2 Samuel 11

King James Version

Full text for 2 Samuel Chapter 11

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.

2And 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.

3And David sent and enquired after the woman. And [one] said, [Is] not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4And 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.

5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I [am] with child.

6¶ And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded [of him] how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8And 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.

9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10And 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?

11And 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.

12And 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.

13And 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.

15And 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.

16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men [were].

17And 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.

18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

20And 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?

21Who 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.

22So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23And 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.

24And 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.

25Then 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.

26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King David, while his army was at war, saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, bathing and subsequently lay with her, leading to her conception. To conceal his sin, David orchestrated Uriah's death in battle by sending a letter to Joab. After Uriah's death and Bathsheba's mourning, David took her as his wife, but "the thing that David had done displeased the LORD."

Medium Summary

While King David remained in Jerusalem during a military campaign against the Ammonites, he observed Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, bathing and desired her. He sent for her and lay with her, resulting in her pregnancy. To hide his transgression, David summoned Uriah from the battlefield, attempting to persuade him to go home to his wife, thereby making Uriah appear to be the father. However, Uriah, demonstrating unwavering loyalty and solidarity with his fellow soldiers, refused to leave the king's service or his post. Frustrated by Uriah's integrity, David then sent a letter via Uriah himself to Joab, ordering that Uriah be placed in the most perilous part of the battle and abandoned, ensuring his demise. Uriah was subsequently killed, and after Bathsheba completed her mourning period, David took her as his wife, and she bore him a son. The chapter concludes by explicitly stating that David's actions "displeased the LORD."

Long Summary

The chapter opens with King David remaining in Jerusalem while his army, led by Joab, engaged in battle against the Ammonites, besieging Rabbah. One evening, David, walking on his rooftop, observed a very beautiful woman, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, washing herself. He inquired about her and, upon learning her identity, sent messengers to bring her to him, and he lay with her. Shortly thereafter, Bathsheba conceived and sent word to David, informing him of her pregnancy. To conceal his sin, David devised a plan, first sending for Uriah from the battlefront under the pretense of inquiring about the war's progress. David then urged Uriah to go home and refresh himself, hoping he would sleep with his wife. However, Uriah, displaying profound loyalty and a strong sense of duty, refused to go to his house, stating that while the Ark, Israel, and Judah abode in tents, and his lord Joab and the servants were encamped in the open fields, he would not indulge in such comforts. Uriah slept at the king's door with the servants. David's second attempt involved making Uriah drunk, yet Uriah still did not go home. Consequently, David wrote a letter to Joab, which Uriah unwittingly carried, instructing Joab to place Uriah in the most dangerous part of the battle and then withdraw, ensuring his death. Joab executed this command, assigning Uriah to a perilous spot where valiant men were known to fight, leading to Uriah's death along with other servants of David. Joab dispatched a messenger to David to report the casualties, including Uriah, providing specific instructions on how to deliver the news to mitigate potential royal anger. David received the news, seemingly accepting the loss as an inevitable part of war, and encouraged Joab to continue the siege with greater strength. After Uriah's wife, Bathsheba, mourned her husband, David sent for her and took her as his wife. She bore him a son, but the narrative concludes with the significant declaration that "the thing that David had done displeased the LORD."

Core Concepts

  • Royal Indulgence and Abuse of PowerDavid, as king, remained in Jerusalem while his army fought, and from his position of authority, he took Bathsheba, a married woman, demonstrating a misuse of his power and privilege.
  • AdulteryThe chapter explicitly details David's illicit sexual encounter with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, which results in her pregnancy, a direct violation of marital fidelity.
  • Deception and Cover-upDavid employs various deceptive strategies, first attempting to manipulate Uriah into sleeping with his wife to conceal the pregnancy, and then orchestrating Uriah's death to eliminate the evidence and the husband.
  • Loyalty and Integrity (Uriah's Character)Uriah the Hittite exemplifies profound loyalty to his king, his fellow soldiers, and the Ark of God, refusing personal comfort while his comrades were in battle, thereby inadvertently thwarting David's initial cover-up attempts.
  • Murder by ProxyDavid's ultimate act of sin involves arranging the death of Uriah through a calculated military order, making Joab an unwitting accomplice in a scheme to eliminate a righteous man.
  • Consequences of Sin (Divine Displeasure)The chapter concludes with a clear theological statement that "the thing that David had done displeased the LORD," foreshadowing divine judgment and consequences for David's actions.
  • Warfare and Royal ResponsibilityThe narrative contrasts David's absence from the battlefield with the active engagement of his army, highlighting a lapse in his expected royal duty to lead in war, which sets the stage for his subsequent moral failures.