2 Samuel 11

1 In the spring [at the return of the year, when kings go out to battle], at the time [season, occasion] when kings [royal leaders, monarchs] march out to war [battle, fight], David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] sent out [dispatched, commissioned] Joab [Jehovah is father, a prominent Israelite] and his servants [attendants, subordinates] with the whole army [entire military force] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants]. They destroyed [ruined, defeated] the Ammonites [a son of Lot and his descendants] and besieged [confined, laid siege to] Rabbah [meaning great], but David remained [dwelled, stayed] in Jerusalem [the capital city of Palestine, the city of peace]. word study 2 One evening [at eventide, late afternoon] David got up from his bed [place of rest, couch] and strolled around on the roof [top, upper room] of the palace [king’s house, royal residence]. And from the roof he saw a woman [female, wife] bathing [washing herself, taking a bath]—a very [exceedingly, greatly] beautiful [pleasant, lovely] woman [with a pleasing appearance, to look upon]. word study 3 So David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] sent and inquired about the woman [a female person, wife, or animal], and he was told, “This is Bathsheba [daughter of an oath, mother of Solomon], the daughter [a female child or a woman] of Eliam [God of the people, God is kinsman] and the wife [a female partner, a woman bound by marriage] of Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] the Hittite [a descendant of Heth, a man who lived during the time of the Patriarchs].” word study 4 Then David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] sent messengers [representatives] to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her [had sex, lay with her]. (Now she had just purified herself [consecrated, set apart] from her uncleanness [impurity, sinful state].) Then she returned [turned back, went back] home [to her house, dwelling place]. word study 5 And the woman [a female person, wife] conceived [to become pregnant, with child] and sent word [a message, to inform] to David [the king of Israel], saying, “I [the speaker, myself] am pregnant [with child, expecting a baby].” word study 6 At this, David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] sent orders [a message, a command] to Joab [King David’s nephew and army general]: “Send me [to bring to my presence] Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] the Hittite [a descendant of Heth, a man who lived during the time of the Patriarchs].” So Joab [Jehovah is father] sent him [Uriah, the Hittite] to David [the king of Israel]. word study 7 When Uriah [the prophet, God’s messenger] came to him, David [the king, leader of Israel] asked how Joab [Jehovah is father, the army general] and the troops [the people, the army] were doing [prospering, faring] with the war [the battle, conflict]. word study 8 Then he [David, the king] said to Uriah [God’s light, a prophet], “Go down [to a lower place, descend] to your house [dwelling place, home] and wash [cleanse, purify] your feet [the lowest part of the body].” So Uriah left [departed, went out] the palace [king’s house, royal residence], and a gift [tribute, offering] from the king [ruler, monarch] followed him [came after, accompanied]. word study 9 But Uriah [the loyal servant, God’s messenger] slept [lay down, rested] at the door [entrance] of the palace [king’s house, royal residence] with all [every single one, the entirety of] his master’s [lord] servants [attendants, slaves]; he did not [refused to, was unwilling to] go down [descend, lower himself] to his house [dwelling place, home]. word study 10 And David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart] was told, “Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] did not go [descend, come down] home [to his house, his dwelling place].” “Haven’t you [as a soldier, a warrior] just arrived [come, returned] from a journey [a path, a way]?” David asked Uriah. “Why [for what reason, on what account] didn’t you go [come down, descend] home [to your house, your resting place]?” word study 11 Uriah answered, “The ark [a box or chest] and Israel [God’s chosen people] and Judah are dwelling [residing, remaining] in tents [temporary shelters], and my master [lord, leader] Joab and his soldiers [servants, warriors] are camped [encamped, stationed] in the open field [exposed, unprotected area]. How can I go to my house [dwelling place, home] to eat [consume, devour] and drink [imbibe, refresh] and sleep [lie down, rest] with my wife [spouse, companion]? As surely as you live [are alive, exist], and as your soul [inner being, spirit] lives, I will not do [perform, accomplish] such a thing [deed, action]!” word study 12 “Stay here [tarry, remain] one more day [today, this day],” David [the king of Israel] said to Uriah [the prophet], “and tomorrow [the next day, morrow] I will send [let depart, release] you back [away, to your home].” So Uriah [God’s messenger] stayed [abided, dwelled] in Jerusalem [the city of peace] that day [the present time] and the next [following day, morrow]. word study 13 Then David [the king of Israel] invited Uriah [his loyal soldier] to eat [partake of food, share a meal] and drink [consume beverages, indulge] with him, and he got Uriah [completely] drunk [intoxicated, under the influence]. And in the evening [at sunset, as day turned to night] Uriah went out [left the palace, departed] to lie down [rest, sleep] on his cot [bed, place of repose] with his master’s servants [loyal attendants, those who served the king], but he did not go [refused to return, failed to enter] home [to his house, his place of residence]. word study 14 The next morning [in the break of day, at dawn] David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart] wrote [recorded, inscribed] a letter [a scroll, a written document] to Joab [Jehovah is father, the army general] and sent [dispatched, entrusted] it with [by the hand of, through] Uriah [God is my light, the faithful soldier]. word study 15 In the letter [written document, scroll] he wrote: “Put Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] at the front [in the forefront, opposite] of the fiercest [most severe, strongest] battle [war, conflict]; then withdraw [retreat, turn back] from him, so that he may be struck down [smitten, hit] and killed [die, meet his end].” word study 16 So as Joab [the king’s nephew and army general] besieged [watched, kept guard on] the city [a place with a wall or a watchman], he assigned [put, placed] Uriah [God is my light] to a place [location, region] where he saw [knew, was aware of] the strongest [valiant, mighty] enemy soldiers [men of war, fighters]. word study 17 And when the men [people, inhabitants] of the city [excitement, a place with a wall] came out [to come out, to go forth] and fought [to feed on, to battle] against Joab [Jehovah is father, King David’s nephew], some [a number, a few] of David’s [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] servants [slaves, attendants] fell [to fall, to be defeated], and Uriah [God is my light, a prophet] the Hittite [a descendant of Heth] also [too, even] died [to die, to pass away]. word study 18 Joab [Jehovah is father, King David’s nephew] sent [dispatched, commissioned] to David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] a full [complete, detailed] account [report, chronicle] of the battle [war, conflict, a fight or clash] [all the things concerning the war, everything which had taken place] word study 19 and instructed [gave orders to, commanded] the messenger [representative], “When you have finished [completed, ended] giving the king [ruler, sovereign] all [everything, the whole] the details [matters, events] of the battle [war, conflict, a fight or clash between nations or armies], word study 20 if the king’s [intense] anger [rage, fury] flares, he may ask you, ‘Why [for what reason] did you get so close [approach, draw near] to the city [town, fortified place] to fight [engage in battle, wage war]? Did you not realize [know, understand] they would shoot [fire arrows, hurl projectiles] from atop [upon, above] the wall [barrier, fortification]? word study 21 Who [what person, which one] was the one to strike [hit, smite] Abimelech [son of Jerubbaal, a judge of Israel] son of Jerubbesheth [Gideon, a great leader] ? Was it not a woman [a female, an Israelite] who dropped [threw, cast] an upper millstone [a heavy stone, a rider] on him from the wall [a barrier, a fortification], so that he died [passed away, perished] in Thebez [a city, a stronghold]? Why [for what reason, how] did you get so close [approach, draw near] to the wall [a barrier, a fortification]?’ If so, then you are to say [declare, speak], ‘Your servant [slave, attendant] Uriah [faithful, loyal] the Hittite [a descendant of Heth, a foreigner] is dead [deceased, slain] as well [also, too].’” word study 22 So the messenger [a representative] set out and reported [told, declared, or showed] to David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart] all that [everything, namely] Joab [Jehovah is father, the army general] had sent [directed, or commanded] him to say [to speak, or to tell]. word study 23 The messenger [a representative] said to David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel], “The men [soldiers, warriors] overpowered [prevailed, were stronger] us and came out [emerged, went forth] against us in the field [open land, battlefield], but we drove them back [pursued, forced] to the entrance [gate, doorway] of the gate [city entrance, town gate]. word study 24 Then the archers [shooters, bowmen] shot at your servants [slaves, attendants] from the wall [barrier, rampart], and some of the king’s [royal, sovereign] servants [attendants, officials] were killed [slain, died]. And your servant [slave, attendant] Uriah [God is my light] the Hittite [descendant of Heth] is dead [has died, has perished] as well [also, too].” word study 25 Then David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart] told the messenger [a representative], “Say this to Joab [King David’s nephew and army general]: ‘Do not let this matter [the loss of life, the event] upset you [be evil in your eyes, trouble your mind], for the sword [a cutting instrument, a tool of war] devours [eats, consumes] one as well as another [indiscriminately, without distinction]. Strengthen [be strong, courageous, seize] your attack [battle, war] against the city [a town, a place with walls] and demolish [overthrow, destroy] it.’ Encourage [strengthen, put heart into] him with these words [this message, this exhortation].” word study 26 When Uriah’s wife [the woman, female person] heard [to hear and listen, giving attention] that her husband [master, owner] was dead [had died, passed away], she mourned [lamented, expressed deep sadness] for him [her lord, master]. word study 27 And when the time of [intensive, ritual] mourning [lamenting, grieving] was over, David had her brought to his house [palace, dwelling place], and she became his wife [woman, partner] and bore him a son [child, descendant]. But the thing [act, deed] that David had done [committed, made] was evil [wicked, displeasing] in the sight [eyes, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study