SAMUEL
OTHERWISE CALLED
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS
THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS
CHAPTER 11
David lies with Bath-sheba and she conceives—He then arranges for the death in battle of her husband Uriah.
1 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.
2 ¶ 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. [
It says that David was “upon” the roof, and that “from the roof” he saw
Bathsheba. The verse doesn’t mention her whereabouts. This might not
immediately seem like an important distinction, but if we return to the
scriptures a few more relevant tidbits emerge from the text. “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.” (2 Samuel 11:4) Bathsheba’s bath wasn’t strictly
hygienic. It was a ceremonial washing ritual; it is still observed by
Orthodox Jews today! Bathsheba was living according to the law of
Moses, which required her to wash herself monthly—after her period (or
state of ‘uncleanness’) ended—to return to a state of spiritual
readiness to create life. It is incredibly unlikely that Bathsheba
would have participated in this washing ritual somewhere as public as
on a rooftop! Bathsheba’s washing was a faithful and personal act
of devotion to God. She wasn’t a seductress in this, and there is no
evidence that she strategically positioned herself on a roof—or
anywhere else for that matter—to catch the king’s eye.The blame rests squarely on David’s shoulders.]
3 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?
4 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.
7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
8 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.
9 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.
10 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?
11 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.
12 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.
13 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.
14 ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 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.
16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 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.
19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
20 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?
21 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.
23 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.
24 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.