11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 11:2It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 11:3And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 11:4So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 11:5And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
6 11:6So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 11:7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. 8 11:8Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9 11:9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 11:10When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 11:11Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to 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.” 12 11:12Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 11:13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
14 11:14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 11:15In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” 16 11:16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 11:17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. 18 11:18Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. 19 11:19And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, 20 11:20then, if the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 11:21Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not 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 dead also.’”
22 11:22So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 11:23The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. 24 11:24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” 25 11:25David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”
26 11:26When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 27 11:27And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
The question of who is fit to be covenant king of Israel runs throughout the book of Samuel. While up to this point David has not been portrayed as perfect, he is shown as being suited to the role and diligent in addressing its requirements. Consequently, his obedience has been rewarded with success. Now, however, he sins gravely, and the devastating aftermath of his transgression mars the remainder of his reign, in which he is confronted by a series of family and national troubles. “Except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5) is the qualification that forever stains his record.
Throughout this carefully crafted account, the narrator employs his favored technique of relating the key facts and leaving the reader to discern their significance. Verse 27b is therefore all the more remarkable: just when David thinks that his troubles are behind him, the Lord’s negative evaluation of his conduct indicates that the incident is far from closed. Divine intervention is sure to follow.
11:2 One day David’s afternoon siesta has been longer than usual, because it is toward evening when David was “walking” (“going to and fro”) on the relatively compact space “on the roof of the king’s house”—a flat roof providing space for relaxing (1 Sam. 9:25). Since the palace is higher than surrounding buildings, David “saw from [lit., “downward from”] the roof a woman bathing,” probably in a neighboring courtyard or even in a room of an adjacent house. Bathsheba is not seeking attention, but she is “very beautiful” (lit., “very good of appearance”), and her attractiveness excites David’s desire.
11:3 Immediately David takes steps to ascertain her identity. Exercising his royal authority, he “sent” (v. 1) and “inquired,” but not of the Lord (cf. 2:1; 5:19, 23, though with different verb). The reply he receives is couched in the form of a question as a courtly conceit to avoid attributing ignorance to the king. As might have been expected from the proximity of her home to the palace, she proves to be well connected. Unusually, both her father’s name and that of her husband are given—an obvious indication to listen carefully. There is an “Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite” listed in 23:34 as one of “the thirty,” David’s elite body of soldiers, and he is probably her father. Moreover, “Ahithophel the Gilonite” (15:12) is David’s main counselor, and he could well be her grandfather.
Bathsheba is also “the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Two people groups were known as Hittites: survivors from a major empire of the second millennium BC that was centered in Asia Minor but included northern Syria (Josh. 1:4), and a group of indigenous Canaanites living around Hebron (Gen. 23:7) who were probably not connected to the northern Hittites. Uriah’s background is probably to be traced to the latter group—which shows he is of non-Israelite extraction. His name, Uriah (“the Lord is my light”), is a standard Hebrew name, and he is undoubtedly a devout worshiper of the Lord. He too is a member of “the thirty” (2 Sam. 23:39) and is currently serving with Joab in Ammon.
David is so obsessed with Bathsheba that neither the fact that she is married—and to one of his leading officers—nor the knowledge of how well connected she is to members of his power base (with all sorts of political and social complications bound to ensue) deters him in any way. Furthermore, David exhibits no concern about the death penalty for adultery, required by divine law (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22).
11:4 The irrational urge of his lust sweeps all other considerations out of David’s mind, and he “sent [cf. v. 1] messengers and took [laqakh; cf. 1 Sam. 8:11] her.” Here David acts not like a covenant king but like one of the kings of the nations who absolutize their own desires and place themselves above the law. The messengers are members of the palace guard (cf. 1 Sam. 19:11, 20), and they escort Bathsheba to the king. No hint is given of her attitude in the matter; the focus is on David. All that is said is that “she came to him, and he lay with her.” The succession of verbs brings out the speed with which events occur.
The parenthesis “Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness” relates back to when David first observed Bathsheba. Her uncleanness is almost certainly ritual defilement after menstruation (Lev. 15:19). This sets the scene for the announcement of the following verse. She has not become pregnant by her husband—who is away with the army in any event.
11:5 The outcome of their liaison is that “the woman conceived.” Though Bathsheba later proves to be a resourceful and determined manipulator (1 Kings 1–2), here she is “the woman,” a largely passive character—not a person, just something to be used. Though she does exercise authority in sending (cf. comment on 2 Sam. 11:1), it is only to convey the news, “I am pregnant.” It is no longer possible for the affair to be covered up.
11:6 The implications of Bathsheba’s message are clear to David, and he reacts quickly. The chain reaction through the levels of administration is traced using “send” three times (cf. comment on 11:1). Joab, who is commanding the army at Rabbah, is ordered to send Uriah back to Jerusalem, and he does.
11:7 When Uriah arrives, David conceals the real reason for his return by plying him with innocent questions about the siege. “David asked how” is literally “David asked with respect to the well-being [shalom] of.” The thrice-repeated “well-being” contrasts with David’s own lack of interest in the well-being of the man before him, or his wife. The “people” are the army. Uriah’s response is not recorded because David is not interested in it. It is all a ruse.
11:8 David then dismisses Uriah and tells him to “go down” (cf. v. 2) home and “wash your feet,” where “wash” is the same verb as “bathe” (v. 2). This implies relaxation and refreshment after travel and is not necessarily a euphemism for sexual intercourse, though this is what David is deviously trying to engineer in order to disguise the paternity of the child who will be born. When Uriah leaves the palace, “there followed him a present from the king,” probably a gift of food and drink intended to induce Uriah to relax with his wife.
11:9 Uriah’s sense of duty, however, thwarts David’s plans because he does not lose sight of the fact that he is a soldier in active service, and so, rather than going the short distance home, he “slept” (“lay”; v. 4) in the guards’ quarters at the palace. Throughout this episode no hint is given as to how much Uriah guesses or is told in the guardhouse by the “messengers” (v. 4) stationed there. What is emphasized is that he “did not go down to his house,” repeated twice in verse 10 and again in verse 13.
11:10 The next day, when David makes some excuse to ask about Uriah, his attendants tell him about his behavior. So David quizzes Uriah as to why he has not taken advantage of the break from the field, especially after a long journey.
11:11 In passing, Uriah’s response reveals that “the ark” has been taken into battle with the Israelite forces (cf. 1 Sam. 4:3). Also, his use of “Israel and Judah” in reference to David’s army shows the underlying division within the nation (cf. 1 Sam. 11:8). Most significantly, Uriah displays his religious convictions and solidarity with his comrades. He points out that neither the ark nor the besieging troops enjoy proper accommodations, being housed in temporary shelters, while “my lord Joab and the servants of my lord,” the members of the standing army (2 Sam. 11:1), are in even less settled conditions, “camping in the open field.”
Uriah’s question is a polite rejection of David’s proposal (cf. v. 3) as a violation of the sanctity of the camp. Uriah will not be responsible for introducing ritual impurity into Israel’s camp, which houses the ark (cf. Ex. 19:15; Lev. 15:19; Deut. 23:9). While his comrades are on active service and he along with them, he will not “go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife” (cf. 1 Sam. 21:5–6). It is Uriah who brings his wife into the conversation (what has he heard in the guardhouse?), and his words also provide an ironic rebuke to David, who has done just that—lie with his wife. Uriah strongly and loyally asserts, “As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” His double reference to David in this oath formula is found only here; elsewhere the first element is “as the Lord lives” (cf. 1 Sam. 20:3; 25:26). This places unusual emphasis on David. At any rate, Uriah is not prepared to act against his conscience, as the king has suggested.
11:12 David instructs Uriah to remain in Jerusalem for the remainder of the day and tells him he will be sent back (cf. v. 1) to the front line the following day. While Uriah has not specifically asked to return, it is obvious that he wants to be with his comrades.
11:13 Later that day David invites (lit., “calls,” a royal summons) Uriah to an evening meal with him. Uriah has no difficulty about this; it is returning to his own house and eating there that he has scruples over. Though David plies him with drink, Uriah still prefers a pallet in the guards’ quarters to his bed at home. So David’s scheming is frustrated by Uriah’s staunch sense of duty.
11:14 The next day, David implements a different strategy to cover up his affair with Bathsheba. He writes “a letter to Joab,” possibly using a scroll that would be rolled up and sealed. He sends it “by the hand of Uriah,” who thus unwittingly delivers his own death warrant. Whether or not Uriah can read, David does not doubt that Uriah will deliver the letter unopened.
11:15 Without explanation David directs Joab to station Uriah where the fighting is keenest and then to withdraw the other troops around him, leaving Uriah exposed. David envisages doughty Uriah maintaining his ground to his last breath.
11:16–17 “As Joab was besieging the city” (Rabbah, as in v. 1) uses a verb meaning “watch” or “guard” (shamar). Normally, if any action were launched against a besieged city while it was being starved into submission, it would be at a weak point in the city’s defenses. Joab, however, deliberately provokes a response from first-rate Ammonite defenders (cf. 1 Sam. 31:12). Inevitably, there are casualties, among whom is “Uriah the Hittite.” Five times in this chapter “the Hittite” is added to his name to underscore the fact that one from a non-Israelite background is acting more honorably than Israel’s king.
Joab has realized that David’s plan is unworkable because withdrawing the other soldiers about Uriah would be obvious treachery. He therefore modifies it, with the result that “some of the servants of David among the people,” that is, officers among the forces deployed there, are also killed. Still this could be passed off as an unfortunate mistake.
11:18–21 The messenger Joab sends to David with a complete battle report is carefully coached as to how to present his news. Joab knows he has disregarded David’s unsubtle command and that the loss of elite troops will enrage him. He anticipates that the king will ask why the army ventured so near to the city wall that they became targets for the archers (apparently Uriah died from an arrow wound). Joab also envisages David’s referring to Abimelech’s death at the siege of Thebez, when he ventured too close to the city wall and a woman dropped a millstone on him (Judg. 9:50–55). Does this incident come to Joab’s mind because he guesses “a woman” is behind the order to get Uriah killed? In this complex scenario—which surely alerts the messenger to expect trouble—Joab directs the messenger to report, “Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” This will stifle any further complaints from David.
11:22–24 The messenger reports to David concerning the enemy sortie outside the city walls and the Israelite forces’ driving them back to the city gate. He also admits that by getting close to the walls, the soldiers had become vulnerable to archers stationed on the walls, and that this had led to loss of life. (Some Septuagint manuscripts specify 18 Israelite deaths.) Grasping the key part of his message, the messenger does not wait for the king to express his anger but immediately adds, “And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”
11:25 David is so concerned to cover up his own affair that he plays down the additional lives lost in Joab’s plan. He had been prepared to sacrifice a loyal soldier—and if others are now involved as well, it is merely unfortunate collateral damage. Callously he sends word back to Joab that he is not to be displeased at what has occurred (lit., “Do not let this matter be evil in your eyes”; cf. v. 27b) since all wars lead to casualties. Joab is to intensify his attack on the city, capture it, and tear it down. David directs the messenger to “encourage him” (from the same root as “strengthen”) by conveying to Joab how positively the king has received his report.
11:26 Bathsheba, “the wife of Uriah” (cf. 12:10, 15), observes a period of mourning rites for “her husband” (the first occurrence is literally “her man,” the second “her lord”) for seven, or possibly thirty, days.
11:27 After the conventional period of mourning, David once more “sent”—the last time he does so—“and brought her to his house,” the palace from which he has not moved throughout this chapter. To his contemporaries this might seem a thoughtful provision for the needs of a valiant soldier’s widow (cf. Abigail, 1 Samuel 25). So Bathsheba becomes David’s wife and subsequently “bore him a son.” For David this seems to be the end of the story—crisis over.
However, the chapter ends on an ominous note when the narrator, from his privileged standpoint, incorporates the divine assessment of affairs: “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” “Displeased” (lit., “was evil in the eyes of”) repeats the formula found in verse 25 and thus could be rendered, “The Lord regarded what David had done to be evil.” Joab may have conspired in a cover-up, but the Lord will not—and he will have the final say (12:9).
1 An alternative understanding is proposed by Firth, who suggests that David is trying to trick Uriah into a breach of Israel’s war traditions and so have him legally executed (1 & 2 Samuel, 416).