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. 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. 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?”
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!”
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. 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.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv8, 11, 13 David thought that if Uriah lay with his wife,…
David thought that if Uriah lay with his wife, his fault might be cloaked.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv8–13 2Sa 11:8 And David said to Uriah, Go down…
2Sa 11:8 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.
Ver. 8. Go down to thy house and wash thy feet,] i.e., Cura corpus et recrea te cum uxore tua, Refresh thyself after thy travel, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
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And there followed him a mess of meat from the king.] Ferculum regium, a mess royal, that Uriah might pamper his flesh, and then lie with his wife. Veneris enim stimuli sunt deliciae regale,: ut sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus. {a}
{a} Terent.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 10, 11, 13 Go down to thy house; not doubting but he…
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.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv8–13 And David said to Uriah, go down to thy…
And David said to Uriah, go down to thy house, and wash thy feet,.... For his refreshment, and to prepare for bed, which was what he wanted to get him to:
and Uriah departed out of the king's house; in order as it might seem to the king to go to his own:
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and there followed him a mess of meat from the king: no doubt a delicious dish, to eat with his wife before he went to bed, to excite him the more to desire the enjoyment of her this mess consisted, according to Abarbinel, of bread, wine, and flesh; and who also observes, after Ben Gersom, that the word may be interpreted of a torch to light him home to his house, being night.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv8–11 Go down - Not doubting but he would there…
Go down - Not doubting but he would there converse with his wife, and so cover their sin and shame.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 10, 11, 13 Verse 8. Go down to thy house, and wash…
Verse 8. Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet.] Uriah had come off a journey, and needed this refreshment; but David's design was that he should go and lie with his wife, that the child now conceived should pass for his, the honour of Bath-sheba be screened, and his own crime concealed. At this time he had no design of the murder of Uriah, nor of taking Bath-sheba to wife.
A mess of meat from the king.] All this was artfully contrived.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv8, 10, 11, 12 2Sa 11:8-9. David said, Go down to thy house…
2Sa 11:8-9. David said, Go down to thy house — Not doubting but he would there converse with his wife, and so hide their sin and shame. There followed him a mess of meat from the king — In token of David’s peculiar favour and kindness to him; and that, eating freely of good cheer, he might be the more desirous of enjoying the company of his wife. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house — Like a true soldier, he lay all night in the guard-chamber, and did not go home to his wife. This he did by the secret influence of God upon his mind, and the order of his wise providence, that David’s sin might be brought to light notwithstanding all his contrivances to conceal it.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv8, 11 A mess of meat - Compare Gen 43:34. The…
A mess of meat - Compare Gen 43:34. The word denotes the honorable portion given by the host to his chief guest.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 10, 11, 13 Feet. As they did not wear stockings, this practice…
Feet. As they did not wear stockings, this practice was very common after a journey. David thus insinuated that Urias might take his rest, and go to his wife, that so he might suppose that the child was his own, and the crime of Bethsabee might be concealed. (Calmet) --- King, as a mark of honour, but in reality that he might be more excited to indulge his pleasures. (Abulensis) (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv8–9 David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house--This…
David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house--This sudden recall, the manner of the king, his frivolous questions (Sa2 11:7), and his urgency for Uriah to sleep in his own house, probably awakened suspicions of the cause of this procedure.
there followed him a mess of meat from the king--A portion of meat from the royal table, sent to one's own house or lodgings, is one of the greatest compliments which an Eastern prince can pay.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv8, 11, 12, 13 DAVID’S ARTIFICES TO CONCEAL HIS SIN AND TO KILL…
DAVID’S ARTIFICES TO CONCEAL HIS SIN AND TO KILL URIAH, 2Sa_11:6-27.
8. Go down to thy house and wash thy feet — David’s ostensible object in sending for Uriah was to learn how the war prospered; and, being apparently pleased with his report of affairs, he directs him to go home and rest himself before returning to the scenes of war. Washing the feet was customary after a journey and before retiring to sleep. Gen_18:4; Gen_19:2. But the king’s real design was to have Uriah pass the night with his wife, that the child already conceived by her might not be regarded as the fruit of their adultery.
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There followed him a mess — As a royal present to convince him of the king’s affection for him. Very likely David feared that his sin was known or suspected, for the guilty soul is ever clouded with such suspicions.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 10, 11, 13 8. wash thy feet] An indispensable refreshment after a…
8. wash thy feet] An indispensable refreshment after a journey in the East, where sandals only were worn. Cp. Gen_18:4; Gen_43:24; Luk_7:44.
a mess of meat from the king] A portion from the king’s table as a mark of honour for his faithful servant. Cp. Gen_43:34.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv8, 9, 11, 13 (8) A mess of meat.—Lit. a present. The same…
(8) A mess of meat.—Lit. a present. The same word is used in Gen_43:34, and no doubt refers to some choice dish sent by the king to the guest whom he wished to honour.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv8, 11, 13 A mess (of meat); really, a royal present (see…
A mess (of meat); really, a royal present (see Est_2:18; Jer_40:5; Amo_5:11, where it is translated burdens of wheat, but really means presents of wheat, forced from the poor) though originally a portion of food sent to a guest from the table of the giver of a. (Gen_43:34) Uriah, as one of David"s thirty-seven heroes, would hold a high rank in the army, though the statement given by Josephus, that he was Joab"s armour bearer, is probably a mere conjecture, made with the view of explaining what seemed to him strange, that a foreigner should hold so distinguished a place among the captains of Israel. David sends for him, on the pretext that he wanted full information of Joab"s plans, and the state of the army, and the progress of the siege of Rabbah. And so prompt is Uriah, that he goes to the king still soiled with travel, and without calling at his house. And David makes his inquiries, listens with apparent interest to the narrative of the war, and, after receiving a full report, bids Uriah go home and rest and refresh himself after the journey. He sends him, moreover, a present, such probably as was usual after special service, but large and liberal, so as to put Uriah in good humour. But the old soldier cared for war more than for pleasure, and, instead of going to his house, spent the night in the guard room with the soldiers and others who were in attendance upon the king. (see 1Ki_14:27, 1Ki_14:28) All would be eager for news of friends and relatives, and it was a far greater delight to Uriah to chat with his old comrades than to be resting luxuriously in his own home.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v13 And when David had called him he made him…
2Sa_11:13
And when David had called him he made him drunk.
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The sinfulness of causing drunkenness
It is a very wicked thing, under any design whatsoever, to make a person drunk. Woe to him that does so (Hab_2:15-16.) God will put a cup of trembling into the hands of those who put into the hands of others the cup of drunkenness. Robbing a man of Ins reason is worse than robbing him of his money, and drawing him into sin worse than drawing him into any trouble whatsoever. (M. Henry.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv9, 12 his master
his master
The word "his" refers to Uriah and the word "master" refers to David.
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Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?
This rhetorical question is used to show David's surprise that Uriah did not visit his wife. This can be written as a statement. AT: "After coming from such a long journey, you should have gone down to your house." (See: Rhetorical Question)
Israel and Judah
This refers to their armies. AT: "the armies of Israel and Judah" (See: Synecdoche)
How then can I go into my house ... with my wife?
This rhetorical question is used to emphasize Uriah's refusal to visit his wife and can be translated as a statement. AT: "It would be wrong for me to go into my house ... with my wife while the other soldiers in my army are in danger." (See: Rhetorical Question and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
As sure as you are alive, I will not do this
Uriah swears a strong promise that he will not go home to his wife as long as the rest of the soldiers are at war. He makes this promise by comparing the truth of his promise to the certainty that the king was alive. AT: "I solemnly promise that I will not do this" (See: Simile)
translationWords
lord
ark of the covenant
Israel
Judah
tent
Joab
life
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv8, 11 11:8 and relax: David assumed that Uriah would have…
11:8 and relax: David assumed that Uriah would have sex with Bathsheba while on this weekend pass. Then everyone except Bathsheba would assume that the child was Uriah’s, conceived on this night. • a gift: David might not have even cared whether the husband and wife were intimate. Uriah’s return to his house would stifle any rumors as to how and when Bathsheba became pregnant.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.