2 Samuel 11
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
2 Samuel 11
NJB (MT versing) Bathsheba, David's Great Sin David, Bathsheba, and Uriah The Second Campaign Against Ammon; David Wrongs Uriah David and Bathsheba The Second Campaign, David's Sin 11:1 11:1 11:1 11:1 11:1 11:2-5 11:2-5 11:2-5 11:2-5 11:2-5 11:6-13 11:6-13 11:6-13 11:6-10 11:6-9 11:10-13 11:11 11:12-13 11:14-21 11:14-17 11:14-21 11:14-17 11:14-17 11:18-21 11:18-21 11:18-21 11:22-25 11:22-25 11:22-25 11:22-24 11:22-24 11:25 11:25-27 11:26-27 11:26-27 11:26-27a 11:26-27 Etc.
2 Samuel 11:1
11:1 "in the spring" This is literally "at the return of the year." This was the traditional time for military activities (i.e., the rainy season just over, cf. 1 Kgs. 20;22,26; 1 Chr. 20:1). The Jewish Study Bible, p. 636, offers the suggestion that the phrase means "a year after the war of chapter 10 took place." ▣ "when kings go out" Surprisingly the NOUN "kings" (BDB 572 I) is not in the MT but the spelling of a similar term, "messengers." king ‒ מלך messenger ‒ מלאך Although the MT has "messengers," the Masoretic scholars suggested it be read as "kings" (Qere). The LXX has "Kings." ▣ "But David stayed at Jerusalem" This was very unusual. The king was expected to accompany his troops.
2 Samuel 11:2-5
11:2 "when evening came David arose from his bed" How unusual that David was still in bed at twilight (i.e., probably about 3 p.m.). Possibly he took a daily nap. ▣ "walked around on the roof" The roof was a place to sleep in the warm seasons a place to socialize with neighbors However, the king's palace was higher than the surrounding houses. As he walked on his roof he could look down into the backyard and rooms of the houses next to the palace. ▣ "he saw a woman bathing" This was not unusual. a bath at the end of the day a bath in one's back yard/courtyard a room of the house a bath of purification after a woman's period (cf. Lev. 15:19; i.e., to show she was not already pregnant) Just a word about ceremonial uncleanness. Any bodily fluid made one ceremonially unclean (cf. v. 4). This has nothing to do with morality but the Israelites' sense of "the holy/sacred." Sex is not an "unclean" act. Sex was God's design and will for mankind (cf. Gen. 1:28; 9:1,7). SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN SEXUALITY 11:3 "Bathsheba" Her name could mean "daughter of abundance" (BDB 987, possibly Canaanite origin) "daughter of an oath" (BDB 989) "seventh daughter" (BDB 987 I) Bathsheba was from a prominent Israeli family. grandfather Ahithophel was one of David's trusted advisers, 2 Sam. 15:12; 16:23 father was one of David's "mighty men," 2 Sam. 23:34 David sinned against both Uriah and Bathsheba's families! ▣ "wife of Uriah the Hittite" This person was a non-Israelite who was part of David's military (cf. 2 Sam. 23:39). From this account he was an honorable man. David had many wives (as Nathan would later assert, 2 Sam. 12:1-4) but this was Uriah's only wife. This was a spur of the moment lust experience (cf. v 2c). This was abuse of power at the highest level (both political and spiritual). One MS from the DSS characterizes Uriah as "the armor bearer of Joab," a very important position. SPECIAL TOPIC: PRE-ISRAELITE INHABITANTS OF PALESTINE, C. 4. 11:4 "took her" Bathsheba had no choice or options. The king had ultimate power but in Israel it was from YHWH for righteous decisions. This was not one! This sexual abuse/sin will manifest itself in David's family for many generations (i.e., Psalm 32; 51). Tamar, rape (cf. 2 Samuel 13) Absalom and David's concubines (cf. 2 Sam. 15:16; 16:21-22) Solomon's sin with young idolatrous women in his old age (cf. 1 Kgs. 11:1-8) The NIDOTTE, vol. 4, p. 102, mentions that the VERB (BDB 1011, KB 1486, Qal IMPERFECT with waw) denotes an illegal sexual act. Lev. 20:11,12,13,18,20 Deut. 27:20,21,22,23 It denotes "rape" in Gen. 24:2 and Deut. 22:25 or seduction in Gen. 19:23,33 and 35:22. 11:5 Even in David's sin (i.e., which deserved death, cf. Deut. 22:22), YHWH had a redemptive plan. A child from Bathsheba will be the heir! Not the oldest son, not the rebellious son, but a child of adultery!
2 Samuel 11:14-21
11:15 This premeditated murder of Uriah also involved the death of other innocent Israeli soldiers (cf. 2 Sam. 11:17-20). Oh my, the sin of the king involved the compromise of the army leaders and elite soldiers the death of innocent men, in v. 16 they are called "valiant men" compromise of the morality of the messengers 2 Sam. 11:4 2 Sam. 11:19-25 11:21 The death of Ahimelech by a woman throwing stones from the wall of a city is recorded in Jdgs. 9:50-54. ▣ "Jerubbesheth" The LXX and Vulgate have "Jerubbaal" (cf. Jdgs. 7:1, where it refers to Gideon), while the Peshitta has "Nedo-baal." This is another example of a Hebrew name which included the term "baal" (lord, owner, master), later changed to "bosheth" (shame) because of the word's later associations with the Canaanite male fertility god. However, earlier in Israel's history the word was used of YHWH.
2 Samuel 11:22-25
11:24 "the archers shot" The MT has no NOUN but two VERBAL forms from the same root. "shot" ‒ BDB 432, KB 432, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw (Qere, BDB 434, KB 436) "the archers" ‒ BDB 432, KB 432 Hiphil PARTICIPLE (Qere, BDB 434, KB 436, Hiphil PARTICIPLE) 11:25 "Do not let this thing displease you" This is a NEGATED IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense. David knew what he did was wrong and tried to rationalize it! I think this message relates to the valiant soldiers who also died and not to the premeditated death of Uriah.
2 Samuel 11:26-27
11:26 "she mourned for her husband" In 1 Sam 25:39-42 the normal period was one week (i.e., for a father, also one week, cf. Gen. 50:10). 11:27 "the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord" The righteous king was not so righteous. David's abuse of power and lust cast a shadow on the character of YHWH who chose him as king (cf. 2 Sam. 12:10). Uriah was a faithful follower of both YHWH and David. It was a sin against hesed. SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed)