2 Samuel 11: David takes Bathsheba and has Uriah killed
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What happens?
While Joab and the army besiege Rabbah, David stays in Jerusalem. From his roof he sees a woman bathing, learns that she is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, sends messengers and takes her, and lies with her, and she sends word that she is pregnant. David calls Uriah home from the war and tells him to go down to his house, but Uriah sleeps at the door of the king's house and will not go home while the ark, Israel and Judah are in tents, even when David makes him drunk. David then sends Uriah back with a letter telling Joab to put him where the fighting is fiercest and pull back from him, so that he is struck down and dies. Some of David's servants fall, and Uriah dies too. After Bathsheba has mourned her husband, David brings her to his house, she becomes his wife and bears him a son, and the text says that the thing David had done displeased Yahweh.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. No verse is in gold: God speaks no words in this chapter. Someone tells David who the woman is in verse 3, and Bathsheba sends word in verse 5. David speaks in verses 6, 8, 10, 12 and 25, and writes his letter to Joab in verse 15. David is told about Uriah in verse 10, and Uriah answers David in verse 11. Joab gives the messenger his words in verses 19 to 21, and the messenger speaks to David in verses 23 and 24. Verse 27, that what David had done displeased Yahweh, is the narrator's words. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
In plain English: At the turn (literally: the return) of the year, at the time when kings go out (or: when the messengers go out), David sent Joab, his servants with him, and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.
The Hebrew word: "Kings" is written in the Hebrew with the letters of mal'akhim, "messengers", but it is read as melakhim, "kings". The two words differ by one letter. , which tells the same, has "kings", and so does the old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton): "the time of the year for kings going out to battle".
What changes: Read as "kings", it is the time of year when kings go out to war, and the verse ends "But David stayed at Jerusalem." Read as "messengers", it is the time when messengers go out; the same word is in verse 4, "David sent messengers".
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2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
In plain English: One evening David got up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the king's house. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
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3David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?”
In plain English: David sent and asked about the woman. Someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
Good to know: names "Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite" among David's mighty men, and ends that list with "Uriah the Hittite". The text does not say whether this Eliam is the same man. names Solomon's mother "Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel", and says "David the king became the father of Solomon by her who had been Uriah's wife".
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4David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.
In plain English: David sent messengers and took her. She came to him, and he lay with her. (She was purifying herself, or: had purified herself, from her uncleanness.) Then she went back to her house.
The Hebrew words: "She was purified" is from qadash, which the dictionary gives as "to be ... clean (ceremonially or morally)", and "uncleanness" is tum'ah, "religious impurity". Word for word the Hebrew says "and she was making herself clean from her uncleanness". There is no "for" in the Hebrew.
What changes: Read as "she had purified herself", the words say her time of uncleanness was over when David lay with her. Read as "she was purifying herself", they may go with the bathing of verse 2. The text does not say more.
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5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
In plain English: The woman became pregnant (this Bible: conceived). She sent word to David and said, "I am pregnant (this Bible: with child)."
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6David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.
In plain English: David sent word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David.
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7When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
In plain English: When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was, how the people were, and how the war was going (literally: asked of the peace of Joab, of the people and of the battle).
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8David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.
In plain English: David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." Uriah left the king's house, and a gift (or: a portion of food) from the king was sent after him.
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9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and didn’t go down to his house.
In plain English: But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all his lord's servants, and did not go down to his house.
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10When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”
In plain English: David was told, "Uriah did not go down to his house." So David said to Uriah, "Haven't you come from a journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?"
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11Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”
In plain English: Uriah said to David, "The ark, and Israel and Judah, are staying in tents (literally: huts), and my lord Joab and my lord's servants are camped in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!"
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12David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.
In plain English: David said to Uriah, "Stay here today as well, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
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13When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.
In plain English: David called him, and Uriah ate and drank with him (literally: before him), and David made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house.
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14In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
In plain English: In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with (literally: by the hand of) Uriah.
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15He wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck and die.”
In plain English: In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is fiercest, and then pull back from him, so that he is struck down and dies."
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16When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.
In plain English: So while Joab was besieging (literally: watching) the city, he put Uriah at the place where he knew the strongest (this Bible: valiant) men were.
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17The men of the city went out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
In plain English: The men of the city came out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, some of David's servants, and Uriah the Hittite died too.
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18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
In plain English: Then Joab sent and told David all the news of the war.
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19and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,
In plain English: He commanded the messenger, "When you have finished telling the king all the news of the war,
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20it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?
In plain English: if the king becomes angry (literally: if the king's anger rises) and says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?
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21Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
In plain English: Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Wasn't it a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you are to say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.'"
Good to know: At Thebez a woman threw an upper millstone on the head of Abimelech, Gideon's son, and broke his skull (); then his armor bearer thrust him through, and he died (). Gideon was named Jerubbaal in . Here the name is Jerubbesheth, which the dictionary gives as "a symbolic name for Gideon": the end of it is spelled like bosheth, "shame", where Jerubbaal ends with Baal (see the note on ). The old Greek translation in this collection (Brenton) has "Jerobaal".
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22So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
In plain English: So the messenger went. He came and told David everything Joab had sent him to say.
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23The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.
In plain English: The messenger said to David, "The men were stronger than us (this Bible: prevailed against us) and came out against us into the field, but we drove them back (literally: we were on them) as far as the entrance of the gate.
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24The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”
In plain English: The archers (this Bible: shooters) shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too."
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25Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”
In plain English: Then David said to the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Do not let this thing trouble you (literally: be evil in your eyes), because the sword devours one as well as another. Press your attack on the city harder, and overthrow it.' And encourage him."
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26When Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
In plain English: When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.
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27When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
In plain English: When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased Yahweh (literally: was evil in the eyes of Yahweh).
The Hebrew words: "Displeased Yahweh" is word for word "was evil in the eyes of Yahweh". "Was evil" is from ra'a, which the dictionary gives as "to make (or be) ... bad (physically, socially or morally)". In verse 25 David told the messenger to say to Joab, word for word, "Let this thing not be evil in your eyes." Here the same words, "the thing" and "evil in the eyes", are used of Yahweh. It is the only verse in this chapter that names Yahweh.
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