TRV
Translation
King James Version
And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
Complete Jewish Bible
When Uriyah had come to him, David asked him how Yo'av was doing, how the people were feeling and how the war was going.
Berean Standard Bible
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
American Standard Version
And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
World English Bible Messianic
When Uriah had come to him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And when Vriah came vnto him, Dauid demanded him how Ioab did, and howe the people fared, and how the warre prospered.
Young's Literal Translation
and 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.
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In the KJVVerse 8,267 of 31,102
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Commentary on 2 Samuel 11 verses 6–13
6 ¶ And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
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, 1. That he would prosecute his wife, according to law, and have her stoned to death; for jealousy is the rage of a man, especially a man of honour, and he that is thus injured will not spare in the day of vengeance, Pro 6:34. This Bath-sheba was apprehensive of when she sent to let David know she was with child, intimating that he was concerned to protect her, and, it is likely, if he had not promised her so to do (so wretchedly abusing his royal power), she would not have consented to him. Hope of impunity is a great encouragement to iniquity. 2. It might also be expected that since he could not prosecute David by law for an offence of this nature he would take his revenge another way, and raise a rebellion against him. There have been instances of kings who by provocations of this nature, given to some of their powerful subjects, have lost their crowns. To prevent this double mischief, David endeavours to father the child which should be born upon Uriah himself, and therefore sends for him home to stay a night or two with his wife. Observe,
I. How the plot was laid. Uriah must come home from the army under pretence of bringing David an account how the war prospered, and how they went on with the siege of Rabbah, Sa2 11:7. Thus does he pretend a more than ordinary concern for his army when that was the least thing in his thoughts; if he had not had another turn to serve, an express of much less figure than Uriah might have sufficed to bring him a report of the state of the war. David, having had as much conference with Uriah as he thought requisite to cover the design, sent him to his house, and, that he might be the more pleasant there with the wife of his youth, sent a dish of meat after him for their supper, Sa2 11:8. When that project failed the first night, and Uriah, being weary of his journey and more desirous of sleep than meat, lay all night in the guard-chamber, the next night he made him drunk (Sa2 11:13), or made him merry, tempted him to drink more than was fit, that he might forget his vow (Sa2 11:11), and might be disposed to go home to his own bed, to which perhaps, if David could have made him dead drunk, he would have ordered him to be carried. It is a very wicked thing, upon any design whatsoever, to make a person drunk. Woe to him that does so, Hab 2:15, Hab 2:16. God will put a cup of trembling into the hands of those who put into the hands of others the cup of drunkenness. Robbing a man of his reason is worse than robbing him of his money, and drawing him into sin worse than drawing him into any trouble whatsoever. Every good man, especially every magistrate, should endeavour to prevent this sin, by admonishing, restraining, and denying the glass to those whom they see falling into excess; but to further it is to do the devil's work, to officiate as factor for him.
II. How this plot was defeated by Uriah's firm resolution not to lie in his own bed. Both nights he slept with the life-guard, and went not down to his house, though, it is probable, his wife pressed him to do it as much as David, Sa2 11:9, Sa2 11:12. Now, 1. Some think he suspected what was done, being informed of his wife's attendance at court, and therefore he would not go near her. But if he had had any suspicion of that kind, surely he would have opened the letter that David sent by him to Joab. 2. Whether he suspected any thing or no, Providence put this resolution into his heart, and kept him to it, for the discovering of David's sin, and that the baffling of his design to conceal it might awaken David's conscience to confess it and repent of it. 3. The reason he gave to David for this strange instance of self-denial and mortification was very noble, Sa2 11:11. While the army was encamped in the field, he would not lie at ease in his own house. "The ark is in a tent," whether at home, in the tent David had pitched for it, or abroad, with Joab in the camp, is not certain. "Joab, and all the mighty men of Israel, lie hard and uneasy, and much exposed to the weather and to the enemy; and shall I go and take my ease and pleasure at my own house?" No, he protests he will not do it. Now, (1.) This was in itself a generous resolution, and showed Uriah to be a man of a public spirit, bold and hardy, and mortified to the delights of sense. In times of public difficulty and danger it does not become us to repose ourselves in security, or roll ourselves in pleasure, or, with the king and Haman, to sit down to drink when the city Shushan was perplexed, Est 3:15. We should voluntarily endure hardness when the church of God is constrained to endure it. (2.) It might have been of use to awaken David's conscience, and make his heart to smite him for what he had done. [1.] That he had basely abused so brave a man as Uriah was, a man so heartily concerned for him and his kingdom, and that acted for him and it with so much vigour. [2.] That he was himself so unlike him. The consideration of the public hardships and hazards kept Uriah from lawful pleasures, yet could not keep David, though more nearly interested, from unlawful ones. Uriah's severity to himself should have shamed David for his indulgence of himself. The law was, When the host goeth forth against the enemy then, in a special manner, keep thyself from every wicked thing, Deu 23:9. Uriah outdid that law, but David violated it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–13. Public domain.
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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Apology for the Prophet David, Chapter 1
We have taken up the task of writing an apology for the present style of the prophet David, not because he needs this gift, who has excelled in such great merits and flourished in virtues, but because many people, reading the sequence of his deeds without considering the power of the Scriptures or the hidden mysteries, wonder how such a great prophet did not avoid the contagion of adultery first and then of murder.
Therefore, it was our desire to review the history itself, which seems to have been exposed to sin. For in the second book of Kings (2 Samuel 11:2-27), we read that while David was walking in his royal palace, he saw a woman bathing (her name was Bathsheba), of remarkable beauty and grace, with a very attractive face, and he was overcome by the desire to possess her. However, the woman was married to a man named Uriah, and the scene of his death was arranged by royal command. For although it had no effect on his desire, yet it was considered to greatly impede his sense of shame for adultery.
Therefore, let us begin with the most obvious, whom God justified, so that you may not judge. 'For it is of little concern to me,' says Paul, 'that I should be judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself' (1 Corinthians 4:3). Even though he was still in the body and subject to temptation, he did not judge himself because a spiritual person is not judged by anyone but God alone. Finally, he added, 'The one who judges me is the Lord' (1 Corinthians 4:4). Therefore, do not judge anything before the appointed time (ibid., 4 and 5). But David has already fulfilled his time and has earned grace, and he is justified by Christ; since David himself rejoiced in being called the son of the Lord, and those who confessed him in this way were enlightened. Why do you call a man of God from a reward to judgment? The Lord has already judged him, of whom he said to Solomon: If you walk before me as your father David walked in the holiness of heart and righteousness, in order to do everything I commanded him (3 Kings 9:4). Is he worthy of judgment or reward, who has done everything according to heavenly commands, walking in holiness and righteousness of heart? Where the vices and sins of others are hidden, there David receives divine testimony of his virtue and glory. And we discuss his sin in vain, for it is through his merit and grace that the sins of others have been revealed. For when Solomon sinned by not keeping the Lord's commands and God intended to divide his kingdom into many parts, He said to him: However, I will not do this in your days because of your father David. I will take it from the hand of your son. However, I will not take the whole kingdom; I will give him one scepter because of my servant David (3 Kings 11:12-13). Therefore, since the Lord justifies, who is there to condemn? What God has cleansed, you must not call common (Acts 10:15).
Nevertheless, with due regard to heavenly judgment, in which you honor the prophet even more, enter into his actions and behaviors. Do not marvel at the man, and do not judge him to be equal to the angels, because he has spent most of his life, even from childhood, dwelling in riches, honors, and positions of power, and has been subjected to many temptations. He has only once given in to error, and it is through this error that even the angels of heaven, as Scripture recounts (Genesis 6:2), were cast down from their virtue and grace. Indeed, another error of his is mentioned, that he caused the people to be counted.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
2 Samuel 11:7 captures King David's calculated and deceptive opening move in his desperate attempt to conceal his adultery with Bathsheba and her subsequent pregnancy. Upon the loyal Uriah the Hittite's arrival from the battlefield, David engages him in a seemingly benign conversation, posing inquiries about the welfare of his commander Joab, the general state of the troops, and the prosperity of the ongoing war. This seemingly innocent exchange is a meticulously orchestrated facade, designed to gather information and manipulate Uriah into returning home to his wife, thereby legitimizing the impending birth and covering up the king's egregious sin.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The narrative in 2 Samuel 11:7 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound meaning and underscore the moral gravity of David's actions. Irony is central to this verse, as David's questions about the "welfare" and "prosperity" (shalom) of the war are deeply ironic given his own moral decay and the destructive path of sin he has embarked upon. He hypocritically inquires about peace and well-being while actively undermining both in his own life and kingdom. Foreshadowing is also powerfully evident, as David's calculated and seemingly benign inquiries hint at the deeper, more sinister deceit to come, leading ultimately to Uriah's tragic and unjust murder. The seemingly innocent conversation subtly foreshadows the tragic unraveling of David's character and the severe divine judgment that will inevitably follow. Furthermore, there is a striking Juxtaposition between David's outward performance of a concerned and diligent king and his inward, corrupt, and manipulative intentions, highlighting the profound moral chasm that has opened within him.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
2 Samuel 11:7 serves as a stark biblical illustration of the insidious and escalating progression of sin. What begins as a moment of lust and adultery quickly escalates into a calculated act of deception and manipulation, demonstrating how unaddressed sin breeds further transgression. David's actions here reveal the universal human tendency to cover up wrongdoing rather than confess it, a futile endeavor given God's omniscience, justice, and unwavering moral standard. This verse underscores the profound theological truth that sin is not a static, isolated event but a dynamic and corrosive force that, if left unaddressed and unrepented of, will inevitably breed further sin, leading individuals down a path of increasing moral compromise, spiritual decay, and ultimately, divine discipline. It highlights the destructive nature of attempting to hide from God and the inevitable exposure that awaits those who choose concealment over genuine repentance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The tragic narrative of David and Uriah, particularly this pivotal verse, offers a sobering and profound mirror for self-examination in our own lives. It serves as a powerful reminder that sin's initial allure and fleeting pleasure often give way to a desperate, consuming need for concealment, inevitably leading us down a path of further deception and deeper moral compromise. David's seemingly innocent questions are a potent illustration of how we, too, might employ outward appearances, feigned concern, or even religious activity to mask our inner struggles, unconfessed sins, or manipulative intentions. This passage challenges us to confront the true and devastating cost of unaddressed sin and the ultimate futility of attempting to hide our transgressions from an all-seeing God or even from ourselves. It issues a profound call to cultivate a radical honesty and transparency before God, embracing immediate and humble repentance and confession rather than resorting to the destructive and self-defeating cycle of cover-ups. True spiritual integrity means aligning our outward actions and words with our inward intentions and character, even when that alignment is painful or exposes our deepest failures.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did David ask these specific questions to Uriah?
Answer: David's questions were a carefully calculated and strategic part of his elaborate scheme to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba and her subsequent pregnancy. By asking about the welfare of his commander Joab, the general state of the troops, and the overall progress of the war, David meticulously created a facade of a king genuinely concerned about his military affairs. This allowed him to gather necessary information and, more importantly, to set the stage for his next manipulative move: sending Uriah home to his wife. David's ultimate, insidious goal was for Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba, thereby making Uriah appear to be the biological father of the child and thus concealing David's egregious sin and preserving his public reputation.
What does this verse reveal about David's character at this point in the narrative?
Answer: This verse reveals a profound and tragic moral decline in King David's character. Having succumbed to lust and committed adultery, he then compounds his initial sin by resorting to cunning deception, manipulation, and the misuse of his royal authority. Rather than confronting his sin with humility and repentance, David attempts to control and conceal the situation through deceitful means. It portrays a king who is willing to exploit his position and betray a loyal, honorable subject for personal gain and to preserve his own reputation, highlighting a sharp and painful contrast to his earlier character as "a man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14).
How does Uriah's later actions contrast with David's intentions here?
Answer: Uriah's subsequent actions, detailed in the verses immediately following, starkly contrast with David's deceitful and self-serving intentions. Despite David's persistent attempts to send him home to his wife, Uriah, out of unwavering loyalty to his fellow soldiers, the ark of God, and the sanctity of the battlefield, steadfastly refuses to go to his house and sleep with Bathsheba. His integrity, self-denial, and profound commitment to his duty, as powerfully expressed in 2 Samuel 11:11, inadvertently expose the depth of David's moral bankruptcy and the extent of his betrayal. Uriah's faithfulness and principled stand ultimately thwart David's initial cover-up plan, tragically leading David to resort to even more heinous and murderous acts to achieve his wicked aim.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The tragic narrative of 2 Samuel 11:7, with King David's calculated deception and subsequent moral unraveling, powerfully underscores humanity's profound and desperate need for a perfect King—one who does not succumb to the allure of sin, nor resort to manipulation, but embodies absolute righteousness and truth. David, despite being hailed as "a man after God's own heart," falls dramatically, demonstrating that even the greatest human leaders are inherently flawed, limited, and ultimately incapable of perfectly upholding justice, integrity, and righteousness. In stark contrast to David's desperate attempts to hide his sin, Jesus Christ is the King who never deceives, never manipulates, and never seeks to cover up sin. He is the very embodiment of truth and integrity (John 14:6), perfectly fulfilling the role of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep, rather than exploiting them (John 10:11). While David attempted to hide his sin, leading to further corruption and death, Christ came into the world precisely to expose sin, not for condemnation, but to offer radical forgiveness, cleansing, and new life to all who confess and believe (John 8:1-11, 1 John 1:9). The false "peace" (shalom) David sought through deceit and violence is ultimately found only in Christ, who offers true reconciliation with God and an inner peace that surpasses all human understanding (John 14:27, Philippians 4:7). His perfect obedience, sinless life, and sacrificial death provide the ultimate, divine solution to the problem of sin that David's tragic fall so vividly illustrates, offering redemption and restoration where human efforts at cover-up only lead to deeper entanglement and despair.