2 Samuël 11:4

4 Toen zond David boden henen, en liet haar halen. En als zij tot hem ingekomen was, lag hij bij haar, (zij nu had zich van haar onreinigheid gezuiverd), daarna keerde zij weder naar haar huis.

2 Samuël 11:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:4

And David sent messengers
To invite her to his palace:

and took her;
not by force, but through persuasion:

and she came in unto him;
into the apartment where he was:

and he lay with her;
she consenting to it, being prevailed upon, and drawn into it through the greatness and goodness of the man, which might make the sin appear the lesser to her. This is recorded to show what the best of men are, when left to themselves; how strong and prevalent corrupt nature is in regenerate persons, when grace is not in exercise; what need the saints stand in of fresh supplies of grace, to keep them from falling; what caution is necessary to everyone that stands, lest he fall; and that it becomes us to abstain from all appearance of sin, and whatever leads unto it, and to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation; and such a record as this is an argument for the integrity of the Scriptures, that they conceal not the faults of the greatest favourites mentioned in them, as well as it serves to prevent despair in truly penitent backsliders:

for she was purified from her uncleanness;
this clause is added in a parenthesis, partly to show the reason of her washing herself, which was not for health and pleasure, and to cool herself in a hot day, but to purify herself from her menstruous pollution, according to the law in ( Leviticus 15:19 ) ; the term of her separation being expired; and partly to give a reason why she the more easily consented, and he was the more eager to enjoy her; and in this he sinned, not that he did not lie with an unclean person; but, then, as some observe, he did that which was much worse, he committed adultery; also this may be added to observe, that she was the more apt for conception, as Ben Gersom notes, and to account for the quickness of it, with which the philosopher ^F9 agrees:

and she returned unto her house;
whether that evening, or next morning, or how long she stayed, is not said.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 7. c. 2.

2 Samuël 11:4 In-Context

2 Zo geschiedde het tegen den avondtijd, dat David van zijn leger opstond, en wandelde op het dak van het koningshuis, en zag van het dak een vrouw, zich wassende; deze vrouw nu was zeer schoon van aanzien.

3 En David zond henen, en ondervraagde naar deze vrouw; en men zeide: Is dat niet Bathseba, de dochter van Eliam, de huisvrouw van Uria, den Hethiet?

4 Toen zond David boden henen, en liet haar halen. En als zij tot hem ingekomen was, lag hij bij haar, (zij nu had zich van haar onreinigheid gezuiverd), daarna keerde zij weder naar haar huis.

5 En die vrouw werd zwanger; zo zond zij henen, en liet David weten, en zeide: Ik ben zwanger geworden.

6 Toen zond David tot Joab, zeggende: Zend Uria, den Hethiet, tot mij. En Joab zond Uria tot David.