2 Samuel 11:5

KJV

And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I [am] with child.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the woman {H802} conceived {H2029}, and sent {H7971} and told {H5046} David {H1732}, and said {H559}, I am with child {H2030}.

Complete Jewish Bible

The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, "I am pregnant."

Berean Standard Bible

And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

American Standard Version

And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Second Samuel 11:5 records the stark and pivotal moment when Bathsheba, having conceived a child from her illicit encounter with King David, sends word to him, declaring, "I [am] with child." This concise message serves as the undeniable consequence of David's sin, transforming a private transgression into an unavoidable public crisis and setting in motion a tragic chain of events that would profoundly impact David's family, his kingdom, and his relationship with God.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse immediately follows David's egregious actions detailed in [2 Samuel 11:1-4](/2_samuel/11-1 "2 Samuel 11:1-4 - David's Sin with Bathsheba"). While his army, led by Joab, was engaged in the siege of Rabbah, David remained in Jerusalem, neglecting his kingly duty to lead in battle. From his rooftop, he saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his most loyal and esteemed soldiers, bathing. Succumbing to lust, David sent for her and committed adultery. The news of Bathsheba's pregnancy in [2 Samuel 11:5](/2_samuel/11-5 "2 Samuel 11:5 - Bathsheba's Pregnancy") is the direct and undeniable outcome of this illicit encounter, demanding David's immediate attention and forcing his hand to attempt a desperate cover-up. This verse marks the point of no return, escalating David's initial sin into a compounding series of deceptions and ultimately, murder, as narrated in the subsequent verses of [2 Samuel 11](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11 - David's Sin and Its Immediate Consequences").

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Israel, kings held immense power, but they were still subject to God's law, unlike many surrounding pagan monarchs. Adultery was a capital offense under the Mosaic Law ([Leviticus 20:10](/leviticus/20-10 "Leviticus 20:10 - Law on Adultery") and [Deuteronomy 22:22](/deuteronomy/22-22 "Deuteronomy 22:22 - Law on Adultery")). For a king to commit such an act, especially with the wife of a loyal soldier, was a profound abuse of power and a direct affront to divine and human justice. The public nature of pregnancy in a society without modern medical privacy meant that Bathsheba's condition would soon become undeniable, exposing the illicit affair. Furthermore, the concept of a child's legitimacy was crucial for inheritance and social standing. David's actions threatened not only Bathsheba's life but also Uriah's honor and the child's future, placing immense pressure on David to conceal his transgression.

* **Key Themes:** The message of Bathsheba's pregnancy in [2 Samuel 11:5](/2_samuel/11-5 "2 Samuel 11:5 - Bathsheba's Pregnancy") powerfully underscores several major themes within the book of Samuel and the broader biblical narrative. It starkly illustrates the **consequences of sin**, demonstrating that even hidden transgressions inevitably bear tangible and often painful fruit. This verse initiates a chain of repercussions for David, which the prophet Nathan later articulates in [2 Samuel 12:10-14](/2_samuel/12-10 "2 Samuel 12:10-14 - Nathan's Prophecy of Judgment"). It also highlights the **uncoverable nature of sin**, showing how David's attempts to hide his adultery only lead him to deeper moral depravity and further desperate measures, ultimately failing to conceal his wrongdoing. Finally, this narrative serves as a sobering reminder of **human frailty and moral failure**, even for a figure like King David, who is elsewhere described as "a man after God's own heart" ([Acts 13:22](/acts/13-22 "Acts 13:22 - David, a Man After God's Own Heart")). It underscores that no one is immune to temptation's allure or sin's destructive power.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Conceived (Hebrew, _harah'_):** This verb, meaning "to conceive" or "to become pregnant," is a straightforward and unambiguous declaration of Bathsheba's condition. Its simplicity belies the immense moral and political crisis it immediately precipitates for David. The word carries no hidden nuance here; it is a direct statement of biological fact that shatters any illusion of the affair remaining a secret.
* **Sent (Hebrew, _shalach'_):** This verb, meaning "to send," indicates a deliberate and purposeful action. Bathsheba's act of sending a messenger to David is not a casual communication but a formal and urgent notification. It signifies her understanding of the gravity of the situation and her expectation that David, as the king and father of the child, must address it. The act of "sending" underscores the shift from a private act to a public problem that demands royal intervention.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the woman conceived":** This clause directly states the biological outcome of the illicit encounter. It is the undeniable physical evidence that the secret sin can no longer remain hidden. The conception transforms the private act of adultery into a public dilemma, as pregnancy in ancient societies was quickly discernible and carried significant social implications regarding paternity and legitimacy.
* **"and sent and told David":** This describes Bathsheba's immediate and decisive action upon realizing her pregnancy. Her sending a message to David indicates her recognition that he is the father and, as the king, is responsible for the situation. This act places the burden squarely on David, forcing him to confront the consequences of his actions rather than allowing the matter to remain unaddressed. It also highlights the power dynamic, as she, a woman in a vulnerable position, relies on the king to resolve the crisis.
* **"and said, I [am] with child":** This is the direct, concise, and devastating message delivered to David. The Hebrew phrase (הָרָה אָנֹכִי, _harah anokhi_) is a simple, emphatic declaration: "I am pregnant." There is no equivocation or elaborate explanation; the starkness of the message underscores its undeniable truth and the immediate, profound crisis it creates for David, who must now devise a plan to cover up his sin and avoid public scandal.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several potent literary devices. **Understatement** is evident in the stark simplicity of Bathsheba's message, "I [am] with child." This concise declaration, devoid of emotional elaboration, belies the immense weight of its implications—the shame, the danger, the impending scandal, and the profound moral crisis it creates for the king. This **simplicity** enhances the dramatic impact, allowing the reader to grasp the gravity through the implied consequences rather than explicit description. Furthermore, there is a strong element of **cause and effect**, as this verse directly presents the unavoidable consequence of David's previous actions, setting in motion the tragic narrative that unfolds. The verse also serves as a point of **dramatic irony**, as the reader is fully aware of David's sin, while the wider kingdom remains ignorant, intensifying the tension as David attempts to conceal what is now physically undeniable.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The message of Bathsheba's pregnancy in 2 Samuel 11:5 serves as a powerful theological statement about the nature of sin and its inevitable consequences. It demonstrates that sin, no matter how secretly committed or how powerful the perpetrator, cannot ultimately be hidden from God or from the natural outworking of its effects. This verse initiates a narrative arc that profoundly illustrates the principle that "your sin will find you out" ([Numbers 32:23](/numbers/32-23 "Numbers 32:23 - Your Sin Will Find You Out")), forcing David into increasingly desperate and destructive measures to conceal his transgression. It underscores divine justice, which, though sometimes delayed, always comes to bear, revealing the truth and demanding accountability.

* [Numbers 32:23](/numbers/32-23 "Numbers 32:23 - Your Sin Will Find You Out")
* [Galatians 6:7](/galatians/6-7 "Galatians 6:7 - Sowing and Reaping")
* [Proverbs 28:13](/proverbs/28-13 "Proverbs 28:13 - Confessing Sin")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The revelation of Bathsheba's pregnancy in 2 Samuel 11:5 offers a profound and sobering lesson for believers today. It serves as a stark reminder that sin, even when committed in secret, carries inherent consequences that often manifest in undeniable ways, disrupting our lives and the lives of those around us. David's subsequent desperate attempts to cover up his sin only compounded his guilt, leading him to murder and further moral degradation. This narrative urges us to confront our own temptations and failures with honesty and humility, recognizing that true freedom and healing come not from concealment but from confession and repentance. Rather than trying to hide our transgressions, we are called to bring them into the light, trusting in God's mercy and forgiveness, which are abundantly available to those who genuinely seek them. This story encourages a posture of vigilance against temptation and a commitment to integrity, knowing that God sees all and His grace is sufficient for our brokenness.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does David's initial sin and Bathsheba's message highlight the deceptive nature of sin, which promises pleasure but delivers pain and exposure?**
* **In what ways might we, like David, be tempted to cover up our mistakes or sins, and what are the potential destructive outcomes of such actions?**
* **What does this verse teach us about the importance of immediate and honest confession when we fall into sin, rather than attempting to conceal it?**

### FAQ
**Why did Bathsheba send a message to David instead of Uriah, her husband?**

Answer: Bathsheba sent the message to David, not Uriah, because David was the father of the child. Sending the message to Uriah would have immediately exposed her adultery and placed both her and David in mortal danger under the Mosaic Law, which prescribed death for adultery ([Leviticus 20:10](/leviticus/20-10 "Leviticus 20:10 - Law on Adultery")). By informing David, she was placing the responsibility on him, as the king and the child's father, to resolve the crisis. This act highlights her vulnerable position and David's culpability, forcing him to confront the direct consequence of his abuse of power and illicit affair.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 2 Samuel 11:5 describes a moment of profound human failure and the immediate consequence of sin, it also implicitly points to the ultimate need for a deliverer from sin's power and consequences, a role perfectly fulfilled by Jesus Christ. David, despite being "a man after God's own heart," demonstrates the universal human propensity to sin and the inability of even the greatest earthly kings to escape its corrupting influence. The pregnancy of Bathsheba is a stark reminder that sin is not merely an internal thought but has tangible, often devastating, external effects. In contrast, Jesus, the true King and Son of David, was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin ([Luke 1:35](/luke/1-35 "Luke 1:35 - Conception of Jesus")) and lived a perfectly righteous life, never succumbing to temptation ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus Tempted But Sinless")). He did not seek to cover up sin but came to expose it and then to atone for it, taking the full weight of humanity's transgressions upon Himself on the cross ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). The tragic consequences that unfold from David's sin in [2 Samuel 11](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11 - David's Sin and Its Immediate Consequences") underscore the need for a divine solution to the problem of sin—a solution found only in the redemptive work of the [Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Through Christ, the cycle of sin and its inevitable consequences is broken, offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life to all who believe ([Romans 6:23](/romans/6-23 "Romans 6:23 - The Wages of Sin and Gift of God")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Deuteronomy 22:22

If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, [both] the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

Proverbs 6:34

For jealousy [is] the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.