David and Bathsheba; the Death of Uriah
2 Samuel 11:1-27
2 S.11.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לתשובת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- השנה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- צאת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- המלאכים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישחתו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- עמון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויצרו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- על: PREP
- רבה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- ודוד: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יושב: VERB,qal,ptcp,1,m,sg
- בירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 20:1 (verbal): Chronicles retells the same seasonal military frame—"in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle"—and the Joab/Ammonite campaign, using language and structure parallel to 2 Sam 11:1.
- 2 Samuel 10:18-19 (structural): Immediate narrative context: the preceding chapter describes David's military actions and the defeat of the Arameans/Ammonites, setting up the transition in 11:1 when David remains in Jerusalem while the fighting continues.
- 2 Samuel 12:26-31 (thematic): Later account of the capture of Rabbah—this passage continues the military thread begun in 11:1 (the campaign against the Ammonites/Rabbah) and shows the eventual outcome of the war mentioned in 11:1.
- 2 Samuel 11:2 (structural): Direct narrative continuation: immediately follows 11:1 and explains the narrative consequence of David's remaining in Jerusalem (his seeing Bathsheba and the ensuing events).
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; they besieged the sons of Ammon and laid siege to Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem.
- And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when the kings go out to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; they besieged the sons of Ammon and encamped against Rabbah; but David remained at Jerusalem.
2 S.11.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לעת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הערב: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויקם: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעל: PREP
- משכבו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3m
- ויתהלך: VERB,hitp,perf,3,m,sg
- על: PREP
- גג: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אשה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רחצת: VERB,qal,ptc,3,f,sg
- מעל: PREP
- הגג: NOUN,m,sg,def
- והאשה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- טובת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- מראה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מאד: ADV
Parallels
- Daniel 13:1-10 (Susanna) (thematic): Both narratives feature a woman bathing and powerful/male figures who see her; themes of voyeurism, abuse of power, and sexual threat are prominent.
- Judges 14:1-3 (thematic): Samson sees a Philistine woman, is attracted and acts to obtain her—parallels the motif of a strong man ruler/hero encountering a woman and desire prompting consequential action.
- Genesis 29:9-11 (thematic): Jacob sees Rachel and is immediately taken with her beauty—similar instant visual attraction on first sight and ensuing approach.
- 2 Samuel 13:1-4 (thematic): Amnon's sexual desire for Tamar and subsequent exploitative action echo David's lustful gaze on Bathsheba and the power dynamics that lead to sexual violation within the royal household.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass in the evening, David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful of form.
- And it came to pass in the evening that David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and he saw from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful of form.
2 S.11.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וידרש: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הלוא: PART
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- שבע: NUM,card
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- אליעם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשת: NOUN,f,sg,cns
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:2 (structural): Immediate narrative lead‑in — David sees Bathsheba bathing, which prompts him to inquire about her.
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (structural): Direct narrative continuation — David sleeps with Bathsheba and she later becomes pregnant.
- 2 Samuel 12:7-9 (quotation): Nathan’s rebuke recounts and accuses David of taking Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah’s death, explicitly restating the act described in 11:3–4.
- Psalm 51:1-4 (allusion): David’s penitential psalm (headed 'when Nathan the prophet went to him...') confesses and laments the sin recounted in 2 Samuel 11–12.
- Exodus 20:14 (Deuteronomy 5:18) (thematic): The commandment 'You shall not commit adultery' provides the moral/ legal background for understanding David’s action in taking another man's wife.
Alternative generated candidates
- And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, 'Is this not Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'
- And David sent and inquired about the woman; and one said, Is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
2 S.11.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מלאכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ויקחה: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg+PRON,3,f,sg
- ותבוא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- וישכב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עמה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- והיא: CONJ+PRON,3,f,sg
- מתקדשת: VERB,hitpael,part,3,f,sg
- מטמאתה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+3,f,sg
- ותשב: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתה: NOUN,m,sg,suff-3,f,sg
Parallels
- Leviticus 15:19-24 (verbal): Law on a woman’s ritual impurity and her purification after menstruation — parallels the phrase that Bathsheba “purified herself from her uncleanness.”
- Genesis 38:12-26 (thematic): Judah’s encounter with Tamar leads to a clandestine sexual liaison and a subsequent pregnancy; thematically similar motifs of sexual relations, concealment, and offspring arise.
- 2 Samuel 12:9-12 (allusion): Nathan’s oracle explicitly confronts David for taking Uriah’s wife and arranging Uriah’s death — a direct narrative consequence and moral assessment of the event in 11:4.
- Psalm 51:1-4,10-12 (thematic): David’s penitential psalm composed after Nathan’s rebuke reflects repentance for the adultery and its moral consequences, thematically linked to the act described in 11:4.
- Matthew 1:6 (structural): The Matthean genealogy refers to Solomon as David’s son ‘by her who had been the wife of Uriah,’ alluding to the Bathsheba episode and its dynastic outcome.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him; and he lay with her. Afterwards she purified herself from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.
- And David sent messengers and took her; and she came unto him, and he lay with her—and she had purified herself from her uncleanness—and she returned unto her house.
2 S.11.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותהר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- האשה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ותשלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ותגד: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ותאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- הרה: ADJ,f,sg
- אנכי: PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (verbal): Immediate antecedent: describes David's encounter with Bathsheba ('he sent and took her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her'), which directly produces the pregnancy reported in 11:5.
- 2 Samuel 12:13-14 (quotation): Nathan's oracle to David—though David's sin is forgiven, God announces that the child born to him will die; this is a direct prophetic response to the pregnancy announced in 11:5.
- 2 Samuel 12:15-18 (thematic): Narrative outcome of the pregnancy: the child becomes ill and dies after seven days, showing the consequence of David's act and Nathan's pronouncement.
- 2 Samuel 12:24 (structural): Narrative resolution: after the death of the first child conceived in 11:5, David and Bathsheba later bear Solomon—this verse continues the storyline begun by the pregnancy announcement.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, 'I am with child.'
- And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
2 S.11.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Sam.11.14-17 (structural): Direct continuation of the episode: David sends a letter to Joab ordering Uriah to be placed at the front of the assault so he will be killed, showing the murderous intent begun when David summoned Uriah.
- 2 Sam.11.11 (structural): Immediate prior/response material: Uriah's refusal to enjoy David's hospitality after being sent home highlights his integrity and precipitates David's later decision to end Uriah's life.
- 2 Sam.12.9-10 (verbal): Nathan's indictment echoes the action of this verse, accusing David of taking Uriah's wife and 'sending him away' to the battle front so he would die—explicit moral and factual reckoning with David's deed.
- Ps.51:1-4,10 (thematic): David's penitential psalm written after Nathan's confrontation; thematically connected as David acknowledges his sin (implicating the Bathsheba/Uriah episode) and pleads for cleansing and renewal.
Alternative generated candidates
- So David sent to Joab, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' And Joab sent Uriah to David.
- And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah to David.
2 S.11.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- וישאל: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשלום: PREP
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולשלום: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולשלום: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Sam.11.6 (structural): Immediate lead‑in: David sent someone to summon Uriah to Jerusalem—this precedes the question recorded in v.7 and sets the scene for the encounter.
- 2 Sam.11.8 (verbal): Direct verbal continuation/response: Uriah answers about Joab, the people and the campaign (reporting that Joab and the troops are encamped), echoing David’s threefold inquiry.
- 2 Sam.11.14-17 (thematic): Consequence of the encounter: David arranges Uriah’s placement at the battlefront so he will be killed—an outcome set in motion by the summons and subsequent exchange.
- 2 Sam.12.9-10 (thematic): Nathan’s later accusation explicitly ties David’s conduct to the death of Uriah; these verses thematically reflect back on the moment David questioned Uriah and then engineered his death.
Alternative generated candidates
- Uriah came to him; and David inquired of Joab's welfare, and of the welfare of the people, and of the welfare of the war.
- And Uriah came unto him; and David asked how Joab fared, and how the people fared, and how the war fared.
2 S.11.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאוריה: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- רד: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- לביתך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cs+PRON,2,f,sg
- ורחץ: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- רגליך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ותצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- אחריו: PREP,3,m,sg
- משאת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- John 13:5 (verbal): Both verses use the specific action 'wash your feet.' John uses foot‑washing as humble service; here David tells Uriah to 'wash your feet' as part of a domestic, hospitable command that serves David's ulterior motive.
- Ruth 3:3–4 (thematic): Ruth is instructed to wash, anoint, and go to the threshing floor to lie with Boaz—an instance where preparation/cleansing and an invitation set up a sexual/romantic encounter, paralleling Bathsheba’s washing and David’s invitation of Uriah to go home.
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (structural): Direct narrative parallel within the same episode: v.4 describes Bathsheba’s washing and David taking her to lie with him, the act that David’s invitation to Uriah later seeks to conceal.
- 2 Samuel 11:11 (structural): Uriah’s refusal to go to his house in v.11 directly responds to David’s invitation in v.8; the two verses form a unit contrasting David’s intent and Uriah’s principled conduct.
- 2 Samuel 12:9 (thematic): Nathan’s later indictment—accusing David of having Uriah killed and taking his wife—connects thematically to v.8 as part of David’s misuse of royal power and the chain of actions that lead to Uriah’s death.
Alternative generated candidates
- And David said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.' So Uriah departed from the king's house; and the king's present followed after him.
- And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house; and there followed him a present from the king.
2 S.11.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישכב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- פתח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- ירד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Sam 11:3-5 (structural): The preceding episode in the narrative: David first sees and summons Bathsheba, which sets the context for Uriah’s later presence and refusal to go home.
- 2 Sam 11:11 (verbal): Uriah’s own spoken explanation for not going to his house (he will not enjoy comforts while the ark, Israel, and the army are in the field), directly connected to his sleeping at the king’s door.
- 2 Sam 11:14-17 (structural): Joab’s subsequent deployment of Uriah to the battlefront and the arranged circumstances of his death continue the narrative thread that begins with Uriah’s staying outside the king’s house.
- 2 Sam 12:9-10 (quotation): Nathan’s rebuke recounts David’s treatment of Uriah—specifically charging him to the front and exposing him—explicitly referencing the events that follow Uriah’s refusal to go home.
- Ps 51:1-4 (thematic): David’s penitential psalm reflects on the sin and guilt arising from his actions (adultery and the consequences for Uriah), thematically linking his moral failure to the episode involving Uriah.
Alternative generated candidates
- But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house.
- But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord; and he did not go down to his house.
2 S.11.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויגדו: VERB,piel,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- לא: PART_NEG
- ירד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- הלוא: PART
- מדרך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מדוע: ADV
- לא: PART_NEG
- ירדת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:11 (verbal): Immediate response of Uriah to David's question — he explains he could not go home while the ark and servants remain in tents, showing his loyalty and setting up David's subsequent scheme.
- 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (structural): Direct narrative consequence of David's question: David arranges for Uriah to be placed at the front of the battle so he will be killed, completing the plot begun by the inquiry about Uriah's going home.
- 2 Samuel 12:9-10 (allusion): Nathan's indictment of David recounts the scheme against Uriah (sending him to the forefront and taking his wife) and pronounces judgment — a direct moral and legal reckoning for the events set in motion here.
- Psalm 51 (thematic): David's penitential psalm traditionally linked to Nathan's rebuke after the Uriah/Bathsheba incident; reflects the moral consequences and repentance that follow the actions initiated in 2 Samuel 11.
- 1 Kings 21:6-14 (thematic): Ahab and Jezebel's plot to have Naboth condemned and killed to seize his vineyard parallels the royal abuse of power in David's scheme to eliminate Uriah in order to possess Bathsheba.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they told David, saying, 'Uriah did not go down to his house.' And David said to Uriah, 'Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?'
- And they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house. Then David said to Uriah, Did you come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?
2 S.11.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארון: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויהודה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישבים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- בסכות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ואדני: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- על: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- חנים: VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,pl
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- אבוא: VERB,qal,impf,1,NA,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1cs
- לאכל: INF,qal
- ולשתות: CONJ+INF,qal
- ולשכב: CONJ+INF,qal
- עם: PREP
- אשתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1s
- חיך: NOUN,m,sg,poss2ms
- וחי: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נפשך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m
- אם: CONJ
- אעשה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (verbal): David sends for Uriah and tells him to go down to his house and wash his feet and lie with his wife — the speech that prompts Uriah's refusal in 11:11.
- 2 Samuel 11:13 (structural): Uriah's continued abstinence—he sleeps at the entrance of the king's house with the servants instead of going home—repeats and develops the refusal expressed in 11:11.
- 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (thematic): After Uriah refuses to enjoy home comforts, David arranges for him to be placed in the front of the battle so he will be killed—showing the covert consequence of Uriah's integrity in 11:11.
- 2 Samuel 12:9-10 (quotation): Nathan's indictment of David explicitly charges him with murdering Uriah and taking his wife; it thematically and legally links David's conduct toward Uriah (as in 11:11–17) with divine judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- Uriah said to David, 'The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field; shall I then go to 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.'
- Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field; shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as the life of your soul lives, I will not do this thing.
2 S.11.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בזה: PREP+DEM
- גם: ADV
- היום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ומחר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשלחך: VERB,qal,impf,1,x,sg
- וישב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בירושלם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ביום: PREP
- ההוא: DEM,ms,sg
- וממחרת: CONJ+ADV
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:8-9 (verbal): The immediate lead‑up: David first instructs Uriah to go down to his house; these verses record the same command and show the initial attempt to have Uriah sleep at home.
- 2 Samuel 11:11 (verbal): Uriah's refusal to go home and enjoy comforts while the ark, attendants, and troops remain in the field — this response directly explains why David repeats the instruction in 11:12.
- 2 Samuel 11:13-17 (structural): The continuation and outcome of David's dealings with Uriah: David sends Uriah back with a sealed letter ordering Joab to place him in danger, leading to Uriah's death — the plot that follows the failed attempts recorded in 11:12.
- 2 Samuel 12:9 (quotation): Nathan's indictment of David explicitly recounts that David 'sent and struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword,' directly referring back to David's actions and decisions in chapter 11.
- Psalm 51:3-4 (thematic): David's penitential confession after Nathan's rebuke, acknowledging his sin; thematically connected as the moral and spiritual response to the events surrounding Uriah and Bathsheba.
Alternative generated candidates
- And David said to Uriah, 'Abide here today also, and tomorrow I will send you away.' So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
- And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also; and tomorrow I will send you away. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next.
2 S.11.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לפניו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- וישת: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- וישכרהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בערב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לשכב: VERB,qal,inf
- במשכבו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- עם: PREP
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- אדניו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+POSS,3,m,sg
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- ירד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same episode: David sends for Bathsheba and lies with her, which is the central act that precipitates Uriah's later treatment and David's attempt to cover the affair.
- 2 Samuel 11:11 (verbal): Uriah's explicit protest explaining why he will not go home to sleep with his wife while the ark and Israel's forces are in the field—this verse gives the direct reason for 11:13's claim that he 'did not go down to his house.'
- 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: because Uriah would not go home, David escalates to sending a letter to Joab so Uriah will be placed in mortal danger—shows the function of 11:13 within the plot to conceal the affair.
- Genesis 19:33-35 (thematic): Both episodes involve making a man drunk to secure sexual access to a woman; Genesis narrates Lot's daughters intoxicating Lot to sleep with him, a thematic parallel of using intoxication to facilitate sexual wrongdoing.
- Deuteronomy 20:5-7 (thematic): Regulations about exemptions from military service (those who have built a house, planted a vineyard, or are newly married) highlight the tension between military encampment and domestic relations, echoing Uriah's refusal to enjoy home life while his comrades and the ark remain in the field.
Alternative generated candidates
- And David called him and he ate and drank before him; and David made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go home.
- And David called him and he ate before him and drank; and David made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
2 S.11.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בבקר: PREP
- ויכתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ספר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Sam 11:15 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: Joab receives David’s letter and places Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting so that he is killed—this verse completes the action begun in 11:14.
- 2 Sam 12:9-12 (thematic): Nathan’s oracle accuses David of arranging Uriah’s death to take his wife and announces divine judgment—direct theological and moral response to David’s sending of the letter.
- 1 Kgs 21:8-14 (thematic): Jezebel writes letters in Ahab’s name to officials to procure Naboth’s execution so Ahab can seize his vineyard; parallels the use of written orders to engineer a killing for personal gain.
- Esther 3:12-15 (thematic): Letters sealed with the king’s signet are dispatched throughout the empire to implement a decree of destruction—illustrates the instrumental use of written royal orders to bring about death across distance.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
- And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
2 S.11.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויכתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בספר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- הבו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- אוריה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- מול: PREP
- פני: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- המלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- החזקה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ושבתם: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- מאחריו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ונכה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ומת: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14 (verbal): Immediate literary precursor — David writes to Joab to place Uriah at the front of the fighting (the same instruction introduced in v.14).
- 2 Samuel 11:16-17 (structural): Direct narrative continuation describing Uriah being struck down and dying as the result of David's order (the outcome of the plotted exposure to battle).
- 2 Samuel 12:9-10 (quotation): Nathan's oracle confronts David by recounting his act of putting Uriah in the battle to be killed; the prophet explicitly charges David with killing Uriah the Hittite.
- 1 Kings 21:10-13 (thematic): Ahab and Jezebel arrange Naboth's death to seize his vineyard — a comparable royal scheme to procure property by orchestrating another's death.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he wrote in the letter, saying, 'Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and then retire from him, that he may be struck down and die.'
- And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down and die.
2 S.11.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- בשמור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- המקום: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- חיל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שם: ADV
Parallels
- 2Sam.11.14-15 (verbal): Immediate context: David's instruction to Joab to place Uriah in the forefront and then withdraw—same action and wording that sets Uriah up for death.
- 2Sam.11.17 (structural): Narrative continuation reporting that the men of the city fought and Uriah was killed—this verse records the outcome of the placement described in 11:16.
- 2Sam.12.9 (quotation): Nathan's rebuke to David explicitly charges him with causing Uriah's death by sending him into battle—an explicit moral indictment of the action in 11:16.
- 1Kgs.21.10-13 (thematic): Jezebel arranges Naboth's death by manipulating the situation so he will be killed (placed before the people); a parallel tactic of orchestrated, politically motivated murder to seize property.
Alternative generated candidates
- And it came to pass, when Joab kept the city, that he placed Uriah in the place where he knew valiant men were.
- And it came to pass, when Joab was besieging the city, that he put Uriah in the place where he knew there were valiant men.
2 S.11.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וילחמו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מן: PREP
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מעבדי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וימת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14-15 (structural): Immediate narrative context: David’s instruction to place Uriah at the forefront, and Joab’s execution of that plan leading directly to Uriah’s death.
- 2 Samuel 12:9 (quotation): Nathan’s indictment repeats and condemns the act—accusing David of striking down Uriah with the sword and taking his wife—directly referencing the killing described in 11:17.
- 2 Samuel 12:11-12 (thematic): God’s prophetic judgment on David (loss and violence within his house) is issued as a consequence of the plot that resulted in Uriah’s death.
- Psalm 51:1-4 (thematic): David’s penitential confession and acknowledgment of sin implicitly refers to his wrongdoing involving Bathsheba and Uriah, framing 11:17 as part of the offense he later repents of.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.
- And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; and some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
2 S.11.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- המלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 2Sam.11.5 (verbal): Same verbal formula: a person 'sent and told David' — Bathsheba (or the woman) sends word to David that she is with child, echoing the dispatch-and-report construction.
- 2Sam.1:2–4 (thematic): A lone man comes from the battlefield and reports the outcome to David (Saul and Jonathan’s death)—parallel motif of a messenger bringing news of war to the king.
- 2Sam.18:19–33 (thematic): After Absalom’s defeat Joab’s messengers (Ahimaaz, the Cushite) run to bring David full tidings of the battle—another narrative instance of sending reports of military events to David.
- 1Sam.30:11–13 (thematic): An informant (an Egyptian) brings David detailed information about the Amalekite raid on Ziklag—another episode where a third party reports the results of a military encounter to David.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Joab sent and told David all the matters of the war.
- And Joab sent and told David all the news of the war.
2 S.11.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- המלאך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
- ככלותך: INF,qal,inf,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- המלחמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לדבר: INF,qal
- אל: NEG
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14 (structural): Earlier in the same narrative David sends a written order to Joab to place Uriah at the front of the battle so he will be killed—both verses show David issuing instructions through intermediaries (messenger/letter) to manipulate battlefield action.
- 2 Samuel 11:4 (verbal): This verse reports that David 'sent messengers' to summon Bathsheba. Both verses use the verb for sending messengers and illustrate David’s reliance on intermediaries to accomplish his desires.
- 2 Samuel 11:15 (structural): Joab carries out the orders by placing Uriah in the fiercest fighting and he dies. This is the immediate fulfillment of the orders given via messenger/letter, showing the chain from command to battlefield consequence.
- 2 Samuel 18:19-20 (thematic): These verses describe messengers (Ahimaaz and a Cushite) running to bring news of a battle to the king. The thematic parallel is the use of runners/messengers to report the outcome of warfare to the monarch, as in 11:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he charged the messenger, 'When you have finished telling all the words of the war to the king,
- He charged the messenger, saying, When you have finished telling all the words of the war to the king,
2 S.11.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אם: CONJ
- תעלה: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- חמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ואמר: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- מדוע: ADV
- נגשתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- להלחם: VERB,hitp,inf
- הלוא: PART
- ידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- ירו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מעל: PREP
- החומה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:12 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same episode: Joab instructs the messengers how to answer the king about the attack on the city, anticipating the king's anger—same question/concern about approaching the city and who sallied from the wall.
- 2 Samuel 12:26-31 (structural): The later resolution of the Rabbah campaign: David himself captures the city. This passage completes the narrative context behind the messengers' report and the concern about the king's reaction in 11:20.
- 1 Chronicles 20:2-3 (verbal): Parallel chronicle account of the Ammonite campaign and the capture of Rabbah/its princes; provides a retelling of the same military episode that frames the exchange in 2 Samuel 11, showing convergence in the tradition.
Alternative generated candidates
- if the king's wrath arise and he say to you, Why did you come near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?'
- if the king's wrath rise up, and he say unto you, Why did you come near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
2 S.11.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מי: PRON,interr,sg
- הכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- אבימלך: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירבשת: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- הלוא: PART
- אשה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- השליכה: VERB,hiph,perf,3,f,sg
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- פלח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רכב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעל: PREP
- החומה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וימת: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בתבץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,prop
- למה: ADV
- נגשתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- אל: NEG
- החומה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- גם: ADV
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs,prop
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Judges 9:53 (allusion): The story of Abimelech (son of Jerubbesheth) struck by a woman who threw a piece of a millstone from the wall at Thebez — 2 Sam 11:21 explicitly alludes to this episode as the source of the messenger’s account.
- 2 Samuel 11:17 (verbal): The same event (Uriah being struck down and dying) is reported earlier in the chapter where Joab’s servants smite Uriah; v.21 echoes and reframes that report.
- 2 Samuel 11:14-15 (structural): David’s orders to Joab to place Uriah at the forefront and then withdraw so he would be killed provide the immediate causal background for the messenger’s claim in v.21.
- 2 Samuel 12:9-10 (thematic): Nathan’s later denunciation of David explicitly accuses him of causing Uriah’s death, treating the incident in v.21 as the moral/criminal center of David’s guilt.
- 2 Samuel 11:20 (verbal): The question in the preceding verse ('Why did you come so near the wall?') leads directly into the Abimelech anecdote in v.21; the two verses form a single exchange that frames the messenger’s explanation.
Alternative generated candidates
- then you shall say, 'Your servant Joab did as he pleased; he caused Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth to fall, and a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall and he died in Thebez; why did you come near the wall?' And you shall say also, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'"
- then you shall say, Moreover, the archers smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth; did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, and he died at Thebez? Why did you come near to the wall? Also you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.
2 S.11.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וילך: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- המלאך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- ויגד: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שלחו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2Sam.11.21 (verbal): Immediate literary parallel — the same reporting sequence (the messenger/angel goes and brings word to David) continues across vv.21–22, showing tight verbal continuity.
- 2Sam.1.2–16 (thematic): An Amalekite brings news to David about Saul and Jonathan’s deaths — thematically parallel as a messenger reporting the death of a royal/military figure to the king.
- 2Sam.4.9–12 (thematic): Baanah and Rechab report Ish-bosheth’s death to David — another instance of couriers/murderers bringing word of a rival king’s death to David, with implications for royal responsibility.
- 2Sam.18.19–33 (thematic): A Cushite (and other messengers) brings news to David about Absalom’s fate — parallels the motif of a messenger conveying battlefield/casualty news to the king and prompting David’s response.
Alternative generated candidates
- So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.
- So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him.
2 S.11.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- המלאך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אל: NEG
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- גברו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- האנשים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- ויצאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אלינו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ונהיה: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,pl
- עליהם: PREP,3,m,pl
- עד: PREP
- פתח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השער: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (structural): The immediate narrative antecedent: David instructs Joab to put Uriah in the forefront and then withdraw, which directly produces the battlefield casualty reported in v.23.
- 2 Samuel 1:2-10 (thematic): An external messenger brings news of a prominent man's death in battle (the Amalekite's report about Saul), paralleling the motif of a battlefield report delivered to the king.
- 1 Samuel 31:4-13 (thematic): Account of Saul's death on the battlefield and the subsequent reporting/handling of the bodies; echoes the themes of battlefield death and the transmission of that news.
- Joshua 8:3-8 (thematic): A military stratagem in which troops are drawn out and ambushed/trapped near the city gate; parallels the tactic of exposing a soldier (Uriah) at the front and then withdrawing support so he is cut off.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the messenger said to David, 'We drew near to the city to fight against it; and we fought against the men of the city at the gate, and we were upon them at the entrance of the gate.'
- And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us and came out into the field, and we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate.
2 S.11.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וירו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- המורים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- אל: NEG
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- מעל: PREP
- החומה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- וימותו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- מעבדי: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וגם: CONJ
- עבדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,ms
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
- החתי: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Sam 11:14 (structural): Immediate narrative setup: David’s letter to Joab ordering Uriah to be placed at the front and then abandoned—this instruction is the direct cause of Uriah’s death recounted in v.24.
- 2 Sam 11:17 (verbal): Narrative summary of the same event: repeats that Uriah the Hittite and the king’s men died in the battle, paralleling the report of servants being struck down.
- 2 Sam 11:27 (structural): Immediate aftermath: Bathsheba mourns Uriah’s death and then becomes David’s wife, showing the personal and social consequences of the killing described in v.24.
- 2 Sam 12:9-10 (quotation): Nathan’s indictment explicitly accuses David of striking down Uriah and taking his wife; thematically links the killing in v.24 to divine judgment.
- Ps 51:4 (thematic): David’s confession and recognition of sin (traditionally tied to the Uriah/Bathsheba episode) thematically connects to the wrongdoing and guilt implicit in Uriah’s death.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king's servants are dead; and also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'
- And the archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
2 S.11.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויאמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- המלאך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כה: ADV
- תאמר: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- יואב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- ירע: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- בעיניך: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,const,2,ms
- את: PRT,acc
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הזה: DEM,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- כזה: PRON,dem,m,sg,abs
- וכזה: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- תאכל: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- החרב: NOUN,f,sg,def
- החזק: ADJ,m,sg,def
- מלחמתך: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- העיר: NOUN,f,sg,def
- והרסה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg,3,f,sg_obj
- וחזקהו: VERB,hif,imp,2,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14 (structural): Immediate precedent to v.25 — David gives Joab the covert instruction to place Uriah at the front so he will be struck down; verse 25 continues the messenger/instruction motif.
- 2 Samuel 11:17 (structural): Immediate outcome of the instruction — Joab reports Uriah’s death back to David, showing the lethal result of the command embodied in v.25.
- 2 Samuel 12:9-12 (thematic): Nathan’s indictment and prophetic punishment recall David’s orchestration of Uriah’s death and pronounce that 'the sword shall never depart' from his house — a direct moral and judicial consequence of the action ordered in v.25.
- Psalm 51:4-5 (allusion): David’s confession ('Against you... I have sinned') is a theological and moral response to the same episode (the sending of Uriah to die) and interprets the act described in v.25 as sinful before God.
- 1 Kings 2:5-6 (thematic): David’s charge to Solomon to bring Joab’s bloodguilt to account (for past murders) resonates with the themes of bloodguilt and retributive justice connected to David’s ordering of Uriah’s death in v.25.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then David said to the messenger, 'Thus shall you tell Joab, Do not let this thing displease you; for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage him.'
- And David said to the messenger, Thus shall you say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease you; for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it; encourage him.
2 S.11.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותשמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- אשת: NOUN,f,sg,cns
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- מת: ADJ,m,sg
- אוריה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אישה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותספד: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- על: PREP
- בעלה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2Sam.11.4 (verbal): Introduces Bathsheba (Uriah’s wife) and David’s summons of her—sets the events that lead directly to Uriah’s death and her subsequent mourning.
- 2Sam.11.27 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: after Uriah’s death and her mourning, David takes her as his wife and she bears a son—shows the outcome of the episode described in 11:26.
- 2Sam.12.9-10 (allusion): Nathan’s rebuke accuses David of taking Uriah’s wife and causing Uriah’s death; directly references the act that produced the mourning in 11:26 and frames it as sin.
- 2Sam.12.15-23 (thematic): Describes the death of David’s child and David’s mourning—parallels motifs of death and lamentation and shows the narrative consequences of the Uriah/Bathsheba incident.
- 1Kgs.1:11-31 (thematic): Bathsheba later appears as the mother of Solomon advocating for his succession—links the woman identified in 11:26 to later prominence and long‑term consequences of the episode.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
- And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
2 S.11.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויעבר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- האבל: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וישלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויאספה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- ביתו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותהי: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- לאשה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותלד: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וירע: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- הדבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעיני: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (structural): Immediate narrative lead-in: David arranges Uriah's placement and death to cover his affair with Bathsheba, directly explaining the wrongdoing mentioned in v.27.
- 2 Samuel 12:1-13 (thematic): Nathan's parable and direct indictment ('You are the man') confront David's sin and articulate God's judgment—an explicit development of the statement that David's act displeased the LORD.
- 2 Samuel 12:14-18 (structural): Nathan pronounces the consequence that the child born to David and Bathsheba will die; the child's sickness and death immediately follow the verse's note of divine displeasure.
- Psalm 51 (thematic): David's penitential psalm written after Nathan's rebuke; it reflects repentance for the very sin noted in v.27 and seeks forgiveness from the LORD.
- Genesis 38:6-30 (thematic): Parallel theme of sexual transgression, pregnancy, and issues of shame/cover-up within a prominent household (Judah/Tamar), offering a comparative case of illicit sexual conduct and its family consequences.
Alternative generated candidates
- And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
- And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
And it came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go out to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah, while David remained at Jerusalem. And it was in the evening that David arose from 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 behold. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, 'Is not this Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' And David sent messengers, and she came to him; and he lay with her. Then she purified herself from her impurity and returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, saying, 'I am with child.'
Then David sent to Joab, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' So Joab sent Uriah to David.
Uriah came to him, and David asked about Joab, and about the people, and about the war. And David said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.' So Uriah departed from the king's house, and the king's present went after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his house. And they told David, saying, 'Uriah did not go down to his house.' And David said to Uriah, 'Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?'
Uriah said to David, 'The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go to 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.' And David said to Uriah, 'Remain here also today, and tomorrow I will send you away.' So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. And David called him and he ate before him and drank; and David made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go to his house. And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and he sent it by the hand of Uriah.
He wrote in the letter, saying, 'Set Uriah in the forefront where the fighting is fiercest, and then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.' And Joab was watching the siege of the city; and he put Uriah in the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; some of the servants of David fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Then Joab sent and told David all the news of the battle. And he commanded the messenger, 'When you have finished telling all the words of the war to the king,'
'if the king's wrath arise and he say to you, "Why did you come near to the city to fight? Did you not know that men shoot from the wall?"'
'then you shall say, "Moreover, who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone upon him from the wall, and he died at Thebez? Why did you come near to the wall?" and you shall also say, "Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead."' So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had commanded. And the messenger said to David, 'The men prevailed against us and came out into the field against us; we were upon them until the entrance of the gate.'
The archers shot from the wall at your servants, and some of the king's servants are dead; also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.
Then David said to the messenger, 'Thus you shall say to Joab, "Do not let this thing displease you; for by the sword one dies, whether small or great. Strengthen your assault against the city, and overthrow it."' And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned over her husband. And when the mourning was ended, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.