2 Samuel · Revised Version with Apocrypha
2 Samuel 11 Revised Version with Apocrypha
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [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 at Jerusalem.
1 At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass at eventide, 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 bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
2 At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
3 David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?”
4 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.
4 David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.
5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
6 And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
6 David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
8 And David said to Uriah, Go down 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.
8 David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.
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.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and didn’t go down to his house.
10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thine house?
10 When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”
11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; 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.
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”
12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
12 David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.
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.
13 When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
14 In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 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.
15 He wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck and die.”
16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.
16 When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
17 The men of the city went out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
19 and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,
19 and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,
20 it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
20 it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?
21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
21 Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said unto David, 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.
23 The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.
24 And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
24 The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”
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.
25 Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
27 When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Bathsheba
Wife of David and mother of Solomon, remembered amid both sin and grace.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 1-2; Matthew 1:6
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Eliam
Named as the father of Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Chronicles 3:5 calls him Ammiel.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 11:3; 1 Chronicles 3:5
Uriah
A Hittite warrior, husband of Bathsheba, who would not go home while the ark and the army were in tents, and whom David had placed in the fiercest fighting so that he would be…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 11:3; 2 Samuel 11:11; 2 Samuel 11:15
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Chronicles 20:1; 1 Kings 20:26; 1 Kings 20:22; 2 Chronicles 36:10; Ecclesiastes 3:8
- 2 Matthew 5:28; Psalm 119:37; 1 John 2:16; Acts 10:9; Job 31:1
- 3 2 Samuel 23:39; 1 Chronicles 3:5; Jeremiah 5:8; James 1:14–15; 1 Chronicles 11:41
- 4 Leviticus 18:19; James 1:14–15; Psalm 51:1–19; Proverbs 30:20; Leviticus 12:2–5
- 5 Deuteronomy 22:22; Proverbs 6:34
- 6 Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 26:70; Isaiah 29:13; Job 20:12–14; Genesis 38:18–23
- 7 1 Samuel 17:22; Genesis 37:14; Genesis 29:6
- 8 Genesis 18:4; Isaiah 29:15; Luke 7:44; Luke 12:2; Psalm 55:21
- 9 Proverbs 21:30; Job 5:12–14
- 11 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 20:6; 2 Samuel 7:6; 1 Samuel 1:26; 2 Timothy 2:12
- 12 Jeremiah 2:22–23; Jeremiah 2:37
- 13 Habakkuk 2:15; Genesis 19:32–35; Exodus 32:21; Proverbs 20:1
- 14 1 Kings 21:8–10; Jeremiah 17:9; Micah 7:3–5; Psalm 52:2; Psalm 19:13
- 15 2 Samuel 12:9; Psalm 51:4; 2 Samuel 11:17; Psalm 51:14; 1 Samuel 18:21
- 16 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Samuel 20:9–10; 2 Kings 10:6; 1 Kings 21:12–14; 2 Samuel 11:21
- 17 Psalm 51:14; 2 Samuel 12:9
- 21 Judges 9:50–54; Judges 7:1; 2 Samuel 3:27; Judges 6:32; 2 Samuel 3:34
- 25 2 Samuel 12:26; Ecclesiastes 9:1–3; 1 Samuel 6:9; Joshua 7:8–9; Ecclesiastes 9:11–12
- 26 2 Samuel 14:2; 2 Samuel 3:31; Genesis 27:41
- 27 2 Samuel 12:9; Psalm 51:4–5; 1 Chronicles 21:7; Hebrews 13:4; Deuteronomy 22:29
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
But when his lust prompted him to take Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Scripture said concerning him, "Now, the thing (sermo) which David had done appeared wicked in the eyes of the Lord;" and Nathan the prophet is sent to him, pointing out to him his crime, in order that he, passing sentence upon and condemning himself, might obtain …