| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
2 Samuel
Chapter Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 11
This
chapter begins with the destruction of the Ammonites
and the siege of Rabbah
their chief city
2 Samuel 11:1; and
enlarges on the sins of David in committing adultery with Bathsheba
2 Samuel 11:2; in
contriving to conceal his sin by sending for her husband home from the army
2 Samuel 11:6; in
laying a scheme for the death of him by the hand of the Ammonites
2 Samuel 11:14; and
in marrying Bathsheba when he was dead
2 Samuel 11:26.
2 Samuel 11:1 It happened in
the spring of the year
at the time when kings go out to battle
that
David sent Joab and his servants with him
and all Israel; and they destroyed
the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
YLT
1And it cometh to pass
at
the revolution of the year -- at the time of the going out of the messengers --
that David sendeth Joab
and his servants with him
and all Israel
and they
destroy the Bene-Ammon
and lay siege against Rabbah. And David is dwelling in
Jerusalem
And it came to pass
that after the year was expired
.... Or at the
end of the year
as the Targum
which concluded with the month Adar or
February
the spring of the year:
at the time when kings go forth to battle; in the month
Nisan
as the Targum on 1 Chronicles 20:1;
adds
the same with Abib
which was the first month of the year
Exodus 12:2
a fit
time to go out to war; when
as the Jewish commentators observe
the rains were
over
and there were grass in the fields
and fruit on the trees
and corn
ripe
and so food for horse and men. This month was called Nisan
as some thinkF4Vid.
Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 50. col. 557.
from נסים
the military banners then erected; so by the Romans it is called Martius
and
by us March
from Mars
the god of war; though someF5Weemse of the
Judicial Law
c. 28. p. 106. take this to be the month Tisri
answering to part
of September
and part of October
when all the fruits of the earth were
gathered in
and supposed to be a fit time for war
when the heat of the year
was declining:
that David sent Joab
and his servants with him
and all Israel; his whole
army under Joab as general; in 1 Chronicles 20:1;
it is "the power of the army"; the whole body of it: and they
destroyed the children of Ammon; burnt their cities
and slew the inhabitants
of them
and laid their land waste wherever they came:
and besieged Rabbah; their chief city
called
Rabathamana by PolybiusF6Hist. l. 5. p. 414.
that is
Rabbah of
Ammon
and afterwards. Philadelphia
from Philadelphus
king of Egypt
as it
was in the times of JeromF7De loc. Heb. fol. 94. C. :
but David tarried still at Jerusalem; which is
observed for the sake of the following history; it would have been well for him
if he had gone forth with the army himself
then the sin he fell into would
have been prevented.
2 Samuel 11:2 2 Then it happened one
evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s
house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing
and the woman was very
beautiful to behold.
YLT
2and 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
And it came to pass in an eveningtide
.... Some time
in the afternoon
when the sun began to decline; not in the dusk of the
evening
for then the object he saw could not have been seen so distinctly by
him:
that David arose from off his bed; having taken a nap in
the heat of the day after dinner; indulging himself more than he used to do to
sloth and luxury
which prepared him
and led him on the more eagerly to the
lust of uncleanness:
and walked upon the roof of the king's house; to refresh
himself after his sleep
it being the cool of the day
and the roof of the
house being flat and fit to walk upon
as the houses of Judea were; see Deuteronomy 22:8
and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; in a bath in
her garden
or in an apartment in her house
the window being open:
and the woman was very beautiful to look upon; of a fine
shape and good complexion
and comely countenance; all which were incentives to
lust
at which his eye was attracted to
and his heart was ensnared with her.
2 Samuel 11:3 3 So David sent and inquired
about the woman. And someone said
“Is this not Bathsheba
the
daughter of Eliam
the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
YLT
3and David sendeth and
inquireth about the woman
and saith
`Is not this Bath-Sheba
daughter of
Eliam
wife of Uriah the Hittite?'
And David sent and inquired after the woman
.... Who she
was
what her name
and whether married or unmarried; if the latter
very
probably his intention was to marry her
and he might
when he first made the
inquiry
design to proceed no further
or to anything that was dishonourable;
but it would have been better for him not to have inquired at all
and
endeavoured to stifle the motions raised in him at the sight of her:
and one said
is not this Bathsheba
the daughter of
Eliam; who in 1 Chronicles 3:5;
is called Bathshua
and her father Ammiel
which is the same with Eliam
reversed:
the wife of Uriah the Hittite? who either was of that
nation originally
and became a proselyte; or had sojourned there for a while
and took the name or had it given him
for some exploit he had performed
against that people
as Scipio Africanus
and others among the Romans; this was
said by one that David inquired of
or heard him asking about her
and was
sufficient to have stopped him from proceeding any further
when he was
informed she was another man's wife: some sayF8Shalshalet Hakabala
fol. 8. 2. she was the daughter of Ahithophel's son; see 2 Samuel 23:34.
2 Samuel 11:4 4 Then David sent
messengers
and took her; and she came to him
and he lay with her
for she was
cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.
YLT
4And David sendeth
messengers
and taketh her
and she cometh unto him
and he lieth with her --
and she is purifying herself from her uncleanness -- and she turneth back unto
her house;
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 philosopherF9Aristot.
Hist. Animal. l. 7. c. 2. agrees:
and she returned unto her house; whether that evening
or
next morning
or how long she stayed
is not said.
2 Samuel 11:5 5 And the woman conceived;
so she sent and told David
and said
“I am with child.”
YLT
5and the woman conceiveth
and sendeth
and declareth to David
and saith
`I [am] conceiving.'
And the woman conceived
.... Whereby the sin
would be discovered
and shame
and disgrace
or worse
would follow upon it:
and sent and told David
and said
I am with child; this message
she sent to David
that he might think of some ways and means to prevent the
scandal that would fall both upon him and her
and the danger she was exposed
unto; fearing the outcries of the people against her
in acting so unfaithful a
part to her husband
so brave a man
who was now fighting for his king and
country; and the rage and jealousy of her husband when he should come to the
knowledge of it
and the death which by the law she was guilty of
even to be
stoned with stones
see John 8:5.
2 Samuel 11:6 6 Then David sent to Joab
saying
“Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
YLT
6And David sendeth unto
Joab
`Send unto me Uriah the Hittite
' and Joab sendeth Uriah unto David;
And David sent to Joab
.... Who was with the
army besieging Rabbah
which
according to BuntingF11Travels
&c. p. 146.
was sixty four miles from Jerusalem:
saying
send me Uriah
the Hittite; the scheme David had contrived in his mind was to get Uriah home
to his wife for a few days
that it might be thought the child she had
conceived was his
whereby the sin of David
and her own
might be concealed:
and Joab sent Uriah to David; not knowing his
business
and besides it was his duty to obey his command.
2 Samuel 11:7 7 When Uriah had come to
him
David asked how Joab was doing
and how the people were doing
and how the
war prospered.
YLT
7and Uriah cometh unto him
and David asketh of the prosperity of Joab
and of the prosperity of the
people
and of the prosperity of the war.
And when Uriah was come unto him
.... To David
to whom he
came first
before he went to his own house
desirous of knowing what was the
special business of the king with him:
David demanded of him how Joab did
and how the people did
and
how the war prospered; he asked of the welfare of Joab the general
and of the common
soldiers
and of the warriors
as the Targum
the mighty men that went along
with Joab
2 Samuel 10:7.
David seems to have been at a loss what to say to him. These questions were so
mean and trivial
that it might justly give Uriah some suspicion that it could
never he on this account
that he was sent for; since David could not want
intelligence of such things
expresses being daily sending him.
2 Samuel 11:8 8 And David said to Uriah
“Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s
house
and a gift of food from the king followed him.
YLT
8And David saith to Uriah
`Go down to thy house
and wash thy feet;' and Uriah goeth out of the king's
house
and there goeth out after him a gift from the king
And David said to Uriah
go down to thy house
and wash thy feet
.... For his
refreshment
and to prepare for bed
which was what he wanted to get him to:
and Uriah departed out of the king's house; in order as
it might seem to the king to go to his own:
and there followed him a mess of meat from the king: no doubt a
delicious dish
to eat with his wife before he went to bed
to excite him the
more to desire the enjoyment of her this mess consisted
according to
Abarbinel
of bread
wine
and flesh; and who also observes
after Ben Gersom
that the word may be interpreted of a torch to light him home to his house
being night.
2 Samuel 11:9 9 But Uriah slept at the
door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord
and did not go down
to his house.
YLT
9and Uriah lieth down at the
opening of the king's house
with all the servants of his lord
and hath not
gone down unto his house.
But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house
with all the
servants of his lord
.... The bodyguards
which were placed there to watch the palace
in the night season; Uriah first fell into a conversation with these as is
highly probable
to whom he was well known
and who might inquire of one and
another of their friends in the army; and he being weary
laid himself down
among there
and slept:
and went not down to his house; whether the trifling
questions David asked him
or the information the guards might give him of his
wife being sent for to court; made him suspect something
and so had no
inclination to go to this own house; or however so it was ordered by the
providence of God
which directed him to act in this manner
that the sin of
David and Bathsheba they studied to hide might be discovered.
2 Samuel 11:10 10 So when they told David
saying
“Uriah did not go down to his house
” David said to Uriah
“Did you not
come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
YLT
10And they declare to David
saying
`Uriah hath not gone down unto his house;' and David saith unto Uriah
`Hast thou not come from a journey? wherefore hast thou not gone down unto thy
house?'
And when they had told David
.... The next morning
either those that went with the mess of meat
or the guards with whom he slept
all night:
saying
Uriah went not down to his house; as the king
had ordered him; which those persons being acquainted with
informed him of it
as an act of disobedience to him:
David said unto Uriah; having sent for him upon
the above information:
camest thou not from thy journey? and which was
a long one of sixty four miles
as before observed and therefore might well be
weary
and want refreshment and rest
and his own house was the most proper
place for it; for which reason David suggests he had sent him thither
and did
not require nor need his service among his guards:
why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? which was the
fittest place for him in such circumstances.
2 Samuel 11:11 11 And Uriah said to David
“The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents
and my lord Joab and the
servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my
house to eat and drink
and to lie with my wife? As you live
and as
your soul lives
I will not do this thing.”
YLT
11And Uriah saith unto David
`The ark
and Israel
and Judah
are abiding in booths
and my lord Joab
and
the servants of my lord
on the face of the field are encamping; and I -- I go
in unto my house to eat and to drink
and to lie with my wife! -- thy life
and
the life of thy soul -- if I do this thing.'
And Uriah said unto David
.... As an apology for
this conduct:
the ark
and Israel and Judah
abide in tents; meaning not
the people of Israel and Judah in the land of Canaan; for they did not now
dwell in tents
though indeed the ark of the Lord did
2 Samuel 7:2
which
some think is here referred to; but the armies of Israel and Judah besieging
Rabbah
with whom it seems the ark was
which sometimes was carried with them
when they went out to war
1 Samuel 4:4
though Abarbinel thinks this was not the ark in which were the two tables of
stone
and therefore is not called the ark of the covenant
but an ark which
was made to put the ephod
and Urim and Thummim in that they might upon
occasion inquire of the Lord by them:
and my lord Joab
and the servants of my lord are encamped in the
open fields: around Rabbah they were besieging; he calls Joab his lord
because he was the chief general under whom he served and the rest of the
commanding officers he calls the servants of his lord as distinguished from the
common soldiers. The Jews
who are for excusing David from blame in the case of
Uriah
observeF12T. Bab. Sabbat
fol. 56. 1.
that he was guilty of
rebellion against David
and so worthy of death not only because he disobeyed
his command
in not going to his house when he ordered him but by calling
"Joab my lord" in his presence: but this was only a respectable
character of his general and no overt act of treason to his king; nor did David
so understand it
nor in the least resent it: now seeing such great men
who
were far superior to him in rank and office were obliged to lie on the bare
ground
he argues:
shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink
and to lie
with my wife? if he had any suspicion of David's crime
he might purposely add
the last clause; and if not
it was enough to awaken the conscience of David
and cut him to the quick had he not been greatly hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin to observe
that a faithful subject and a soldier of his
would not allow himself the enjoyment of lawful pleasures
when his fellow
soldiers were exposing their lives to danger for their country; and yet he
under such circumstances indulged to sinful lusts and criminal pleasures:
as thou livest and as
thy soul liveth I will not do this thing; he swears to it for the
confirmation of it; this he did to prevent any further solicitations from the
king
or his wife unto it
who were both anxiously desirous of it; for though
no mention is made of his wife
yet no doubt she did all she could to prevail
upon him to come to his house but all to no purpose; his mind was so bent to
the contrary through the overruling providence of God to which it must be
ascribed.
2 Samuel 11:12 12 Then David said to Uriah
“Wait here today also
and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained
in Jerusalem that day and the next.
YLT
12And David saith unto Uriah
`Abide in this [place] also to-day
and to-morrow I send thee away;' and Uriah
abideth in Jerusalem
on that day
and on the morrow
And David said to Uriah
tarry here today also
.... In his
court
when he found he could not persuade him to go to his own house:
and tomorrow I will let thee depart: after he had tried one
method more with him:
so Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and the morrow; not in his
own house
but the king's palace.
2 Samuel 11:13 13 Now when David called him
he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to
lie on his bed with the servants of his lord
but he did not go down to his
house.
YLT
13and David calleth for him
and he eateth before him
and drinketh
and he causeth him to drink
and he
goeth out in the evening to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord
and
unto his house he hath not gone down.
And when David had called him
.... Invited him to sup
with him:
he did eat and drink before him; very freely and
plentifully:
and he made him drunk: this was another sin of
David's
done in order to make him forget his oath and vow
and that being
inflamed with wine
desires might be excited in him to go home and lie with his
wife; but even this scheme did not succeed:
and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his
lord: in the guard room
where he had lain before:
but went not down to his house; for he was not so drunk
but he remembered his oath
and kept his resolution not to go down to his own
house; the Lord no doubt working upon his mind and disinclining him to it.
2 Samuel 11:14 14 In the morning it happened
that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
YLT
14And it cometh to pass in
the morning
that David writeth a letter unto Joab
and sendeth by the hand of
Uriah;
And it came to pass in the morning
.... When David was
informed that Uriah did not go to his own house
but slept with his servants
Satan put it into his head and heart to take the following wicked and cruel
method:
that David wrote a letter to Joab
and sent it by the hand
of Uriah; to have him cut off by the sword of the enemy. If Uriah
suspected David's criminal conversation with his wife
he was so true and
trusted a servant to him
that he would not open his letter to Joab
which had
he
it would have betrayed the base design. No one that knows the story of
Bellerophon can read this without thinking of that
they are so much alike; and
indeed that seems to be founded upon this
and taken from it with a little
alteration. Bellerophon rejecting the solicitations of Sthenobaea
who was in
love with him
she prevailed upon her husband Praetus to send letters by him to
Jobates (a name similar to Joab)
the general of his army
which contained
instructions to take care that he was killed; who sent him upon an expedition
for that purposeF13Apollodorus de Deorum Orig. l. 2. p. 70. .
2 Samuel 11:15 15 And he wrote in the
letter
saying
“Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle
and retreat
from him
that he may be struck down and die.”
YLT
15and he writeth in the
letter
saying
`Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle
and ye have turned back from after him
and he hath been smitten
and hath
died.'
And he wrote in the letter
saying
.... Giving the following
orders to Joab:
set ye Uriah is the forefront of the hottest battle: over against
that part of the city where the enemy was strongest
and the battle the
fiercest
and the stones and arrows were cast the thickest:
and retire ye from him; leave him to himself to
combat the enemy alone; who seeing him deserted
would sally out upon him
and
the few that might be with him
and slay him:
that he may be smitten
and die; thus he sought to add
murder to adultery
and that in the basest manner
and which he accomplished;
and this is often the case
that murder follows adultery
either by way of
revenge for it
or in order to cover it
as here.
2 Samuel 11:16 16 So it was
while Joab
besieged the city
that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were
valiant men.
YLT
16And it cometh to pass in
Joab's watching of the city
that he appointeth Uriah unto the place where he
knew that valiant men [are];
And it came to pass
when Joab observed the city
.... Where lay
its greatest strength
and where it was best defended; or besieged it
as the
Targum:
that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men
were; who would not easily give way
and when they saw an opportunity
would sally out
Joab cannot be excused from sin
unless he thought that Uriah
had been guilty of death
and that David took this way of dispatching him for
some political reason; however David was king
and to be obeyed.
2 Samuel 11:17 17 Then the men of the city
came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of
David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
YLT
17and the men of the city go
out and fight with Joab
and there fall [some] of the people
of the servants
of David; and there dieth also Uriah the Hittite.
And the men of the city went out
.... Made a sally out
as
Joab expected they would
when they appeared before them at that part of the
city where valiant men were:
and fought with Joab; at least with part of
his army posted with Uriah:
and there fell some of the people of the servants of David: which made
David's sin the more heinous
that several lives were lost through the
stratagem he devised to procure the death of Uriah; who could not be placed in
a dangerous post alone
and therefore others must be sacrificed with him
as
were:
and Uriah the Hittite died also; which was the thing
aimed at
and the end to be answered by this scheme.
2 Samuel 11:18 18 Then Joab sent and told
David all the things concerning the war
YLT
18And Joab sendeth and
declareth to David all the matters of the war
Then Joab sent
.... Messengers to David
as soon as Uriah
was killed:
and told David all the things concerning the war; how the siege
had been carried on; what success they had had
good or ill; what their
advantages and disadvantages; what men they had lost
and especially in one
sally of the enemy upon them
for the sake of which the express was sent.
2 Samuel 11:19 19 and charged the messenger
saying
“When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king
YLT
19and commandeth the
messenger
saying
`At thy finishing all the matters of the war to speak unto
the king
And charged the messenger
.... Gave him a
particular direction and instruction what he should say at the close of his
narrative
according as he should observe the king's countenance to be:
saying
when thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the
war unto the king; giving an account of all the events that happened since the
siege was begun to that time.
2 Samuel 11:20 20 if it happens that the
king’s wrath rises
and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the
city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
YLT
20then
it hath been
if the
king's fury ascend
and he hath said to thee
Wherefore did ye draw nigh unto
the city to fight? did ye not know that they shoot from off the wall?
And if so be that the king's wrath arise
.... Which
might be seen in his countenance
or expressed in his words:
and he say
wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye
did fight? as to expose the king's troops to the enemy on the wall
who by
stones or darts greatly annoyed them
or sallied out on them
and killed many
of them:
knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? they must
have known that
and therefore should have kept out of the reach of their shot.
2 Samuel 11:21 21 Who struck Abimelech the
son of Jerubbesheth?[a] Was it not
a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall
so that he died
in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say
‘Your servant
Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”
YLT
21Who smote Abimelech son of
Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast on him a piece of a rider from the wall
and
he dieth in Thebez? why drew ye nigh unto the wall? that thou hast said
Also
thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'
Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth?.... The same
with Jerubbaal
who was Gideon
Judges 6:32; Baal
one part of his name
was the name of an idol
and sometimes called Bosheth or
Besheth
which signifies shame
being a shameful idol; Gideon had a son called
Abimelech
who was smitten
and it is here asked
by whom?
did not a woman cast a millstone upon him from the wall
that he
died in Thebez? which should have been a warning not to go too near the wall of
an enemy; the history is recorded in Judges 9:52
why went ye nigh the wall? exposing your lives to
so much danger
and by which so many lives were lost:
then say thou
thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also; the whole has
not been told
the worst of all is
as the messenger was to represent it
that
brave gallant soldier Uriah is dead; this Joab ordered to be told last
as
knowing very well it would pacify the king's wrath
and was the agreeable news
he wanted to hear.
2 Samuel 11:22 22 So the messenger went
and
came and told David all that Joab had sent by him.
YLT
22And the messenger goeth
and cometh in
and declareth to David all that with which Joab sent him
So the messenger went
.... From Joab
from the
army before Rabbah:
and came; to David in Jerusalem
a course of sixty four miles:
and showed David all that Joab had sent him for; all the
events of the war hitherto.
2 Samuel 11:23 23 And the messenger said to
David
“Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field;
then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.
YLT
23and the messenger saith
unto David
`Surely the men have been mighty against us
and come out unto us
into the field
and we are upon them unto the opening of the gate
And the messenger said unto David
.... The particulars of
his account follow:
surely the men prevailed against us; the men of the city of
Rabbah
the besieged there
in one onset they made upon them:
and came out unto us in the field; the besiegers that lay
encamped there; they sallied out upon them:
and we were upon them
even unto the entering of the gate; rallied upon
them
and drove them back
and pursued them to the gate of the city.
2 Samuel 11:24 24 The archers shot from the
wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead
and
your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”
YLT
24and those shooting shoot at
thy servants from off the wall
and [some] of the servants of the king are
dead
and also
thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.
And the shooters shot from off of the wall upon thy servants
.... Arrows
out of their bows
or stones out of their engines; the Israelites following
them so closely to the gate of the city
came within the reach of their shot
from the wall:
and some of the king's servants be dead; killed in the
sally upon them
and by the shot from the wall:
and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also; the messenger
did not entirely obey the orders of Joab to wait and observe if the king's
wrath arose
but was in haste to tell him the last piece of news; perhaps he
had some suspicion
from the manner of Joab's telling him what he should say
that this would be acceptable to the king.
2 Samuel 11:25 25 Then David said to the
messenger
“Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you
for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against
the city
and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”
YLT
25And David saith unto the
messenger
`Thus dost thou say unto Joab
Let not this thing be evil in thine
eyes; for thus and thus doth the sword devour; strengthen thy warfare against
the city
and throw it down -- and strengthen thou him.'
Then David said to the messenger
.... Whom he dispatched
again to Joab upon the delivery of his message:
thus shall thou say to Joab; in the name of David:
let not this thing displease thee; be not grieved
and cast
down
and intimidated at the repulse he had met with
and the loss of so many
brave men
and especially Uriah:
for the sword devours one as well as another; officers as
well as soldiers the strong as well as the weak
the valiant and courageous as
well as the more timorous; the events of war are various and uncertain
and to
be submitted to
and not repined at
and laid to heart. David's heart being
hardened by sin
made light of the death of his brave soldiers
to which he
himself was accessory; his conscience was very different now from what it was
when he cut off the skirt of Saul's robe
and his heart in a different frame
from that in which he composed the lamentation over Saul and Jonathan:
make thy battle more strong against the city
and overthrow it; more closely
besiege it
more vigorously attack it; assault it
endeavour to take it by
storm
and utterly destroy it
razing the very foundations of it: and encourage
thou him; which words are either said to the messenger to encourage and animate
Joab in David's name
which is not so likely that a messenger should be
employed to encourage the general; or rather the words of David to Joab
continued
that he would "encourage it"
the army under him
who
might be disheartened with the rebuff and loss they had met with; and therefore
Joab is bid to spirit them up
to carry on the siege with vigour.
2 Samuel 11:26 26 When the wife of Uriah
heard that Uriah her husband was dead
she mourned for her husband.
YLT
26And the wife of Uriah
heareth that Uriah her husband [is] dead
and lamenteth for her lord;
And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead
.... The news
of which were soon sent her by David
though it is very probable she knew
nothing of the plot to take away his life; and
besides
David chose to have
his death published abroad as soon as possible
the more to hide his sin:
she mourned for her husband; expressed tokens of
mourning by shedding tears
putting on a mourning habit
seeing no company
and
this continued for the space of seven days
it may be
1 Samuel 31:13; as
little time as possible was spent in this way
and the marriage hastened
that
the adultery might not be discovered.
2 Samuel 11:27 27 And when her mourning was
over
David sent and brought her to his house
and she became his wife and bore
him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
YLT
27and the mourning passeth
by
and David sendeth and gathereth her unto his house
and she is to him for a
wife
and beareth to him a son; and the thing which David hath done is evil in
the eyes of Jehovah.
And when the mourning was past
.... The seven days were
at an end
or sooner; for he stayed not ninety days from the death of her
husband
which the Jews in later times enjoinedF14Misn. Yebamot
c.
11. sect. 6.
that it might be known whether with child by her former husband
and so to whom it belonged; and because David did not wait this time
Abarbinel
charges it upon him as an additional sin:
David sent
and fetched her to his house; took her home
to his palace to live with him:
and she became his wife; he married her according
to the usual form of marriage in those days:
and bare him a son; begotten in adultery:
but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord; or "was
evil in the eyes of the Lord"F15ירע בעיני יהוה "malum in oculis
Domini"
Montanus. ; for though it was not done in the eyes of men
being
scarcely or very little known
yet was in the eyes of the Lord
which run to
and fro throughout the earth
and sees all things that are done: the adultery
he had been guilty of with another man's wife was abominable to the Lord
and
for which
according to the law
both he and she ought to have been put to
death
Leviticus 20:10;
the murder of her husband
which he was accessory to
as well as the death of
many others
and the marriage of her under such circumstances
were all
displeasing to God
and of such an heinous nature
that his pure eyes could not
look upon with approbation: the JewsF16T. Bab. Sabbat
fol. 56. 1.
Gloss. in ib. endeavour to excuse David from sin; from the sin of murder
by
making Uriah guilty of rebellion and treason
as before observed; and from the
sin of adultery
by affirming that it was the constant custom for men
when
they went out to war
to give their wives a bill of divorce; so that from the
time of giving the bill they were not their wives
and such as lay with them
were not guilty of adultery; but for this there is no foundation: it is certain
David was charged with it by the Lord; he himself owned it
and bewailed it
both that and his blood guiltiness
and the following chapter abundantly proves
it.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)