2 Samuel 11:12-22

12 Then David said to Uriah, "¹Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13 Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he ²made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed ³with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house.

14 Now in the morning David ⁴wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 ⁵He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, ⁶so that he may be struck down and die."

16 So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where * he knew there were valiant men.

17 The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and ⁷Uriah the Hittite also died.

18 Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war.

19 He charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king,

20 and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

21 'Who ⁸struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?'-then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' "

22 So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell.

2 Samuel 11:12-22 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 11

This chapter begins with the destruction of the Ammonites, and the siege of Rabbah their chief city, 2Sa 11:1; and enlarges on the sins of David in committing adultery with Bathsheba, 2Sa 11:2-5; in contriving to conceal his sin by sending for her husband home from the army, 2Sa 11:6-13; in laying a scheme for the death of him by the hand of the Ammonites, 2Sa 11:14-25; and in marrying Bathsheba when he was dead, 2Sa 11:26,27.

Cross References

• 1. Job 20:12-14
• 2. Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:29-35
• 3. 2 Samuel 11:9
• 4. 1 Kings 21:8-10
• 5. Ecclesiastes 8:11; Jeremiah 17:9
• 6. 2 Samuel 12:9
• 7. 2 Samuel 11:21
• 8. Judges 9:50-54

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "morrow"
• [b] Lit "Give"
• [c] Lit "strong"