Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 11:6
And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
And David sent to Joab,…. Who was with the army besieging Rabbah, which, according to Bunting k, was sixty four miles from Jerusalem:
[saying], send me Uriah the Hittite; the scheme David had contrived in his mind was to get Uriah home to his wife for a few days, that it might be thought the child she had conceived was his, whereby the sin of David, and her own, might be concealed:
and Joab sent Uriah to David; not knowing his business, and besides it was his duty to obey his command.
k Travels, &c. p. 146.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| David’s Contrivance to Hide His Crime; David’s Contrivance Defeated. | B. C. 1037. |
6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 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.
Uriah, we may suppose, had now been absent from his wife some weeks, making the campaign in the country of the Ammonites, and not intending to return till the end of it. The situation of his wife would bring to light the hidden works of darkness; and when Uriah, at his return, should find how he had been abused, and by whom, it might well be expected, 1. That he would prosecute his wife, according to law, and have her stoned to death; for jealousy is the rage of a man, especially a man of honour, and he that is thus injured will not spare in the day of vengeance, Prov. vi. 34. This Bath-sheba was apprehensive of when she sent to let David know she was with child, intimating that he was concerned to protect her, and, it is likely, if he had not promised her so to do (so wretchedly abusing his royal power), she would not have consented to him. Hope of impunity is a great encouragement to iniquity. 2. It might also be expected that since he could not prosecute David by law for an offence of this nature he would take his revenge another way, and raise a rebellion against him. There have been instances of kings who by provocations of this nature, given to some of their powerful subjects, have lost their crowns. To prevent this double mischief, David endeavours to father the child which should be born upon Uriah himself, and therefore sends for him home to stay a night or two with his wife. Observe,
I. How the plot was laid. Uriah must come home from the army under pretence of bringing David an account how the war prospered, and how they went on with the siege of Rabbah, v. 7. Thus does he pretend a more than ordinary concern for his army when that was the least thing in his thoughts; if he had not had another turn to serve, an express of much less figure than Uriah might have sufficed to bring him a report of the state of the war. David, having had as much conference with Uriah as he thought requisite to cover the design, sent him to his house, and, that he might be the more pleasant there with the wife of his youth, sent a dish of meat after him for their supper, v. 8. When that project failed the first night, and Uriah, being weary of his journey and more desirous of sleep than meat, lay all night in the guard-chamber, the next night he made him drunk (v. 13), or made him merry, tempted him to drink more than was fit, that he might forget his vow (v. 11), and might be disposed to go home to his own bed, to which perhaps, if David could have made him dead drunk, he would have ordered him to be carried. It is a very wicked thing, upon any design whatsoever, to make a person drunk. Woe to him that does so, Hab 2:15; Hab 2:16. God will put a cup of trembling into the hands of those who put into the hands of others the cup of drunkenness. Robbing a man of his reason is worse than robbing him of his money, and drawing him into sin worse than drawing him into any trouble whatsoever. Every good man, especially every magistrate, should endeavour to prevent this sin, by admonishing, restraining, and denying the glass to those whom they see falling into excess; but to further it is to do the devil’s work, to officiate as factor for him.
II. How this plot was defeated by Uriah’s firm resolution not to lie in his own bed. Both nights he slept with the life-guard, and went not down to his house, though, it is probable, his wife pressed him to do it as much as David, 2Sa 11:9; 2Sa 11:12. Now, 1. Some think he suspected what was done, being informed of his wife’s attendance at court, and therefore he would not go near her. But if he had had any suspicion of that kind, surely he would have opened the letter that David sent by him to Joab. 2. Whether he suspected any thing or no, Providence put this resolution into his heart, and kept him to it, for the discovering of David’s sin, and that the baffling of his design to conceal it might awaken David’s conscience to confess it and repent of it. 3. The reason he gave to David for this strange instance of self-denial and mortification was very noble, v. 11. While the army was encamped in the field, he would not lie at ease in his own house. “The ark is in a tent,” whether at home, in the tent David had pitched for it, or abroad, with Joab in the camp, is not certain. “Joab, and all the mighty men of Israel, lie hard and uneasy, and much exposed to the weather and to the enemy; and shall I go and take my ease and pleasure at my own house?” No, he protests he will not do it. Now, (1.) This was in itself a generous resolution, and showed Uriah to be a man of a public spirit, bold and hardy, and mortified to the delights of sense. In times of public difficulty and danger it does not become us to repose ourselves in security, or roll ourselves in pleasure, or, with the king and Haman, to sit down to drink when the city Shushan was perplexed, Esth. iii. 15. We should voluntarily endure hardness when the church of God is constrained to endure it. (2.) It might have been of use to awaken David’s conscience, and make his heart to smite him for what he had done. [1.] That he had basely abused so brave a man as Uriah was, a man so heartily concerned for him and his kingdom, and that acted for him and it with so much vigour. [2.] That he was himself so unlike him. The consideration of the public hardships and hazards kept Uriah from lawful pleasures, yet could not keep David, though more nearly interested, from unlawful ones. Uriah’s severity to himself should have shamed David for his indulgence of himself. The law was, When the host goeth forth against the enemy then, in a special manner, keep thyself from every wicked thing, Deut. xxiii. 9. Uriah outdid that law, but David violated it.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Uriah Fails to Fall to David’s Ruse, vs. 6-13
Sin unadmitted requires further sin to bolster it, so David soon fell into more wickedness. He intended to deceive Uriah into thinking the child conceived by his wife was fathered by him. Bathsheba surely must have gone along with the scheme, which further involves her in David’s sin. David pretended that he had sent for Uriah to get a firsthand report of the progress of the siege of Rabbah. He showed much courtesy to Uriah, and when he had finished his interview sent him to his house, following with a meal from the king’s table.
The ruse failed, for Uriah’s loyalty to his men, his commander, and to his country was above his desire to return to his home and the arms of his wife. Instead he spent the night in the servants’ quarters.
When David learned that his plan had failed he chided Uriah for his failure to take the opportunity of a night in his own home, especially since it was just next door to the palace. Uriah emphatically stated his feeling. He was a man with sympathetic feelings for his men who had not the opportunity offered him, but must remain far from their homes, sleeping in the open air of the Ammonite countryside. Furthermore the presence of the ark with the army emphasized the concentration of political force with God’s presence to win the war. Uriah would not forget for even one night the gravity of the times and the war in which he was engaged.
Daivd realized that his only other chance was to render Uriah physically unable to act on his priorities. He served him a feast and tried to get him drunk so he would go to Bathsheba and thus be deluded into thinking he had fathered her child. It failed, for Uriah kept his senses about him in spite of the king’s efforts. Again he spent the night with the servants of David, successfully resisting the temptation. At this point his devotion to God and His cause (though Uriah was not an Israelite, but a Hittite descendant of the people left in the land when Israel conquered it) was greater than that of David.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Davids Attempt to Cover His Sin. 2Sa. 11:6-11
6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
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 kings house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the kings 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.
8.
Why did David send for Uriah? 2Sa. 11:6
David called Uriah back from the battlefield in an effort to have him in Jerusalem at a time when the public would think that the child born to Bathsheba was fathered by Uriah. It was the desperate effort of a desperate man to cover up his sin. David underestimated the valiant nature of Uriah. He thought that he would be glad to have a furlough from the battlefield and that he would go down to his own house as a matter of course. Little did David realize the outcome of this move on his part. It marked the turning point in his life. From this point forward his reign was marked with adversity and hardship. His first false move was to send for Bathsheba and to lay with her. His second false move was to call Uriah back from the battlefield; ever after this his hand seems to shake as he holds the reins of government.
9.
What inquiries did David made of Uriah? 2Sa. 11:7
David made general inquiries about the outcome of the fighting. He asked how Joab was conducting the campaign. He asked how the soldiers were getting along, and in general he asked if the war was going in Israels favor. David was evading the real issue which was before him; he made these normal inquiries in order to cover up his fiendish purposes.
10.
Why did Uriah disobey the king? 2Sa. 11:8
David told Uriah to go down to his house and to enjoy a bit of leave from the hardships of the battlefield. No significance should be attached to his telling him to wash his feet; it would be the normal way of relaxing and preparing to enjoy normal domestic and civilian life. The privilege of bathing was often denied men on the field of battle, and he thought that Uriah would relish this routine convenience. David tried to show his goodwill towards Uriah by sending a mess of meat to his home for his meal. Uriah went out from the kings house, but he slept at the entrance with the guards of the palace and did not go down to his own house. Uriah was a loyal subject of his king; he was also a faithful soldier, unwilling to forsake his companions in the field and to enjoy the pleasures of civilian life while his comrades were fighting.
11.
Why did Davids servants report Uriahs actions? 2Sa. 11:10
Davids servants could hardly have known the purposes of the king in telling Uriah to go to his house. His affair with Bathsheba was not generally known at that time. But Uriahs actions had been very strange; one would hardly expect a soldier to sleep with the guards of the palace when he had the opportunity to go down to his own house. When David heard what Uriah had done, he called him back to his palace and asked him about his activities.
12.
What reason did Uriah give for his actions? 2Sa. 11:11
Uriah said that the men of Israel and Judah were out in the battlefield living in tents. He also made mention of the Ark abiding in a tent. It is doubtful from this reference that the Ark was really taken into battle. When the sons of Eli had carried the Ark into battle against the Philistines, the results were catastrophic. The Philistines stiffened their resistance and not only beat the Israelites but captured the Ark itself (1Sa. 4:10-11). David had given this reason for wanting to build the temple. He said that the Ark of God was dwelling within curtains (2Sa. 7:2-6). Uriah said that Joab and the other captain of the hosts were encamped in the open fields. He, therefore, felt it quite out of place for him to go down to his own house to enjoy the good food that was provided for him and to enjoy his wifes company. Uriah abhorred the idea of his doing anything like this.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(6) Send me Uriah.David proposed thus to cover up his crime. By calling for Uriah and treating him with marked consideration, he thought to establish a friendly feeling on his part, and then by sending him to his wife to have it supposed that the child, begotten in adultery, was Uriahs own.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(6) And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. (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.
Observe the progress of iniquity. This calling home Uriah was to hide David’s infamy, as well as Bath-sheba’s; contriving that Uriah’s sleeping at home should conceal his crime by leading everyone to believe that Uriah was the father of the child. And observe, with what a plausible pretence, under colour of a regard for the success of his arms, David called the poor husband to answer this object. And to accomplish it yet more, as well as to show the high regard he had for Uriah, be sent after him a feast for his refreshment.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Sa 11:6 And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
Ver. 6. And David sent to Joab, &c. ] To prevent Bathsheba’s miseries, wherein he also was sure to have a great share, David casteth about how to colour and cover his sin with fair pretences, – as Alcibiades embroidered a curtain with lions and eagles, to cover his pictures of owls and apes, – but all would not do, God so disposing that David’s sin should come to light.
Send me Uriah the Hittite.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Send me: Gen 4:7, Gen 38:18-23, 1Sa 15:30, Job 20:12-14, Pro 28:13, Isa 29:13, Mat 26:70, Mat 26:72, Mat 26:74
Reciprocal: Jos 7:21 – they are hid 1Sa 26:6 – Hittite 2Sa 20:22 – And Joab 2Sa 23:39 – Uriah 1Ch 1:13 – Heth 1Ch 11:41 – Uriah
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
David’s murder of Uriah 11:6-25
David compounded his sin by trying to cover it up rather than confessing it. He tried three cover-ups: a "clean" one (2Sa 11:6-11), a "dirty" one (2Sa 11:12-13), and a "criminal" one (2Sa 11:14-17). [Note: Walter Vogels, "David’s Greatness in His Sin and Repentance," The Way 15:4 (1975):246.]
David’s suggestion that Uriah go home and "wash his feet" (2Sa 11:8) may have been an encouragement to enjoy his wife sexually since "feet" in the Old Testament is sometimes a euphemistic reference to the genitals (cf. Exo 4:25; Deu 28:57; Isa 7:20). [Note: Gale A. Yee, "’Fraught With Background’: Literary Ambiguity in 2 Samuel 11," Interpretation 42:3 (July 1988):245; Uriel Simon, "The Poor Man’s Ewe-Lamb," Biblica 48 (1967):214.] Whatever David intended, his hypocrisy is clear. Note the present that David sent home with Uriah. David was setting up this soldier to cover his own sin. However, the king underestimated faithful Uriah’s commitment to David, for whom Uriah had been fighting in Ammon. Though Bathsheba’s husband was a Hittite, he appears to have been a godly believer in Yahweh as well as a dedicated warrior. He was one of David’s best soldiers, one of his "mighty men" (cf. 2Sa 23:39).
"Uriah’s name ["Yahweh is my light"] turns out to be Yahwist, after all. In the heart of the imperial phalanges we find an orthodox Israelite, quietly observing the wartime soldier’s ban against conjugal relations (cf. 1Sa 21:4-7)." [Note: Joel Rosenberg, King and Kin: Political Allegory in the Hebrew Bible, p. 132.]
Uriah’s reference to the ark being in a temporary shelter (2Sa 11:11) probably refers to its location at Kiriath-jearim. However, some interpreters believe that "tents" should be left untranslated and that the reference is to Succoth. [Note: Youngblood, p. 934.]
"Astonishingly, this Hittite mentions the covenant symbol before everything else that has influenced his behaviour. He is aware also of his solidarity with the fighting men at the front, over whom he will not steal an advantage. Both of these considerations applied even more forcibly to the king, who had final responsibility for the war, and had laid much stress on covenant loyalty himself, but now a foreigner is showing him to be despicably lax." [Note: Baldwin, p. 233.]
David’s next plan was to get Uriah drunk hoping that in that condition he would return home to sleep with his wife (2Sa 11:13). But again David underestimated Uriah.
"The despicableness of the king’s behaviour contrasts with the noble figure of the wronged Uriah, several times referred to as ’the Hittite’ (2Sa 11:3; 2Sa 11:6; 2Sa 11:17; 2Sa 11:24), as if to emphasize that, whereas the king of Israel was so obviously lacking in principle, the same could not be said of this foreigner." [Note: Gordon, pp. 253-54.]
David’s brazen rebellion against God’s will comes out clearly in his third plan. He ordered Uriah to carry his own death warrant to Joab (2Sa 11:14-15). Compare wicked Queen Jezebel’s similar action in 1Ki 21:9-11. Joab’s reply (2Sa 11:19-21) mimicked David’s instructions (2Sa 11:15).
"David, God’s anointed and a great king, is otherwise poles apart from a petty thug like Abimelech [cf. 2Sa 11:21; Jdg 9:50-54]. . . . [But] that David is likened to Abimelech has-because of the very distance between them-the effect of diminishing his image. The more so since Abimelech fell at a woman’s hands while at the head of his army: David falls at a woman’s hands precisely because he plays truant from war." [Note: Sternberg, pp. 221-22.]
About seven years later David’s son, Absalom, ordered his followers to strike down his brother, Amnon, for raping Absalom’s sister, Tamar (2Sa 13:28).
"It was ironic that David, the protector of justice, would so pervert justice in the Uriah-Bathsheba incident." [Note: Heater, p. 120.]
Some other innocent soldiers beside Uriah died because of David’s orders concerning the battle strategy (2Sa 11:24). David was really responsible for their deaths, too.