II Samuel 11 Commentary
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
II Samuel 11 unveils a dark chapter in the life of King David, a man celebrated as being after God’s own heart. These events serve as a potent reminder that even the most righteous among us are susceptible to temptation and the devastating consequences of sin. The inspired record of David's failings, preserved by the Holy Spirit, stands as a warning (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11), urging vigilance and humility. This chapter not only chronicles David's sin but also foreshadows the profound grief and rebellion that would plague his family and kingdom.
The King's Dereliction and the Seed of Temptation (II Samuel 11:1-2)
The narrative begins in the spring, the season when kings typically led their armies into battle. However, II Samuel 11:1 reveals a critical deviation: "David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem." David's absence from the battlefield, for reasons unstated, created a void, a space where temptation could take root. It's often when we neglect our responsibilities, when we're not where we ought to be, that temptation finds its opportune moment to strike.
II Samuel 11:2 describes David on the roof of his palace, where he saw Bathsheba bathing. The verse emphasizes her beauty, highlighting the allure that captivated David's attention. After twenty years of walking with God as Israel's anointed king, a poet, and a singer of psalms, David found himself vulnerable. It wasn't necessarily a desire to fall, but a compromised position, a lowered guard that led to devastating consequences.
The Descent into Sin (II Samuel 11:3-4)
David's curiosity quickly escalated into a calculated pursuit. He inquired about the woman and learned she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (II Samuel 11:3). Uriah was not just any soldier; he was one of David’s most valued and loyal warriors (1 Chronicles 11:26, 41). Despite this knowledge, David, driven by lust, sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to him, and he slept with her (II Samuel 11:4).
The text doesn't explicitly reveal Bathsheba's feelings, but it's crucial to consider the power dynamics at play. David was the king, and his orders were commands. Bathsheba was a vulnerable woman in a society where obedience to the king was paramount. The primary responsibility for this act rests squarely on David's shoulders. He abused his power and betrayed the trust of a loyal soldier.
The Cover-Up Begins (II Samuel 11:5-13)
David's initial transgression led to a desperate attempt to conceal his sin. Bathsheba sent word to David: "I am pregnant" (II Samuel 11:5). Instead of repenting, David compounded his sin with deceit. He summoned Uriah back from the battlefield, hoping he would sleep with his wife, thus masking the paternity of the child (II Samuel 11:6-8).
However, Uriah displayed remarkable integrity. He refused to enjoy the comforts of home while his fellow soldiers were at war (II Samuel 11:9-13). Even when David attempted to get Uriah drunk, he remained steadfast in his loyalty. Uriah's honorable conduct starkly contrasted with David's underhanded schemes.
From Deceit to Murder (II Samuel 11:14-25)
David's desperation reached a chilling climax. To bury his sin, he decided to bury Uriah. Sin, when unconfessed and unrepented, can lead to unimaginable depths of depravity. David sent Uriah back to the battlefront with a letter to Joab, instructing him to place Uriah in the most dangerous part of the battle, effectively sentencing him to death (II Samuel 11:14-15).
Joab, seemingly unaware of David's motives, carried out the order (II Samuel 11:16-21). Uriah was killed in battle (II Samuel 11:16-17). Joab then sent a messenger to inform David of the battle's outcome, anticipating the king's potential anger over the military strategy. He instructed the messenger to mention Uriah's death as a matter of fact, subtly reminding David that the battle tactics aligned with the king's unspoken desires (II Samuel 11:21).
The messenger delivered the news, and David responded with callous indifference (II Samuel 11:22-25). He essentially told Joab not to be concerned about Uriah's death, dismissing it as a common occurrence in war. The man after God's own heart had become unrecognizable, his conscience seared by sin. Moral failings, if left unaddressed, can harden the heart, leading to spiritual numbness and a proliferation of sins.
The Illusion of Resolution (II Samuel 11:26-27)
Bathsheba mourned for Uriah (II Samuel 11:26). After the period of mourning, David brought her into his house, and she became his wife (II Samuel 11:27).
David, in his earthly perspective, might have believed he had successfully covered his tracks. Uriah was gone, the child would appear legitimate, and the matter could be put to rest. But David forgot the omniscience and omnipresence of God, the One about whom he himself would later write in Psalms 139:2, 7, 12, "You understand my thoughts… Where can I flee from your presence?… Even the darkness is not dark to you." David's actions were hidden from human eyes, but nothing is hidden from the God who sees and knows all. II Samuel 11:27 concludes with a stark declaration: "But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." God considered David's actions evil. This sets the stage for the consequences that will follow.
This chapter is a sobering reminder that no one is immune to temptation, and that sin, when left unchecked, can lead to devastating consequences. It also highlights the importance of integrity, humility, and repentance in our walk with God. The story of David and Bathsheba is not just a historical account; it's a timeless lesson for all who seek to live a life pleasing to God.
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
II Samuel 11 unveils a dark chapter in the life of King David, a man celebrated as being after God’s own heart. These events serve as a potent reminder that even the most righteous among us are susceptible to temptation and the devastating consequences of sin. The inspired record of David's failings, preserved by the Holy Spirit, stands as a warning (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11), urging vigilance and humility. This chapter not only chronicles David's sin but also foreshadows the profound grief and rebellion that would plague his family and kingdom.
The King's Dereliction and the Seed of Temptation (II Samuel 11:1-2)
The narrative begins in the spring, the season when kings typically led their armies into battle. However, II Samuel 11:1 reveals a critical deviation: "David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem." David's absence from the battlefield, for reasons unstated, created a void, a space where temptation could take root. It's often when we neglect our responsibilities, when we're not where we ought to be, that temptation finds its opportune moment to strike.
II Samuel 11:2 describes David on the roof of his palace, where he saw Bathsheba bathing. The verse emphasizes her beauty, highlighting the allure that captivated David's attention. After twenty years of walking with God as Israel's anointed king, a poet, and a singer of psalms, David found himself vulnerable. It wasn't necessarily a desire to fall, but a compromised position, a lowered guard that led to devastating consequences.
The Descent into Sin (II Samuel 11:3-4)
David's curiosity quickly escalated into a calculated pursuit. He inquired about the woman and learned she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (II Samuel 11:3). Uriah was not just any soldier; he was one of David’s most valued and loyal warriors (1 Chronicles 11:26, 41). Despite this knowledge, David, driven by lust, sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to him, and he slept with her (II Samuel 11:4).
The text doesn't explicitly reveal Bathsheba's feelings, but it's crucial to consider the power dynamics at play. David was the king, and his orders were commands. Bathsheba was a vulnerable woman in a society where obedience to the king was paramount. The primary responsibility for this act rests squarely on David's shoulders. He abused his power and betrayed the trust of a loyal soldier.
The Cover-Up Begins (II Samuel 11:5-13)
David's initial transgression led to a desperate attempt to conceal his sin. Bathsheba sent word to David: "I am pregnant" (II Samuel 11:5). Instead of repenting, David compounded his sin with deceit. He summoned Uriah back from the battlefield, hoping he would sleep with his wife, thus masking the paternity of the child (II Samuel 11:6-8).
However, Uriah displayed remarkable integrity. He refused to enjoy the comforts of home while his fellow soldiers were at war (II Samuel 11:9-13). Even when David attempted to get Uriah drunk, he remained steadfast in his loyalty. Uriah's honorable conduct starkly contrasted with David's underhanded schemes.
From Deceit to Murder (II Samuel 11:14-25)
David's desperation reached a chilling climax. To bury his sin, he decided to bury Uriah. Sin, when unconfessed and unrepented, can lead to unimaginable depths of depravity. David sent Uriah back to the battlefront with a letter to Joab, instructing him to place Uriah in the most dangerous part of the battle, effectively sentencing him to death (II Samuel 11:14-15).
Joab, seemingly unaware of David's motives, carried out the order (II Samuel 11:16-21). Uriah was killed in battle (II Samuel 11:16-17). Joab then sent a messenger to inform David of the battle's outcome, anticipating the king's potential anger over the military strategy. He instructed the messenger to mention Uriah's death as a matter of fact, subtly reminding David that the battle tactics aligned with the king's unspoken desires (II Samuel 11:21).
The messenger delivered the news, and David responded with callous indifference (II Samuel 11:22-25). He essentially told Joab not to be concerned about Uriah's death, dismissing it as a common occurrence in war. The man after God's own heart had become unrecognizable, his conscience seared by sin. Moral failings, if left unaddressed, can harden the heart, leading to spiritual numbness and a proliferation of sins.
The Illusion of Resolution (II Samuel 11:26-27)
Bathsheba mourned for Uriah (II Samuel 11:26). After the period of mourning, David brought her into his house, and she became his wife (II Samuel 11:27).
David, in his earthly perspective, might have believed he had successfully covered his tracks. Uriah was gone, the child would appear legitimate, and the matter could be put to rest. But David forgot the omniscience and omnipresence of God, the One about whom he himself would later write in Psalms 139:2, 7, 12, "You understand my thoughts… Where can I flee from your presence?… Even the darkness is not dark to you." David's actions were hidden from human eyes, but nothing is hidden from the God who sees and knows all. II Samuel 11:27 concludes with a stark declaration: "But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord." God considered David's actions evil. This sets the stage for the consequences that will follow.
This chapter is a sobering reminder that no one is immune to temptation, and that sin, when left unchecked, can lead to devastating consequences. It also highlights the importance of integrity, humility, and repentance in our walk with God. The story of David and Bathsheba is not just a historical account; it's a timeless lesson for all who seek to live a life pleasing to God.