When it comes to the story of David and Bathsheba, one word has dominated the American Evangelical understanding of the story: adultery.

But, as Carmen Joy Imes points out, adultery is a consensual act. The story described I Samuel is anything but consensual.

“For David, as for every Israelite, the neighbor’s wife is like a daughter to be protected, not an experience to be collected,” writes Imes. “David knows Bathsheba is unavailable. But this doesn’t deter him in the least. Like a predator, he summons her. He’s come to believe that because he has power, he can have whatever he wants when he wants it.”

In the era of #MeToo, when endless stories of harassment and abuse surface every day, we can take heart in Scripture’s treatment of Bathsheba. Despite poor interpretations, Bathsheba is not presented to us as a villain or seductress in the Bible. Instead, she is an innocent victim who suffers because of the sins of her greedy king.

There is no David and Bathsheba. There is David who abused Bathsheba. How we interpret this story not only matters when it comes to our understanding of God’s word but our interpretation of the culture around us, as well.