11 And Uriah H223 said H559 unto David, H1732 The ark, H727 and Israel, H3478 and Judah, H3063 abide H3427 in tents; H5521 and my lord H113 Joab, H3097 and the servants H5650 of my lord, H113 are encamped H2583 in the open H6440 fields; H7704 shall I H589 then go H935 into mine house, H1004 to eat H398 and to drink, H8354 and to lie H7901 with my wife? H802 as thou livest, H2416 and as thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 I will not do H6213 this thing. H1697
That the king H4428 said H559 unto Nathan H5416 the prophet, H5030 See H7200 now, I dwell H3427 in an house H1004 of cedar, H730 but the ark H727 of God H430 dwelleth H3427 within H8432 curtains. H3407
And David H1732 said H559 to Abishai, H52 Now shall Sheba H7652 the son H1121 of Bichri H1075 do us more harm H3415 than did Absalom: H53 take H3947 thou thy lord's H113 servants, H5650 and pursue H7291 after H310 him, lest he get H4672 him fenced H1219 cities, H5892 and escape H5337 us. H5869
And she said, H559 Oh H994 my lord, H113 as thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 my lord, H113 I am the woman H802 that stood H5324 by thee here, praying H6419 unto the LORD. H3068
If G1487 I G1473 then, G3767 your Lord G2962 and G2532 Master, G1320 have washed G3538 your G5216 feet; G4228 ye G5210 also G2532 ought G3784 to wash G3538 one another's G240 feet. G4228
Wherefore G5105 seeing we also G2532 are G2192 compassed about G4029 G2254 with so great G5118 a cloud G3509 of witnesses, G3144 let G659 us G2249 lay aside G659 every G3956 weight, G3591 and G2532 the sin G266 which doth so easily beset G2139 us, and let us run G5143 with G1223 patience G5281 the race G73 that is set before G4295 us, G2254 Looking G872 unto G1519 Jesus G2424 the author G747 and G2532 finisher G5051 of our faith; G4102 who G3739 for G473 the joy G5479 that was set before G4295 him G846 endured G5278 the cross, G4716 despising G2706 the shame, G152 and G5037 is set down G2523 at G1722 the right hand G1188 of the throne G2362 of God. G2316
If G1487 we suffer, G5278 we shall G4821 also G2532 reign with G4821 him: if G1487 we deny G720 him, he also G2548 will deny G720 us: G2248
Thou G4771 therefore G3767 endure hardness, G2553 as G5613 a good G2570 soldier G4757 of Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547 No man G3762 that warreth G4754 entangleth himself G1707 with the affairs G4230 of this life; G979 that G2443 he may please G700 him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. G4758
And G1161 every man G3956 that striveth for the mastery G75 is temperate G1467 in all things. G3956 G3303 Now G3767 they G1565 do it to G2443 obtain G2983 a corruptible G5349 crown; G4735 but G1161 we G2249 an incorruptible. G862 I G1473 therefore G5106 so G3779 run, G5143 not G3756 as G5613 uncertainly; G84 so G3779 fight I, G4438 not G3756 as G5613 one that beateth G1194 the air: G109 But G235 I keep under G5299 my G3450 body, G4983 and G2532 bring it into subjection: G1396 lest that by any means, G3381 G4458 when I have preached G2784 to others, G243 I myself G846 should be G1096 a castaway. G96
So the people H5971 sent H7971 to Shiloh, H7887 that they might bring H5375 from thence the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 which dwelleth H3427 between the cherubims: H3742 and the two H8147 sons H1121 of Eli, H5941 Hophni H2652 and Phinehas, H6372 were there with the ark H727 of the covenant H1285 of God. H430
The disciple G3101 is G2076 not G3756 above G5228 his master, G1320 nor G3761 the servant G1401 above G5228 his G846 lord. G2962 It is enough G713 for the disciple G3101 that G2443 he be G1096 as G5613 his G846 master, G1320 and G2532 the servant G1401 as G5613 his G846 lord. G2962 If G1487 they have called G2564 the master of the house G3617 Beelzebub, G954 how much G4214 more G3123 shall they call them of his G846 household? G3615
And in that day H3117 did the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 call H7121 to weeping, H1065 and to mourning, H4553 and to baldness, H7144 and to girding H2296 with sackcloth: H8242 And behold joy H8342 and gladness, H8057 slaying H2026 oxen, H1241 and killing H7819 sheep, H6629 eating H398 flesh, H1320 and drinking H8354 wine: H3196 let us eat H398 and drink; H8354 for to morrow H4279 we shall die. H4191 And it was revealed H1540 in mine ears H241 by the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 Surely this iniquity H5771 shall not be purged H3722 from you till ye die, H4191 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts. H6635
And the king H4428 said, H559 Is not the hand H3027 of Joab H3097 with thee in all this? And the woman H802 answered H6030 and said, H559 As thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 my lord H113 the king, H4428 none H376 can H786 turn to the right hand H3231 or to the left H8041 from ought that my lord H113 the king H4428 hath spoken: H1696 for thy servant H5650 Joab, H3097 he bade H6680 me, and he put H7760 all these words H1697 in the mouth H6310 of thine handmaid: H8198
Now therefore, my lord, H113 as the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 and as thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 seeing the LORD H3068 hath withholden H4513 thee from coming H935 to shed blood, H1818 and from avenging H3467 thyself with thine own hand, H3027 now let thine enemies, H341 and they that seek H1245 evil H7451 to my lord, H113 be as Nabal. H5037
And David H1732 sware H7650 moreover, and said, H559 Thy father H1 certainly H3045 knoweth H3045 that I have found H4672 grace H2580 in thine eyes; H5869 and he saith, H559 Let not Jonathan H3083 know H3045 this, lest he be grieved: H6087 but truly H199 as the LORD H3068 liveth, H2416 and as thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 there is but a step H6587 between me and death. H4194
And when Saul H7586 saw H7200 David H1732 go forth H3318 against H7125 the Philistine, H6430 he said H559 unto Abner, H74 the captain H8269 of the host, H6635 Abner, H74 whose son H1121 is this youth? H5288 And Abner H74 said, H559 As thy soul H5315 liveth, H2416 O king, H4428 I cannot H518 tell. H3045
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Samuel 11
Commentary on 2 Samuel 11 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 11
What David said of the mournful report of Saul's death may more fitly be applied to the sad story of this chapter, the adultery and murder David was guilty of.-"Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon.' We wish we could draw a veil over it, and that it might never be known, might never be said, that David did such things as are here recorded of him. But it cannot, it must not, be concealed. The scripture is faithful in relating the faults even of those whom it most applauds, which is an instance of the sincerity of the penmen, and an evidence that it was not written to serve any party: and even such stories as these "were written for our learning,' that "he that thinks he stands may take heed lest he fall,' and that others' harms may be our warnings. Many, no doubt, have been emboldened to sin, and hardened in it, by this story, and to them it is a "savour of death unto death;' but many have by it been awakened to a holy jealousy over themselves, and constant watchfulness against sin, and to them it is a "savour of life unto life.' Those are very great sins, and greatly aggravated, which here we find David guilty of.
2Sa 11:1-5
Here is,
2Sa 11:6-13
Uriah, we may suppose, had now been absent from his wife some weeks, making the campaign in the country of the Ammonites, and not intending to return till the end of it. The situation of his wife would bring to light the hidden works of darkness; and when Uriah, at his return, should find how he had been abused, and by whom, it might well be expected,
2Sa 11:14-27
When David's project of fathering the child upon Uriah himself failed, so that, in process of time, Uriah would certainly know the wrong that had been done him, to prevent the fruits of his revenge, the devil put it into David's heart to take him off, and then neither he nor Bath-sheba would be in any danger (what prosecution could there be when there was no prosecutor?), suggesting further that, when Uriah was out of the way, Bath-sheba might, if he pleased, be his own for ever. Adulteries have often occasioned murders, and one wickedness must be covered and secured with another. The beginnings of sin are therefore to be dreaded; for who knows where they will end? It is resolved in David's breast (which one would think could never possibly have harboured so vile a thought) that Uriah must die. That innocent, valiant, gallant man, who was ready to die for his prince's honour, must die by his prince's hand. David has sinned, and Bath-sheba has sinned, and both against him, and therefore he must die; David determines he must. Is this the man whose heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt? Quantum mutatus ab illo!-But ah, how changed! Is this he that executed judgment and justice to all his people? How can he now do so unjust a thing? See how fleshly lusts war against the soul, and what devastations they make in that war; how they blink the eyes, harden the heart, sear the conscience, and deprive men of all sense of honour and justice. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding and quite loses it; he that doth it destroys his own soul, Prov. 6:32. But, as the eye of the adulterer, so the hand of the murderer seeks concealment, Job 24:14, 15. Works of darkness hate the light. When David bravely slew Goliath it was done publicly, and he gloried in it; but, when he basely slew Uriah, it must be done clandestinely, for he is ashamed of it, and well he may. Who would do a thing that he dare not own? The devil, having as a poisonous serpent, put it into David's heart to murder Uriah, as a subtle serpent he puts it into his head how to do it. Not as Absalom slew Amnon, by commanding his servants to assassinate him, nor as Ahab slew Naboth by suborning witnesses to accuse him, but by exposing him to the enemy, a way of doing it which, perhaps, would not seem so odious to conscience and the world, because soldiers expose themselves of course. If Uriah had not been in that dangerous post, another must; he has (as we say) a chance for his life; if he fight stoutly, he may perhaps come off; and, if he die, it is in the field of honour, where a soldier would choose to die; and yet all this will not save it from being a wilful murder, of malice prepense.