General Comments on 2 Samuel 11-12 The JPS translation on this chapter and the next is considerably clearer than the KJV on some key verses, thus it will be referred to in these comments. In these two chapters we see David's fall. In the chapters leading up to these we see some disturbing events which warn us of things to come. David goes to war and kills with considerable zest, and at times seems entirely too willing to kill people for questionable reasons (cp. 2 Sam. 1:14-16, 2 Sam. 12:5-6). He also goes about making self-deprecating comments in public (cf. 1 Sam. 24:14, 2 Sam. 9:8), all the while very much concerned about his position and status (cf. 2 Sam. 12:28-30). So, David is very much interested in cultivating a positive public image (cf. 1 Sam. 18:7, 1 Sam. 21:10-11). Then in chapter 8 we see that David largely retires from military action and has Joab take control of the military (2 Samuel 8:15-18). So, David has delegated his duties as the king of Israel to others and sits back and rests on his laurels. The text of 2 Sam. 8:15 "And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people" ends up reading very much like Morianton in Ether 10:11 "And he did do justice unto the people, but not unto himself because of his many whoredoms; wherefore he was cut off from the presence of the Lord." Comments in 2 Samuel 11 v1 Here we have the setting established. Rather than going to war like the king of Israel should, David has delegated leadership of the army to Joab (cf. 8:16) and David remains in Jerusalem. He ought to have been seeing to his responsibilities as king of Israel, instead he has become like a typical gentile king. v2-5 David, apparently in his boredom, takes up voyeurism. He spies a beautiful woman bathing herself, and despite his numerous other wives and concubines desires this one as well. If we take a close look at the JPS translation of the text, we can see more clearly what is going on here. Verse 4 makes it clear that Bathsheba had just finished purifying herself from her period, which purification lasts 7 days (cf. Lev. 15:19-24), and after their tryst Bathseba conceives. Ovulation typically occurs about 14 days from the onset of menstruation, so if we assume about 5 days for her period plus 7 days for her purification, that puts us right into the time frame for her being prone to pregnancy, which is exactly what happens. But, what does this tell us about v. 2? It tells us that the "bathing" she was doing was the purification from her period. Thus, it would have been very provocative for a voyeur to observe. So, we can begin to see a bit more clearly why David was aroused and acted so boldly: a beautiful woman indiscreetly bathing in a provocative fashion. We then have to question Bathsheba's motives. Why was she bathing herself in this manner so indiscreetly? Why does she accept David's invitation to visit him? Why does she lay with him? The text doesn't suggest rape at all. And we know it is significantly more likely for women to conceive under conditions of consent than under conditions of force. Thus, all of the evidence indicates Bathsheba was at least a willing participant, and more likely was acting the part of seductress. A lurid situation that ends in her getting pregnant. v3 "Uriah the Hittite", Uriah was not an Israelite, and was one of David's "mighty men", cf. 2 Sam. 23:39. Many of David's "mighty men" were non-Israelites. It is almost certain David knew Uriah personally, he being one of his close body guards. This obviously did not deter him from having him disposed of. v6-13 When David hears of her pregnancy he cunningly tried to cover up the matter by having Uriah sent home. Under the false pretenses of having him report on the status of the war (v. 7), he has Uriah sent back to Jerusalem. After the report he tells Uriah to go home and relax (v. 8). However, Uriah refuses because all of the other soldiers of Israel and the arc are out to war, so he feels it unfair for him to enjoy the comforts and pleasures of home (v. 11). David is stymied by Uriah's austere and devoted nature, so he tries to compromise it by getting him drunk, but even that doesn't work (v. 13). Uriah never goes home so the pregnancy cannot be attributed to him. v14-25 David's plans being foiled by Uriah's austere nature, he resorts to having Uriah killed in battle. And this time he succeeds in his plans. But why did Joab assent to have Uriah disposed of in such a fashion, apparently without even questioning his motives? I would guess in a time such as that when war was rampant, that intrigue was probably common. Joab probably just assumed that Uriah was guilty of some intrigue and disposing of him in such a manner was simply expedient and perhaps an honorable death. Consider the irony at work here. Previously Saul tried to get David killed in a similar fashion by forcing him to provide a dowry of 100 Philistine foreskins, cf. 1 Sam. 18:20-25. Also, David used to be as austere and as faithful as Uriah was, now however he is quite the opposite. v20-21 Notice Joab is telling the messenger that if David gets angry about the apparent poor military tactics, to inform him that Uriah is dead. Thus, David's wrath would be placated by his knowing that the poor military tactics were employed to fulfil his request to have Uriah disposed of. v25 Note David's casual attitude over the deaths. Not only did Uriah die, but several others did as well (cf. v. 17). David doesn't seem too upset about it, does he? All he cares about at this point is having Uriah out of the way to cover up his own sin. That several died in the process is of no consequence to him. v26-27 With Uriah out of the way, Bathsheba fulfils the time of mourning and then promptly marries David. While David has successfully covered up the act of adultery by having Uriah killed in combat, the Lord is aware of his actions and is displeased with them. Character Analysis on David As the Scriptures tell stories about real people, we can gather information on what these people were like by gathering the disparate pieces of data together. This is particularly true of David, on whom a considerable amount is written. Humble Beginnings David starts out humble enough, as the youngest son among several brothers, tending sheep. A nice looking boy, but not especially noteworthy. 1 Sam. 16:6-12 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Musically and Lyrically Inclined When a harp player is sought out, David is the one chosen. Suggesting David was the best they could find. 1 Sam. 16:16 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 1 Sam. 16:23 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. He also wrote a number of Psalms. 2 Sam. 22:1 1 And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.... 2 Sam. 23:1-3 1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.... Proactive David doesn't sit around and wait for things to happen. He wants to know why people aren't doing anything, and if they don't, he will. 1 Sam. 17:26-29 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 2 Sam. 4:9-12 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. Zealous, then Overzealous Early on, David's zeal for the Lord is notable. Especially in his confrontation with Goliath. 1 Sam. 17:43-47 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands. However, later on, he becomes somewhat overzealous and still treats Saul as the Lord's anointed even after the anointment has been revoked. And in the case below he ends up having someone executed who was not guilty of what he seemingly was as the Amalekite man was lying about his involvement in Saul's demise in order to ingratiate himself with David. 2 Sam. 1:14-15 14 And David said unto him, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed? 15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died. Cultivates Public Persona Early on, David learns how important it is to carry the public's favor. 1 Sam. 18:6-8 6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? From then on he acts in such a way as to be in the public eye and curry their favor. 1 Sam. 18:12-16 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. 16 But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them. 2 Sam. 3:31-36 31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David himself followed the bier. 32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him. 35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down. 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. Death Becomes Mundane Being in war so much and seeing so much death firsthand appears to have made death blase to David. He has Uriah disposed of in combat and a number of other soldiers perish as well. To this he says: 2 Sam. 11:25 25 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. His attitude towards death becomes so strange his attendants question his actions with regard to the death of the first child he has with Batsheba. 2 Sam. 12:21-23 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Girl Problems David has numerous interactions with women that are documented in detail. He is set up with two of Saul's daughters (cf. 1 Sam. 18). He ultimately marries Michal, the second one whim loves him very much, and she ends up saving his life (cf. 1 Sam. 19). He goes into exile and runs into Abigail, and shortly thereafter marries her to make wife number 3 (cf. 1 Sam. 25, we don't know much about wife #2, cf. 1 Sam. 25:43). Meanwhile, Michal has been given to someone else (1 Sam. 25:44). He then takes a few more wives (2 Sam. 3:2-5). Upon becoming king he apparently doesn't make any effort to get Michal back. And then he runs into serious trouble with Bathsheba, which ultimately costs him his exaltation (2 Sam. 11). Why is the Bible so Painfully Honest about these Characters? In addressing these people, the Bible seems mercilessly honest sometimes. We have the three big Kings of Israel presented with all of their warts exposed. Each one is presented as rising and communing with God, only to abuse their power and privileges and then fall, creating their own destruction: Saul David Solomon /\ /\ /\ / \ / \ / \ Rise / \ Fall / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ The reason the flaws are kept in the text is to show us they are real people, not gods. Thus, it serves as a foil to ancestor worship or the temptation to put these kings of Israel up on a pedestal and make them superhuman. They were people, just like we are. It also serves to emphasizes the perfection of God by contrast, as He is the only One who is free from sin. Additionally, their foibles serve as examples to us. We should recognize that power has its price and therefore should be wary of it and not repeat their mistakes. Finally, these all too human kings serve as a contrast with the "prophet like Moses", the "Messiah". While these kings are eminently prone to error because of the tremendous power invested in them, they Messiah rules justly while being invested with all that power and even more: Christ / Saul David Solomon / / /\ /\ /\ / / \ / \ / \ / / \ / \ / \ / / \ / \ / \ / While all of the kings of Israel rise and fall under the power there are invested with, the Messiah avoids the pitfalls they are prone to and never falls. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.