2 Samuel 11

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:1-5

( THE KING 'S PALACE .) David's fall into sin. "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" ( 2 Samuel 11:1 ; 1 Chronicles 20:1 ). 1 . He was about fifty years of age; had been reigning in Jerusalem upwards of twelve years; dwelt in a stately palace on Mount Zion; and possessed numerous sons and daughters, a splendid court and a powerful army. He had been "preserved whithersoever he went," subdued his enemies, and returned in triumph. His natural gifts and fervent piety ( Psalms... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:1-17

The facts are: 1 . During the prosecution of the war against Ammon in the spring, David remains in Jerusalem. 2 . Walking one evening on his house top, he sees a woman washing herself, and observes her beauty. 3 . Curiosity being awakened, he sends to inquire after her, and learns that she is the wife of Uriah. 4 . Sending a royal message to her, she, as a loyal subject, waits upon him, whereupon he commits adultery. 5 . Discovering in the course of a little time that the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:2

David arose from off his bed. It was usual in Palestine, and remains so in all hot countries, to take a siesta in the heat of the day ( 2 Samuel 4:5 ); and, on awaking, David walked backward and forward on the fiat roof of his house ( 1 Samuel 9:25 ), to enjoy the cool breezes of the evening. In so doing he was probably following his usual habits; but temptation came upon him, as so often is the case, unexpectedly. We are told that it is regarded in the East as improper for one neighbour... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:3

Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam. In 2 Samuel 23:34 Eliam is said to be the son of Ahithophel, and thus Bathsheba would be his granddaughter. Mr. Blunt, in his 'Undesigned Coincidences,' p. 143, et seq; sees in this the explanation of the adherence to the side of Absalom of a man so high in King David's service. It was the result of his indignation at David's profligate treat-meat of so near a relative. In 1 Chronicles 3:5 she is called "Bathshua, the daughter of Ammiel." The latter is... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:4

David sent messengers, and took her . David's fall seems as sudden as it was complete; but we may feel sure that there had been gradual preparation for it during the previous period of great prosperity. David had always been a man of strong passions, and the large harem he had set up at Jerusalem, so far from satisfying him, only intensified his lust. And now he who had previously shown himself so chivalrous and noble stoops to robbing one of his own officers of his honour. And stern and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:4

Bathsheba. The Books of Samuel furnish abundant materials for instructive studies of female character, in Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam (Ammiel, 1 Chronicles 3:5 ), the granddaughter of Ahithophel the king's counsellor ( 2 Samuel 23:34 ), and well known ( 2 Samuel 11:3 ) as the wife of Uriah the Hittite. "Eliam and Uriah must have been thrown much together, being beth of the same rank, and being each one of the thirty-seven officers of the king's guard" (Blunt, 'Undesigned... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:5

The woman … told David. Her crime was one that made her liable to the penalty of death (Le 2 Samuel 20:10 ), and Uriah was a man likely to exact it; consequently she was in great alarm, and the king shared her anxiety. Already was the punishment beginning to be required from both the guilty sharers in the wickedness. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:5-15

( JERUSALEM , RABBAH .) Entanglements of sin. He who once leaves the right path little knows how far he may go astray or how great will be his perplexities and perils. Possibly he may never return; certainly he will not return without overcoming immense difficulties, and finding out by bitter experience his folly and perversity. "The gates of hell are open night and day; Smooth the descent, and easy is the way; But to return and view the cheerful skies, In this the task and... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:6

Uriah the Hittite. Like Ahimelech ( 1 Samuel 26:6 ), he belonged to a notable people ( Genesis 23:3 ; Ezekiel 16:3 ; 1 Kings 10:29 ; 2 Kings 7:6 ), had adopted the faith of Israel, and joined David in exile; he was one of the famous "thirty" ( 1 Chronicles 11:41 ; 2 Samuel 23:39 ), married Bathsheba (the young and beautiful daughter of a brother officer), to whom he was fondly attached ( 2 Samuel 12:3 ), and had a house overlooked by the king's palace. The story of this... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:8

A mess (of meat); really, a royal present (see Esther 2:18 ; Jeremiah 40:5 ; Amos 5:11 , where it is translated burdens of wheat, but really means presents of wheat, forced from the poor); though originally a portion of food sent to a guest from the table of the giver of a feast ( Genesis 43:34 ). Uriah, as one of David's thirty-seven heroes, would hold a high rank in the army, though the statement given by Josephus, that he was Joab's armour bearer, is probably a mere... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:1-5

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:1-17

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:2

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:3

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:5

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:5-15

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:6

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Samuel 11:8

Verse of the Day

Daily Devotional

Group of Brands