2 Samuel 11

2 Samuel · Chapter 11

2 Samuel 11:3

1And 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.2And 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.3And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?4And 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.5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.7And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.8And 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.9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.10And 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?11And 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.12And 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.13And 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.14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.15And 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.16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.17And 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.18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;19And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,20And 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?21Who 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.22So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.23And 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.24And 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.25Then 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.26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.27And 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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
3And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”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?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he sentוַיִּשְׁלַ֣חvai-yish-LACHH7971G
to send: depart

שָׁלַח (sha.lach) : depart/send 1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to send 1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct 1a3) to send away 1a4) to let loose 1b) (Niphal) to be sent 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out 1c2) to let go, set free 1c3) to shoot forth (of branches) 1c4) to let down 1c5) to shoot 1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled 1e) (Hiphil) to send

Davidדָּוִ֔דda-VIDH1732
David

דָּוִד (da.vid) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); …

and he enquiredוַיִּדְרֹ֖שׁvai-yid-ROSHH1875
to seek

דָּרַשׁ (da.rash) 1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) 1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a2a) of God 1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers 1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a3a) God 1a3b) heathen deities 1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require 1a5) to investigate, enquire 1a6) to ask for, require, demand 1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application 1a8) to seek with care, care for 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) 1b2) to be sought, be sought out …

of the womanלָֽאִשָּׁ֑הla-'i-SHAHH0802G
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

and he saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

¿ notהֲלוֹא־ha-lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

[is] thisזֹאת֙zoTH2063
this

זֹאת (zot) 1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such 1a) (alone) 1a1) this one 1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another 1b) (appos to subst) 1b1) this 1c) (as predicate) 1c1) this, such 1d) (enclitically) 1d1) then 1d2) who, whom 1d3) how now, what now 1d4) what now 1d5) wherefore now 1d6) behold here 1d7) just now 1d8) now, now already 1e) (poetry) 1e1) wherein, which, those who 1f) (with prefixes) 1f1) in this (place) here, then 1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter 1f3) thus and thus …

Bath-בַּת־bat-H1339
Bathsheba

בַּת־שֶׁ֫בַע (bat-she.va) A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.11.3; daughter of: Eliam (H0463); married to David (H1732) and Uriah (H0223A); mother of: Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416) and Solomon (H8010); also called Bath-shua at 1Ch.3.5; Also named: bat-shu.a (בַּת־שׁוּעַ "Bath-shua" H1340) § Bath-sheba = "daughter of an oath" the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan

-shebaשֶׁ֣בַעSHE-va'H1339
Bathsheba

בַּת־שֶׁ֫בַע (bat-she.va) A woman living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.11.3; daughter of: Eliam (H0463); married to David (H1732) and Uriah (H0223A); mother of: Shammua (H8051H), Shobab (H7727), Nathan (H5416) and Solomon (H8010); also called Bath-shua at 1Ch.3.5; Also named: bat-shu.a (בַּת־שׁוּעַ "Bath-shua" H1340) § Bath-sheba = "daughter of an oath" the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan

[the] daughter ofבַּת־bat-H1323G
daughter

בַּת (bat) : daughter 1) daughter 1a) daughter, girl, adopted daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, granddaughters, female child, cousin 1a1) as polite address 1a2) as designation of women of a particular place 2) young women, women 1a3) as personification 1a4) daughter-villages 1a5) description of character Also means: bat (בַּת ": village" H1323H)

Eliamאֱלִיעָ֔ם'e-li-'AMH0463G
Eliam

אֱלִיעָם (e.li.am) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.11.3; father of: Bathsheba (H1339); also called Ammiel at 1Ch.3.5; Also named: am.mi.el (עַמִּיאֵל "Ammiel" H5988J) § Eliam = "God of the people" or "God is kinsman" 1) Bathsheba's father 2) a Gilonite warrior of David

[the] wife ofאֵ֖שֶׁת'E-shetH0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

Uriahאוּרִיָּ֥ה'u-ri-YAHH0223A
Uriah

אוּרִיָּה (u.riy.yah) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Sa.11.3; married to Bathsheba (H1339) Also named: Ourias (Οὐρίας "Uriah" G3774) § Uriah or Urijah = "Jehovah (Yahweh) is my light (flame)" 1) Hittite husband of Bathsheba 2) a priest who built king Ahaz' heathen altar 3) a priest who rebuilt Jerusalem's wall

the Hittiteהַחִתִּֽי׃ha-chi-TIH2850
Hittite

חִתִּי (chit.ti) Someone descended from Heth who was a man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.15; son of: Canaan (H3667); brother of: Sidon (H6721), Jebusite (H2983), Amorite (H0567), Girgashite (H1622), Hivite (H2340), Arkite (H6208), Sinite (H5513), Arvadite (H0721), Zemarite (H6786) and Hamathite (H2577); also called Hittite (KJV: "of Heth") frequently Group of chet (חֵת "Heth" H2845) § Hittite = "descendant of Heth" the nation descended from Heth, the 2nd son of Canaan; once inhabitants of central Anatolia (modern Turkey), later in north Lebanon

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.