Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Samuel 11:11
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.
11. The ark ] These wars were “the wars of Jehovah” (see note on ch. 2Sa 10:12), and the Ark had been taken along with the army as the symbol of His presence and favour. Cp. Jos 6:6; 1Sa 4:3; 1Sa 14:18 (but see note there); 2Sa 15:24.
Israel, and Judah ] The description of the nation as “Israel and Judah” marks the tendency to isolation on the part of Judah, which had been confirmed by the separation in the early part of David’s reign, and prepared the way for the permanent division of the kingdoms. See note on 1Sa 11:8, and Introd. ch. I. 5 ( d), p. 13.
tents ] Properly, booths, rough shelters or huts extemporised out of the boughs of trees.
as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth ] This form of oath does not occur elsewhere. We usually have either “as the Lord liveth” (ch. 2Sa 4:9), or “as thy soul liveth” (ch. 2Sa 14:19), or the two combined (1Sa 20:3). Possibly “as thou livest” is a textual error for “as the Lord liveth.” The Sept. reads How? as thy soul liveth, &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The ark – Perhaps there was a double purpose in taking the ark; one, to excite to the utmost the enthusiasm of the people for its defense and against the Ammonites; the other, to have the means at hand of inquiring of the Lord, which David had found so serviceable.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. The ark, and Israel – abide in tents] It appears therefore that they had taken the ark with them to battle.
This was the answer of a brave, generous and disinterested man. I will not indulge myself while all my fellow soldiers are exposed to hardships, and even the ark of the Lord in danger. Had Uriah no suspicion of what had been done in his absence?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The ark, it seems, was now carried with them for their encouragement and direction, as was usual: see Num 10:35; 1Sa 4:4.
In the open fields, to wit, in tents which are in the fields.
And to lie with my wife: he might possibly add these words, to insinuate his apprehension of the kings design, and to awaken his conscience to the consideration of his sin, and of the injury which he had done him. His meaning is, Now when Gods people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights. Whereby he might possibly intimate how unworthy it was for David in such a season to indulge himself in sinful and injurious pleasures. But Davids ear was now deaf, his heart being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Uriah said unto David,…. As an apology for this conduct:
the ark, and Israel and Judah, abide in tents; meaning not the people of Israel and Judah in the land of Canaan; for they did not now dwell in tents, though indeed the ark of the Lord did, 2Sa 7:2, which some think is here referred to; but the armies of Israel and Judah besieging Rabbah, with whom it seems the ark was, which sometimes was carried with them when they went out to war, 1Sa 4:4, though Abarbinel thinks this was not the ark in which were the two tables of stone, and therefore is not called the ark of the covenant, but an ark which was made to put the ephod, and Urim and Thummim in that they might upon occasion inquire of the Lord by them:
and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields: around Rabbah they were besieging; he calls Joab his lord, because he was the chief general under whom he served and the rest of the commanding officers he calls the servants of his lord as distinguished from the common soldiers. The Jews, who are for excusing David from blame in the case of Uriah, observe l, that he was guilty of rebellion against David, and so worthy of death not only because he disobeyed his command, in not going to his house when he ordered him but by calling “Joab my lord” in his presence: but this was only a respectable character of his general and no overt act of treason to his king; nor did David so understand it, nor in the least resent it: now seeing such great men, who were far superior to him in rank and office were obliged to lie on the bare ground, he argues:
shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? if he had any suspicion of David’s crime, he might purposely add the last clause; and if not, it was enough to awaken the conscience of David, and cut him to the quick had he not been greatly hardened through the deceitfulness of sin to observe, that a faithful subject and a soldier of his would not allow himself the enjoyment of lawful pleasures, when his fellow soldiers were exposing their lives to danger for their country; and yet he under such circumstances indulged to sinful lusts and criminal pleasures:
[as] thou livest and [as] thy soul liveth I will not do this thing; he swears to it for the confirmation of it; this he did to prevent any further solicitations from the king, or his wife unto it, who were both anxiously desirous of it; for though no mention is made of his wife, yet no doubt she did all she could to prevail upon him to come to his house but all to no purpose; his mind was so bent to the contrary through the overruling providence of God to which it must be ascribed.
l T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 56. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) The ark, and Israel, and Judah.notwithstanding the experience of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines in the days of Eli (1Sa. 4:11), it seems to have been still customary to carry it out in war as a symbol of Gods presence and pledge of His favour. (Comp. 1Sa. 14:18.) The separate mention of Israel and Judah gives no indication of a late date for this book, since these two parts of the nation had already been separated, and even hostile to each other in the early years of Davids reign. This noble answer of Uriah should have stung David to the quick, but his conscience was so deadened by his sin that the only effect was to lead him to yet baser means of concealment.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents That is, the houses like those occupied by David and Uriah, and other chief men, were comparatively few; most of the families of Israel yet dwelt in tents, and even the ark of the covenant yet dwelt in curtains. 2Sa 7:2. Most interpreters have erroneously supposed that the Israel and Judah here referred to were the warriors now besieging Rabbah, and that the ark had also been taken with them to battle. But the next sentence shows that the army besieging Rabbah were not in tents at all, but in the open fields. Uriah, in the spirit of an enthusiastic soldier, refuses at that period of the war to subject himself to the delights and comforts of his superior home, lest he become effeminate, and lose interest in the struggles for national honour. It is probable that Uriah had, upon his arrival at Jerusalem, received some hint or information of what had been going on in his absence, for David’s sin had not been altogether secret. See note on, 2Sa 11:4.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Sa 11:11. And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, &c. Nothing can be more elegant and heroic than this answer of Uriah. After all that the critics have said upon the subject, it seems to be very plain from hence, that the ark now accompanied the army, as we know it did on a former occasion; see 1Sa 4:5 in order to animate the soldiers by so sacred a symbol of the divine presence: and there is more reason to suppose that this was the case at present, as the expedition appears to have been a very considerable one. See the first verse.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Sa 11:11 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.
Ver. 11. And Uriah said unto David. ] Vir robustior spiritu quam corpore Urias: Uriah was a man all over, having a golden soul in an iron body. His name signifieth the fire of God; and surely the fire of zeal was kindled by God’s Spirit upon the hearth of his heart, which made him thus resolute to abridge himself even of lawful delights, in a time of common calamity. See the like in Nehemiah, Neh 1:4-5 Daniel and his fellows, Dan 1:9 those good captives. Psa 137:1-9 And that any Baruch at such a time seeketh great things for himself, and is not even sick at heart for the breaches of Joseph, father Latimer’s reason holdeth good; Deest ignis; there wanteth that flame of God, Son 8:6 Uriah’s public spirit. Common dangers or calamities should, like the rapt motion, carry our hearts contrary to the ways of our own private occasions.
And my lord Joab.
a Dr Hall.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy soul = thou (emph.) Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
men. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
The ark: 2Sa 7:2, 2Sa 7:6, 1Sa 4:4, 1Sa 14:18
my lord: 2Sa 20:6, Mat 10:24, Mat 10:25, Joh 13:14, 1Co 9:25-27, 2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 2:4, 2Ti 2:12, Heb 12:1, Heb 12:2
shall I then: Isa 22:12-14
as thou livest: 2Sa 14:19, 1Sa 1:26, 1Sa 17:55, 1Sa 20:3, 1Sa 25:26
Reciprocal: Num 31:6 – the holy instruments Num 32:6 – shall ye sit here 1Sa 17:8 – servants to Saul
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Sa 11:11. The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents It appears by this that the custom which we read of, 1Sa 4:4, of carrying the ark with them into the field, was still continued. It was done, no doubt, both for the encouragement of the army, who were taught to consider it as a token of the divine presence with them, and favour to them, and also for their direction, that they might consult God in any difficult case. My lord Joab and the servants of my lord are in the open field In tents which are in the fields. His meaning is, now, when Gods people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights. What a generosity of temper does Uriah show in these words! Davids heart, one might have expected, would have been deeply touched to think how he had abused so brave a man, and how vilely he had indulged himself in sinful pleasures, while this man, and the rest of the brave army, were gloriously enduring all manner of hardships, and refusing the most innocent gratifications, for his service and the service of their country. But, alas! he was at present in so corrupt a state of mind, that he was rather grieved than rejoiced to find Uriah so true a soldier.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
11:11 And Uriah said unto David, {f} 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.
(f) By this God would touch David’s conscience, for seeing the fidelity and religion of his servant, he would declare himself forgetful of God, and injurious to his servant.