2 Samuel 11
F.B. Meyer · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Samuel 11
Meyer - 2 Samuel 11:1 David tarried still at Jerusalem. Ah! fatal dalliance in the arms of sensual ease! It led to David’s undoing. It was the time of the year when kings generally went forth to the fight; and in earlier days David would never have thought of leaving to Joab or others the strain and stress of conflict when there were hard knocks to give and take. Indeed, on more than one occasion his followers had remonstrated against his exposing the Light of Israel to the risks of the battlefield. But now he sends Joab and his mighty men to fight against Ammon, while he tarries securely at Jerusalem. In this fatal lethargy he betrays the deterioration of his soul. Already the walls were broken down, and entrance into the citadel was easy. We are not surprised to learn that as he sauntered lazily on his palace roof in the sultry afternoon he was swept away before the rush of sudden passion, and took the poor man’s ewe lamb to satisfy the vagrant, hungry impulse which suddenly came to him. Beware of hours of ease! Rest is necessary; times of recruiting and renewal must come to us all; nature positively demands re-creation; but there must be no neglect of known duty, no handing over to others of what we might and could do ourselves, no tarrying behind the march of the troops when we should go forth with them to the battle. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Be most on guard when not actively engaged against the enemy. One unlocked gate may admit the foe to the citadel of the life, and rob you of peace for all after-days. The luxury of the plains of Capua was more fatal to the soldiers of Hannibal than the passage of the Alps. G Campbell Morgan's note on the parallel passage in 1 Chr 20.1 "David tarried at Jerusalem" That is the only reference made in this book to the greatest sin and failure in the history of David. The insertion of the full story, as given in 2 Samuel 11:1-24, would not have served the purpose of the writer of this book, but we ought not to allow ourselves to forget the warning it affords. The story in Samuel is introduced by exactly the same statement concerning the tarrying of David at Jerusalem at the times when kings go out to battle. That was the first stage in that swift passage of shameful sin. There is nothing more full of subtle danger in the life of any servant of God than that he should remain inactive when the enterprises of God demand that he be out on the fields of conflict. How many have found the peace of ease to be that of deadly peril, when the demands of the Divine service were calling for strenuous endeavour! There is a very old adage, and very simple, at which perhaps we are inclined to smile; but it is well to remember it not only in childhood, but to the end of the pathway. It declares that: Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do. If I ought to be at Rabbah with the army, and am tarrying at home in ease, then almost certainly some Bathsheba will present herself, by whom I may be utterly undone. And that is not to blame Bathsheba. She also sinned, and shared the wrong of David; but neither would have been involved had he been in his true place on the field of battle. (Borrow Life applications from every chapter of the Bible) QUESTION - Who was Joab in the Bible? ANSWER - Joab was a son of Zeruiah, King David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:13–17) and was therefore one of David’s nephews. Joab’s brothers were two of David’s brave warriors, Abishai and Asahel. Joab was positioned as commander of David’s armies because of his victory over the Jebusites, resulting in the possession of the city of Jerusalem. It was through this victory that Jerusalem became “the city of David” (1 Chronicles 11:4–9). Joab fought and won many battles for the king, but his personal lack of self-control was problematic. In a war against the forces of Ish-Bosheth, Joab’s brother Asahel was killed by Abner, the commander of Ish-Bosheth’s armies. Joab was furious and pursued Abner to kill him, but Abner escaped (2 Samuel 2:12–32). Later, after Abner swore allegiance to David, Joab’s fuse blew, and his desire to avenge his brother’s blood drove him to deceive and murder Abner (verses 26–27). This action deeply grieved David, but the king felt unable to bring justice against the mighty Joab (verse 39). Instead, David pronounced a curse over Joab and his future descendants: “May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food” (verse 29). As the commander of David’s armies, Joab was provided many victories by God, but Joab caused much grief to the king and to Israel. His anger and perhaps the power of his position drove him to poor decisions at times. In addition to his murder of Abner, Joab killed his own cousin, Amasa—and his betrayal was Judas-style, accompanied by a kiss: “Joab said to Amasa, ‘How are you, my brother?’ Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died” (2 Samuel 20:9–10). Joab disobeyed King David’s command to spare Absalom’s life, himself striking Absalom with three javelins (2 Samuel 18). David mourned the death of his son Absalom, a response that was sternly reprimanded by Joab (2 Samuel 19:1–8). It was also Joab who, in accordance with David’s command, placed Uriah the Hittite at the front of the battle to be killed, so that David could feel justified in marrying Uriah’s widow (2 Samuel 11). Joab, for all his faults, was obviously a capable man of war and valiant on the battlefield. And he ought to be given credit for his loyalty to David for almost four decades. Joab also counseled David when David sinfully desired to take a census; if David had heeded Joab’s advice, he could have spared his nation the plague that befell Israel (2 Samuel 24). When David was on his deathbed, Joab conspired with Adonijah to install Adonijah as the next king, instead of Solomon (1 Kings 1). This action, plus Joab’s other rash decisions, vengeful murders, and inability to take certain important orders, finally drove David over the edge. David commanded Solomon to ensure Joab’s execution, an act that was carried out by Benaniah as Joab was clinging to the horns of the altar in hopes of finding clemency (1 Kings 2:5–6, 28–34). GotQuestions.org 2 Samuel 11:2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. BGT 2 Samuel 11:2 καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ καὶ περιεπάτει ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶδεν γυναῖκα λουομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ δώματος καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα LXE 2 Samuel 11:2 And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. KJV 2 Samuel 11:2 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. NET 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. CSB 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing-- a very beautiful woman. ESV 2 Samuel 11:2 It 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. NIV 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, NLT 2 Samuel 11:2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. NRS 2 Samuel 11:2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. NJB 2 Samuel 11:2 It happened towards evening when David had got up from resting and was strolling on the palace roof, that from the roof he saw a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. NAB 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David rose from his siesta and strolled about on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. YLT 2 Samuel 11:2 and it cometh to pass, at evening-time, that David riseth from off his couch, and walketh up and down on the roof of the king's house, and seeth from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman is of very good appearance, GWN 2 Samuel 11:2 Now, when evening came, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the royal palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and she was very pretty. BBE 2 Samuel 11:2 Now one evening, David got up from his bed, and while he was walking on the roof of the king's house, he saw from there a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. arose from: 2Sa 4:5,7 Pr 19:15 24:33,34 Mt 26:40,41 1Th 5:6,7 1Pe 4:7 the roof of: De 22:8 Jer 19:13 Mt 10:27 Ac 10:9 he saw: Ge 3:6 6:2 34:2 Job 31:1 Ps 119:37 Mt 5:28 1Jn 2:16 very beautiful: Ge 39:6 Pr 6:25 31:30 Related Passages: Matthew 26:41+ “Keep watching (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) and praying (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 1 Peter 5:8-9+ Be of sober spirit (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey), be on the alert (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey). Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. Proverbs 4:23+ “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for (term of explanation) from it flow the springs of life.” Matthew 5:27-28+ “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks (present tense - continually) at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (LIKE DAVID IN VERSE 2!). 1 John 2:16+ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. Psalms 119:37+ (A GREAT PRAYER TO PRAY) Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways. 1 Timothy 2:9+ Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, JUST ONE LOOK IS ALL IT TOOK! Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house - David was in bed when he should have been in battle!
2 Samuel 11
Meyer - One brief spell of passionate indulgence, and then! - his character blasted irretrievably; his peace vanished; the foundations of his kingdom imperiled; the Lord displeased; and great occasion given to his enemies to blaspheme! Let us beware of our light, unguarded hours. Moments of leisure are more to be dreaded than those of strenuous toil. Middle life for David was above fifty years of age has no immunity from temptations and perils which beset the young. One false step taken in the declension of spiritual vigor may ruin a reputation built up by years of religious exercise. (DAVID: SHEPHERD, PSALMIST, KING - THE SIN OF HIS LIFE -2 Samuel 6-19) Lay (sleep/slept, lay, lie down, lying rest) (07901) sakab means to take a horizontal position as for example when lying down to sleep or for rest (Ge. 19:4; Lev. 14:47; Dt. 6:7; Josh. 2:1; Ps. 3:5; Pr 3:24); when ill, to recover (Lev. 15:4; 2 Ki. 9:16). It is used of Israel's spiritual harlotries, lying with her lovers (Ezek. 23:8). To lie with one's fathers means to die and be buried (Gen. 47:30). It is used figuratively of lying, being covered by shame (Jer. 3:25). Sakab is used to refer to a sexual relationship. For example when Lot's daughters faced with the potential of childlessness, the older reasoned with the younger saying "Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” (Ge 19:32). Sakab denotes an illegal sexual act (Lev. 20:11,12,13,18,20, Deut. 27:20,21,22,23), rape in Ge 24:2 and Dt. 22:25 or seduction (Ge 19:23,33, 35:22). Sin does not happen in a moment - David's fall was not a sudden, instant event as alluded to in Emily Dickinson's poem Crumbling is not an instant's Act A fundamental pause Dilapidation's processes Are organized Decays — 'Tis first a Cobweb on the Soul A Cuticle of Dust A Borer in the Axis An Elemental Rust — Ruin is formal — Devil's work Consecutive and slow — Fail in an instant, no man did Slipping — is Crashe's law — QUESTION - Did David rape Bathsheba? ANSWER - Few words carry more emotional charge than rape. The act most frequently associated with that term is among the most heinous crimes humans can commit. The serious nature of the subject means any use of words like rape should be considered carefully. Modern culture is increasingly using phrases such as power rape when pressure or persuasion, but not outright violence or threats, are involved. As part of those discussions, some ask if 2 Samuel chapter 11 implies that David raped Bathsheba. Oversimplifying a response would be dangerous. A simplistic “yes” or “no” is unfair to Scripture, facts, reason, and rape victims alike. A careful look at the biblical account clearly condemns David’s behavior, but more aggressive interpretations are not supported. The most common error in Bible interpretation is eisegesis: “reading in” facts or ideas. This is the opposite of exegesis: reading what the actual text says. One form of eisegesis is assuming nefarious deeds when the text does not include them. It’s true the Bible doesn’t always provide minute details, but we need to be careful not to assume something is true unless Scripture gives us overwhelming reasons. In the case of David and Bathsheba, limited details result in limited conclusions. The matter of David and Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Samuel 11:1–5. David was walking on his palace roof while his generals were off fighting in a war. From that vantage point, he saw an especially beautiful woman bathing. He sent for her and had sex with her, and she became pregnant with his child. David then attempted a cover-up that brought consequences lasting the rest of his life. Bathsheba later became one of David’s wives and eventually the mother of the next king, Solomon. Many different interpretations can be “read into” this account. Some are more plausible than others. Some are inconsistent with the context of the story and the persons involved. Before using terms like rape to describe what happened, we must have an accurate understanding of biblical facts regarding both David and Bathsheba. Various interpretations offered include the following: Claim: David raped Bathsheba. Using the common understanding of rape to mean one person violently forcing himself on another, this interpretation is not supported by the Bible. There is no indication from the text that rape led to Bathsheba’s pregnancy. Other Old Testament passages depicting violent rape (Genesis 34:1–2; 2 Samuel 13:14) use different terminology than this account. Nothing in Scripture supports the idea that David overpowered Bathsheba and forcibly defiled her. Claim: Bathsheba seduced David. Some suggest Bathsheba’s choice to bathe naked in a place that David could see was deliberate: that she was intentionally seducing King David. This is extremely implausible, according to the context of these Scriptures. His nighttime walk on the roof seems to have been spur-of-the-moment, making it extremely unlikely Bathsheba would know of his presence. Bathsheba was bathing late at night, most likely in an enclosed courtyard or garden of her home, and only someone from a higher vantage would be able to see her at all—she was not flaunting herself in public. Further, the text of 2 Samuel seems to go out of its way to ascribe all actions to David. Bathsheba bathes, obeys the king’s summons, and later tells him she is pregnant. All other actions are overtly credited to David. That may be because David is seen as the spiritually responsible party, much as Adam is considered the responsible party at the Fall (Genesis 3:17–149; Romans 5:12). What’s more likely is the Bible is being crystal clear that David, no one else, initiated this encounter. Claim: The sex was consensual. Another suggestion is that sex between David and Bathsheba was entirely mutual. This implies their initial encounter was simply (and sinfully) casual sex between consenting adults. It is possible Bathsheba gladly slept with David. The text does not say Bathsheba ever expressed interest in David. In the end, it’s impossible to say with certainty how interested Bathsheba was in sleeping with David. Their later marriage seems to have been close (2 Samuel 12:24) and loyal (1 Kings 1:28–31). Claim: David “power raped” Bathsheba. This theory suggests Bathsheba did not say “no” to David, but neither did she say “yes.” In other words, she was not truly willing to sleep with him, but he was the king. Those favoring this view point out that King David sends lackeys to collect Bathsheba and bring her to his home, where they have sex the same night. Without question, there is a tremendous imbalance of power between David and Bathsheba. As with the prior scenario, it is possible that Bathsheba felt pressure, even fear, and submitted to sex rather than actively sought it. Further, the unique phrasing of the text seems to deliberately emphasize David’s actions and downplay those of Bathsheba. When Nathan eventually confronts David about his sin, the allegory he uses depicts the guilty party—David—as making a predatory choice to take something that did not belong to him (2 Samuel 12:1–7). The consequences suffered as a result of this event seem to fall entirely on David, as well (2 Samuel 12:10–14). Conclusion: Read from the Bible, not into it. There is no question but that the Bible strongly condemns David concerning this incident. There is no sense in which Scripture defends his actions. Nor is there any indication in Scripture that Bathsheba initiated the sin or was considered overtly complicit in it. At the same time, there is nothing in the Bible indicating that David applied force, threats, or violence against Bathsheba. Rape is an awful subject, and modern discussions of rape often force an awkward distinction. Today’s culture has a confusing habit of applying established words to new ideas in order to leverage emotional impact. For example, words like genius and forever have been applied in so many contexts that the literal meaning of those words is all but forgotten. This is not always done with evil intent; the objective is usually to seize attention or to comment on the morality or immorality of the new idea. However, burdening words with new definitions can blur formerly distinct concepts. A consequence of this is dilution in the language. When lesser acts are consistently labeled with an extreme term, the original word starts to lose potency. For example, rape has a traditional meaning, but some people today claim that “rape” could be any sex for which one feels regret after the fact. Such an application of the word rape lessens the impact of the word. As the meaning continues to be diluted, victims of rape, as originally defined, may find less initial sympathy for their claims. All this is to say we must be extremely careful about saying things such as “David raped Bathsheba.” Based on the historic use of the word rape, implying violent, forcible, or threat-coerced sex, the claim that “David raped Bathsheba” is entirely false. Nothing in Scripture hints at such a thing. Use of the word rape without extensive context is certain to cause misunderstanding. Worse, it can contribute to dilution of the seriousness of the term rape as used in other contexts. Saying “David took advantage of Bathsheba” is much more accurate. The royal power David wielded and the rapid nature of the encounter argue strongly for that view. It is likely Bathsheba was submitting to the experience much more than seeking it. Given her era’s state of women’s rights and David’s role as king, there is no question David was in position to apply extraordinary pressure on her. The least-flattering interpretation one can reasonably apply to Bathsheba is that she relished the attention of a powerful man. But that only vaguely answers why the narrative seems to blame David—and only David—for what happened. The far more plausible interpretation is that she obeyed the summons of a king and yielded to his desires in a state of vulnerability. For those reasons, any use of the term rape in connection to this incident should be avoided. Words can change their meaning over time, and the concept of rape seems to be experiencing such an evolution. For now, however, the word most often evokes a particular act, one that Scripture does not support having occurred. GotQuestions.org 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." BGT 2 Samuel 11:5 καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνή καὶ ἀποστείλασα ἀπήγγειλεν τῷ Δαυιδ καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχω LXE 2 Samuel 11:5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child. KJV 2 Samuel 11:5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. NET 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, "I'm pregnant." CSB 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: "I am pregnant." ESV 2 Samuel 11:5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." NIV 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." NLT 2 Samuel 11:5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant." NRS 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." NJB 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, 'I am pregnant.' NAB 2 Samuel 11:5 But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David, "I am with child." YLT 2 Samuel 11:5 and the woman conceiveth, and sendeth, and declareth to David, and saith, 'I am conceiving.' GWN 2 Samuel 11:5 The woman had become pregnant. So she sent someone to tell David that she was pregnant. BBE 2 Samuel 11:5 And the woman became with child; and she sent word to David that she was with child. I am pregnant.: De 22:22 Pr 6:34 Related Passage: Deuteronomy 22:22+ “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. BATHSHEBA'S TESTIMONY "I AM PREGNANT" The woman conceived - Why did she conceive? Ultimately who gives children? Clearly God gives children and thus He allowed this to happen to set in play a chain of events which would be catastrophic for David and his family. This passage is somewhat ironic for James writes that when "desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin" (Jas 1:15), so not only did Bathsheba conceive, but David also "conceived" (sin)! Bathsheba conceiving reminds me of a similar story in one of David's ancestors, Judah (like David also in the line of Messiah) who had sex with a prostitute who turned out to be Tamar (in the line of Messiah) who also became pregnant, God allowing Judah's sin to be found out as in Nu 32:23+ (read Ge 38:18-23, then someone came like Nathan in Ge 38:24-26). Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray! Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay! Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay! This three lined ditty would prove abundantly true in the life of David. When he first gazed and gawked at Bathsheba he had not idea tht he would sand she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." - Why was she pregnant? (alluded to above) - 1 Sa 2:6 says "The LORD kills and makes alive." Ps 127:3 says "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward." God allowed her to become pregnant to expose David's sin. Numbers 32:23+ (the veritable "subtitle" of chapter 11!) says "behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out." Bathsheba's pregnancy would cause David's sin to be clearly seen by all! And it would send David tumbling into greater and greater sin. Sin virtually always has "babies" (bad pun intended)! Swindoll writes "No doubt, David and Bathsheba's night of passion was exciting -- stolen waters are sweet! However, the consequences of sin are bitter, and the taste will linger on their lips for a lifetime....Now, let’s be absolutely realistic here. We would be foolish to think that there was no pleasure in this encounter between David and Bathsheba. This act carried with it an enormous amount of sensual excitement. Stolen waters are sweet. I think both of them probably took great pleasure in this private moment. He was romantic and handsome . . . she was lonely, beautiful, and flattered . . . both thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing indicates otherwise. Nor did David force himself upon this woman. It appears to be a one-time-only adulterous affair, a mutual situation that brought mutual satisfaction. Perhaps before midnight she slipped back to her own home, hoping no one noticed. But as the writer of Hebrews says, this represented “the passing pleasure of sin.” In fact, the pleasure is gone within a matter of weeks, for Bathsheba “sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’” (Ibid) F B Meyer - A message came one day to David from his companion in sin that the results could not be hidden. It made his blood run with hot fever. The law of Moses punished adultery with the death of each of the guilty pair. Instant steps must be taken to veil the sin!
2 Samuel 11
Meyer - There was no alternative but that he should die; for dead men tell no tales. If a child was to be born, Uriah’s lips, at least, should not be able to disown it. He bore to Joab, all unwitting, the letter which was his own death-warrant. Joab must have laughed to himself when he got it. “This master of mine can sing psalms with the best; but when he wants a piece of dirty work done, he must come to me. He wants to rid himself of Uriah I wonder why? Well, I’ll help him to it. At any rate, he will not be able to say another word to me about Abner. I shall be able to do almost as I will. He will be in my power henceforth.” (DAVID: SHEPHERD, PSALMIST, KING - THE SIN OF HIS LIFE -2 Samuel 6-19) Walton - As a story element, having a victim deliver his own death warrant is found in folklore from many cultures (see the Iliad, where the story is reported of Bellerophon, who, falsely accused, carried his own death warrant to the king of Lycia), but this is the only occurrence in the Bible. TSK Note - It was resolved in David's breast that Uriah must die--that innocent, valiant, and gallant man, who was ready to sacrifice his life for the honour of his prince; and, worse than all, by being himself made the bearer of letters to Joab which prescribed the mode by which he was to be murdered. This was the greatest treachery and villany on the part of David; while Joab appears to enter as fully upon the execution of the murder, being perhaps pleased to have this opportunity of further enthralling his king, and thus increasing his own power. R C
2 Samuel 11
Meyer - She lamented for her dead husband, as was the wont of a Hebrew matron, congratulating herself meanwhile on the fortunate coincidence (ED: MEYER IS ADDING TO THE SCRIPTURE WITH THAT STATEMENT); and within seven days was taken into David’s house. A great relief this! The child would be born under the cover of lawful wedlock! There was one fatal flaw, however, in the whole arrangement, “The thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” (DAVID: SHEPHERD, PSALMIST, KING - THE SIN OF HIS LIFE -2 Samuel 6-19) David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife - She would have been David's seventh wife. David clearly has to move quickly to minimize the suspicion that Bathsheba was already pregnant. The text does not describe any remorse on the part of David, much less repentance. His conscience is dulled and is heart has lost the sensitivity to the LORD that marked his earlier days. The first sin of adultery made the next sins easier and easier! Then - This is another significant "THEN!" It marks progression in the narrative and in context calls for a quick wedding and something less than 9 months to the birth of the baby. In fact for Bathsheba to have discovered she was pregnant likely would have taken a month when she failed to normally menstruate. There were no urine dipsticks to test for early pregnancy at this time! Add several more days for David's 3 coverup attempts to finally succeed and you would have Bathsheba giving birth at less than 8 months. One as to wonder that the servants were thinking and saying? David knew that some of them knew she had come to visit David. So clearly his coverup was by no means perfect! Others would have been suspicious of their quick wedding and their early pregnancy, which would be confirmed by the baby being born before 9 months! Of course, since David is king of the nation and the economy is booming "Mum" was the word of the day! TSK note is interesting if not a bit conjectural regarding Bathsheba's conduct - The whole of her conduct indicates that she observed the form, without feeling the power of sorrow. She lost a captain, and got a king for her husband: and therefore, {Lacrymas non sponte cadentes effudit; gemitusque expressit pectore laeto;} "She shed reluctant tears; and forced out groans from a joyful breast!" she bore him a son - David had several sons by other wives, and one wonders what the other wives were thinking. There must have been a whole lot of gossiping going on in the palace! But - Why the term of contrast? Normally birth of a son would be a time of rejoicing at the gift of the LORD. Not this time! While David was probably feeling a sigh of relief that his sin debacle was now behind him and out of sight of the people of Israel, he forgot that there was One other set of "eyes" watching his sin and cover-up! This contrast marked a change of direction that would adversely impact his life all the rest of his days as Israel's king. The thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD - God's holy eyes saw everything, for men look at the outside but God looks at the heart and he saw evil in David's heart that had resulted in adultery and murder! David must have learned this truth later writing "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You." (Psalm 5:4+) Ps 11:5 Warren
2 Samuel 11
Meyer - David and the world were to hear more of it. But oh, the bitter sorrow, that he who had spoken of walking in his house with a perfect heart, with all his faculty for Divine fellowship, with all the splendid record of his life behind him, should have fallen thus! The psalmist, the king, the man, the lover of God, all trampled in the mire by one dark, wild, passionate outburst. Ah me! My God, grant that I may finish my course without such a rent, such a blot! Oh to wear the white flower of a blameless life to the end!(DAVID: SHEPHERD, PSALMIST, KING - THE SIN OF HIS LIFE -2 Samuel 6-19) Jorden points out, “David and Bathsheba sinned most seriously, and yet there can be no doubt that God blessed their marriage. To them he gave the son who would be king. To them he gave a lasting love, something that David apparently had not found with his other wives. And this offers hope today for people who have compounded error upon error, sin upon sin in their mixed-up lives. God can take us where we are and lead us. If our intention from now on is to serve God, he will honor that intention.” Gene Getz raises the question, “What about you? God also deals with us on the basis of our present heart-attitudes. The fact that we have warm, sensitive hearts toward God now is no guarantee that we will be that kind of parson ten, twenty, or thirty years from now. And the fact that God is using us now to achieve his purposes because of our spiritual lifestyle and commitment to him is no guarantee he will use us in the future. If we, like David, eventually ignore God’s will, we too will have to pay the natural consequences.” (Borrow David: God's Man in Faith and Failure) Chuck Swindoll summarizes this sad chapter of David's life - Now I want to ask you something. It sounds simple, but it’s not. Why in the world did David murder Uriah? What did he gain by it? Think about that. If Uriah had lived and come home from battle and found his wife pregnant, who would have ever connected it to David? It’s doubtful she would have ever said a word. Then, after Uriah is killed, David immediately takes her to the palace and marries her—and it’s been my observation that most adults can count to nine. So who in the world was David hiding from? When you act in panic, you don’t think logically. In fact, you usually don’t think. You react. You overlook and cover up and smear over and cloud over and deny and scheme until you find yourself in the midst of such a maze of lies that you can never escape or get the mess untangled. Until finally, you face someone honest enough to say, “You are the man!” (More about that in the next chapter.) Meanwhile, at the end of this awful episode we read eleven simple words: “David did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Period. In that brief statement we see the raw, open sewage of David’s life. As the Puritans said, “All the moisture of heaven had lapsed into drought. Everything was dry and barren in his soul.” The sweet singer of Israel was now living a lie, faking his existence in a minor key. This passionate, handsome king, this exemplary leader now lives in the shadows of his own palace. He no longer goes out to battle. He shrivels into something he was never designed to be, because he deliberately compromised with wrong, then deceitfully covered it over with murder. This story strikes some a lot harder than others. Some people live in the relentless rage of lust. They curse it, but it’s there. They don’t want it, but it constantly winks at them, like a beast filled with venom. It bites into them and paralyzes their spiritual walk, just as it did with David. I think God tells us these details of David’s fall so everyone can see clearly where it all leads and what its consequences are. Are you keeping count of David’s sins? Lust, adultery, hypocrisy, murder. How could a man—a man after God’s own heart—fall to such a level? If you are honest about your own heart, it’s not hard to understand. If you are playing with sins of the flesh, you’re living on borrowed time as a child of God. There is nothing as stinging, there’s nothing as damning to the life, than hidden sins of the flesh. There is nothing that gives the enemy greater ammunition to send those blasphemous statements toward the church of God than that kind of secret compromise. You can also be part and parcel of it indirectly by not taking a stand against it. And so—the sad, dark chapter of David’s fall comes to an end. Or does it? No, not really. The man is now trapped in a swirl of misery, which he describes in detail in Psalm 32:3–4 as well as Psalm 51:3–4. Sleepless nights. Physical illness. A fever. Haunted memories. Loss of weight. Total misery. The worst: feeling so terribly alone. So many miles from God. So full of groaning and agonizing. Read the verses from those two psalms for yourself. Let them take shape in your mind. Don’t hurry. We need to see afresh the wages of sin. No, the chapter doesn’t end. Not until many months have dragged on. Not until a knock came on the palace door . . . and a friend who cared enough to confront looked the king in the eye and called a spade a spade. That’s next. It was a visit David would never forget. (Borrow David - Man of A Passion, Man of Destiny). Philip Comfort on Bathsheba - Of David’s 19 sons by his seven wives (1 Chr 3:1–9), the sons born to Bathsheba were Shimea (also spelled Shammua, 2 Sm 5:14; 1 Chr 14:4), Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Nathan (Lk 3:31) and Solomon (Mt 1:6) appear in NT genealogies of Jesus Christ. Bathsheba also appears in Matthew’s genealogy under the description “she who had been the wife of Uriah.” At the very end of David’s life, the prophet Nathan told Bathsheba that David’s son Adonijah (by his wife Haggith) was conspiring to usurp the throne. Bathsheba and Nathan persuaded David to make Solomon king as he had promised (1 Kgs 1). (Borrow The complete book of who's who in the Bible) G Campbell