Matthew Poole's Commentary And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. Whilst Joab besieged Rabbah David committeth adultery with Bath-sheba, 2 Samuel 11:1-4. And hearing that she was with child, he sendeth for Uriah her husband out of the camp, to cover his shame. He will not go to his own house, neither sober nor drunk, 2 Samuel 11:5-13. David sendeth him again into the camp with a letter to Joab to expose him to death, 2 Samuel 11:14-17. The news of which Joab sendeth to David: he marrieth Bath-sheba, 2 Samuel 11:18-27. After the year was expired; when that year ended, and the next begun, which was in the spring time, Exodus 12:2. When kings go forth; which is when the ground is fit for the march of soldiers, and brings forth provision for man and beast. To battle: these words are to be understood here, as Genesis 10:11 14:8. Rabbah; the chief and royal city of the Ammonites, Deu 3:11. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. From off his bed; where he had lain and slept for some time; being possibly disposed to sleep after dinner, by reason of some excess committed in eating or drinking; and indulging himself in his lazy humour, which may seem very improper for so great a prince and captain, who had so many and great burdens upon his shoulders, especially in a time of war; and therefore such practices have been condemned by heathens; and Homer will not allow a general and great counsellor to sleep all the night, much less to take any part of the day for it. And therefore this is thought to be David’s first error, and the occasion of his following fall. Walked upon the roof; which was plain, after the manner, Deu 22:8. Washing herself, to wit, in a bath, which possibly was in her garden, or in some room near to the king s palace, where she might wash herself divers ways, and for different ends; either for health, or coolness, or to cleanse herself from some kind of legal impurity; where also, the windows being open, and she careless, David might espy her. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? Instead of suppressing that lust which the sight of his eyes had kindled, he seeks rather to feed it; and first inquires who she was; that, if she were unmarried, he might make her either his wife or his concubine. Bath-sheba, called also Bath-shuah, 1 Chronicles 3:5, where also Eliam is called Ammiel. The Hittite; so called, either, 1. By his original, being born either of that race, but become a zealous proselyte; or, at least. among that people. Or, 2. By his habitation among them. Or, 3. For some notable exploit of his against that people: see 1 Samuel 26:6, and See Poole "2 Samuel 8:18". And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. David sent and took her from her own house into his palace, not by force, but by persuasion, as desiring to speak with her. She came in unto him; into his palace and chamber, as he desired. For she was purified, to wit, from her menstruous pollution, according to the law, Leviticus 18:19; which is here noted as the reason, either why David pursued his lustful desire, or why she so easily yielded to it, because she was not under that pollution which might alienate her from it; or rather, why she so readily conceived, that time being observed by Aristotle and others to be the most likely time for conception. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. Consider therefore what to do for thy own honour, and for my safety, whom thou hast brought into a most shameful and dangerous condition. And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. No text from Poole on this verse. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. Frivolous questions, which any common messenger could have answered; which probably made Uriah suspect that there was some other secret cause why he was sent for. And he might understand something, either by David’s messengers, 2 Samuel 11:4, or by some of his own family, concerning her being sent for to the court; which, together with other circumstances, might give him cause of further suspicion. Yet such might be the questions (though not here particularly mentioned) concerning those heads, as every private person might not be acquainted with, nor able to resolve, but such only as were acquainted with the counsel of war. 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. Go down to thy house; not doubting but he would there converse with his wife, and so cover their sin and shame. Wash thy feet; as travellers there used to do. There followed him a mess of meat; seemingly as testimony of David’s respect and affection to him; but really to cheer up his spirits, and dispose him to desire his wife’s company. 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. With all the servants of his lord; with the king’s guard. This he did, either upon some suspicion of the matter; see 2 Samuel 11:7 or by the secret direction of God’s wise and irresistible providence, who would bring David’s sin to light. 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? When they had told David; whether of their own accord, or being first asked by David, it doth not appear. Camest thou not from thy journey, wearied with hard service and travel, and therefore didst need refreshment? nor did I expect or desire that thou shouldst now attend upon my person, or keep the watch. 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. The ark, it seems, was now carried with them for their encouragement and direction, as was usual: see Numbers 10:35 1 Samuel 4:4. In the open fields, to wit, in tents which are in the fields. And to lie with my wife: he might possibly add these words, to insinuate his apprehension of the king’s design, and to awaken his conscience to the consideration of his sin, and of the injury which he had done him. His meaning is, Now when God’s people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights. Whereby he might possibly intimate how unworthy it was for David in such a season to indulge himself in sinful and injurious pleasures. But David’s ear was now deaf, his heart being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 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. No text from Poole on this verse. 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. When David had called him, i.e. being invited by David. He made him drunk, or, he made him merry, as the word oft signifies. He caused him to drink more than was convenient. He went out to lie on his bed; which it doth not appear that he did the night before; but now his excess in eating and drinking might make it more necessary for him. With the servants of his lord, i.e. in some chamber in the king’s court, where the king’s servants used to take their repose. And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. No text from Poole on this verse. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. So far is David from repenting upon these just and great occasions, that he seeks to cover one sin with another; and to hide his adultery with murder, even the murder of a most excellent person, and that in a most malicious and perfidious manner. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. Placed there to defend it, because that part of the city was supposed either the weakest, or the place designed for the assault. Joab having formerly committed a base murder upon Abner, was ready to execute this wicked command of the king; that so he being involved in the same guilt with him, might the more willingly receive him into favour. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. No text from Poole on this verse. Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; No text from Poole on this verse. And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, No text from Poole on this verse. And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? No text from Poole on this verse. Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Jerubbesheth, called also Jerubbaal, Judges 9:1. See Poole "2 Samuel 2:8". Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also; which he knew would be acceptable news to the king, and therefore allay his wrath. This indeed might make the messenger suspect that David had a hand in Uriah’s death; and possibly Joab might say so for that very reason, that these matters by degrees being known, David might be hardened in sin, and so Joab might have the greater interest in him. So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. No text from Poole on this verse. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. We beat them back, and pursued them even to the gate. And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. No text from Poole on this verse. Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. Let not this thing displease thee; be not dejected or discouraged by this sad occasion. Encourage thou him, i.e. Joab, to proceed in the siege. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. No text from Poole on this verse. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. When the mourning was past; which was seven days, Genesis 1:10 1 Samuel 31:13. Nor could the nature of the thing admit of longer delay lest the too early birth of the child might discover David’s sin. David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife; by which it appears that David continued in the state of impenitency for divers months together, and this notwithstanding his frequent attendance upon God’s ordinances; which is an eminent instance of the corruption of man’s nature, which is even in the best; and, without Divine assistance, is too strong for them; of the deceitfulness of sin, and of the tremendous judgment of God in punishing one sin, by delivering a man up to another. The thing that David had done, i.e. his adultery and murder, as is evident from the next chapter. |
    |