: tov m’od. Meaning the object being gazed upon isn’t just good/pleasing/beautiful to behold, but very good/pleasing/
(The variations in Hebrew are grammatical. On the English side, you can see the reference numbers point to the same words, 3966 and 2896.)
Elsewhere in the creation story God looks and says, “It is good (tov).” But verse 31 is special. When God beholds all of it together, He adds a very to His experience which makes it stand out.
It also creates a parallel that would’ve been drawn by the writer of 1 Samuel. In both cases, a king gazes down and beholds a sight he finds very pleasing. She is clean, innocent, unassuming and naked.
Here for a parallel the writer of 1 Samuel did not foresee: In both cases the king will enter into the thing he calls tov m’od, though not without consequences. Their connection will lead to the death of his son and most loyal servant.
Some key differences: David beholds a bride that doesn’t belong to him; he summons her to his palace where they become one. God beholds a Bride that does belong to Him; He leaves His palace behind to pursue her, and there––beyond the protection of His castle––they become one. David’s eye is selective while God’s eye is holistic, seeing all things together. David turns a blind eye to the consequences; God sees the consequences clearly and determines they are worth the effort. David’s imagination leads to falsehoods; God’s to grace, mercy and care.
