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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: 2 Samuel 11

Chapter 11

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.

A. M. 2969. B.C. 1035. An. Ex. Is. 456. after the year, etc. Heb. at the return of the year

1 Kings 20:22,26 2 Chronicles 36:10 Ecclesiastes 3:8

at the time

The sacred historian seems to intimate that there was one particular time of the year to which military operations were limited; and Josephus informs us that this took place in the beginning of spring. In another part of his works he says, that as soon as spring was begun, Adad levied and led forth his army against the Hebrews. Antiochus also prepared to invade Judea at the first appearance of spring; and Vespasian marched to Antipatris at the commencement of the same season. The kings and armies of the East, says Chardin, do not march but when there is grass, and when they can encamp, which is in April. This rule, however, seems to be disregarded in modern times.

David sent

1 Chronicles 20:1 Zechariah 14:3

Rabbah

12:26 Deuteronomy 3:11 1 Chronicles 20:1 Ezekiel 21:20

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.

arose from

4:5,7 Proverbs 19:15 24:33,34 Matthew 26:40,41 1 Thessalonians 5:6,7 1 Peter 4:7

the roof of

Deuteronomy 22:8 Jeremiah 19:13 Matthew 10:27 Acts 10:9

he saw

Genesis 3:6 6:2 34:2 Job 31:1 Psalms 119:37 Matthew 5:28 1 John 2:16

very beautiful

Genesis 39:6 Proverbs 6:25 31:30

And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

sent

Jeremiah 5:8 Hosea 7:6,7 James 1:14,15

Bath-sheba

or, Bath-shua. Eliam. or, Ammiel.

1 Chronicles 3:5

Uriah

23:39 1 Chronicles 11:41

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.

sent messengers

Genesis 39:7 Job 31:9-11 Psalms 50:18

he lay

Psalms 51:1 *title; James 1:14,15

she was, etc

or, and when she had purified herself, etc., she returned.

Proverbs 30:20

purified

Leviticus 12:2-5 15:19-28,29-33 18:19

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

I am with child

Deuteronomy 22:22 Proverbs 6:34

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

Send me

Genesis 4:7 38:18-23 1 Samuel 15:30 Job 20:12-14 Proverbs 28:13 Isaiah 29:13 Matthew 26:70,72,74

And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

how Joab did

Heb. of the peace of Joab.

Genesis 29:6 37:14 1 Samuel 17:22

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

Psalms 44:21 Isaiah 29:15 Luke 12:2 Hebrews 4:13

wash

Genesis 18:4 19:2

there followed him

Heb. there went out after him.

Psalms 12:2 55:21

a mess

Genesis 43:34

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.

Job 5:12-14 Proverbs 21:30

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

7:2,6 1 Samuel 4:4 14:18

my lord

20:6 Matthew 10:24,25 John 13:14 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 2 Timothy 2:3,4,12 Hebrews 12:1,2

shall I then

Isaiah 22:12-14

as thou livest

14:19 1 Samuel 1:26 17:55 20:3 25:26

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.

Jeremiah 2:22,23,37

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.

made him

Genesis 19:32-35 Exodus 32:21 Habakkuk 2:15

with the servants

Verse 14

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

wrote a letter

It was resolved in David's breast that Uriah must die--that innocent, valiant, and gallant man, who was ready to sacrifice his life for the honour of his prince; and, worse than all, by being himself made the bearer of letters to Joab which prescribed the mode by which he was to be murdered. This was the greatest treachery and villany on the part of David; while Joab appears to enter as fully upon the execution of the murder, being perhaps pleased to have this opportunity of further enthralling his king, and thus increasing his own power.

1 Kings 21:8-10 Psalms 19:13 52:2 62:9 Jeremiah 9:1-4 17:9 Micah 7:3-5

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.

Set ye

17 1 Samuel 18:17,21,25 Psalms 51:4,14 Jeremiah 20:13

hottest

Heb. strong. from him. Heb. from after him. and die.

12:9

And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

he assigned

21 3:27 20:9,10 1 Samuel 22:17-19 1 Kings 2:5,31-34 21:12-14 2 Kings 10:6 Proverbs 29:12 Hosea 5:11 Acts 5:29

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.

there fell

12:9 Psalms 51:14

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.

Abimelech

Judges 9:53

Jerubbesheth

Judges 6:32 7:1

Jerubbaal

Thy servant.

3:27,34 Psalms 39:8 Isaiah 14:10 Ezekiel 16:51,52

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.

displease thee

Heb. be evil in thine eyes. for the sword.

Joshua 7:8,9 1 Samuel 6:9 Ecclesiastes 9:1-3,11,12

one

Heb. so and such. What abominable hypocrisy was here! He well knew that the death of this noble and gallant man was no chance-medley: he was by his own order thrust on the sword.

make

12:26

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

she mourned

3:31 14:2 Genesis 27:41

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.

And when, etc

The whole of her conduct indicates that she observed the form, without feeling the power of sorrow. She lost a captain, and got a king for her husband: and therefore, Lacrymas non sponte cadentes effudit; gemitusque expressit pectore laeto; "She shed reluctant tears; and forced out groans from a joyful breast!"

fetched her

3:2-5 5:13-16 12:9 Deuteronomy 22:29

But the thing

Genesis 38:10 1 Chronicles 21:7

displeased

Heb. was evil in the eyes of.

Psalms 5:6 51:4,5 Hebrews 13:4