2 Samuel 11:6-16

6 Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 When Uriah came to him, ¹David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war.

8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and ²wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him.

9 But Uriah slept ³at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

10 Now when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"

11 Uriah said to David, "⁴The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and ⁵the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing."

12 Then David said to Uriah, "⁶Stay 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 ⁷made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed ⁸with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house.

14 Now in the morning David ⁹wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 ¹⁰He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, ¹¹so 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.

2 Samuel 11:6-16 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. Genesis 37:14; 1 Samuel 17:22
• 2. Genesis 43:24; Luke 7:44
• 3. 1 Kings 14:27, 28
• 4. 2 Samuel 7:2, 6
• 5. 2 Samuel 20:6
• 6. Job 20:12-14
• 7. Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:29-35
• 8. 2 Samuel 11:9
• 9. 1 Kings 21:8-10
• 10. Ecclesiastes 8:11; Jeremiah 17:9
• 11. 2 Samuel 12:9

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "welfare of"
• [b] Lit "went out"
• [c] Or "booths"
• [d] Lit "morrow"
• [e] Lit "Give"
• [f] Lit "strong"