The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 192 – Section 193
SECT. CXCII.
THE Winter having hindred David and his Captains from proſecuting their victory in the land of the Ammonites, in the Spring of the next year (which was the uſual time that Kings went out to war) David ſent Joab with a great Army to perfect their begu… conqueſt of them, and accordingly he laid ſiege to Rabbah their chief City, afterwards called Philadelphia. David ſtaying at home at his houſe during this ſiege, and giving himſelf to eaſe and idleneſs *Quaeritur, Aegiſtus quare ſit factus Adulter: In promptu cauſa eſt: deſidioſus erat. Ovid.. (contrary to his former practice) and having ſpent ſome part of a day in ſtretching himſelf upon his bed, in the evening he aroſe and walked upon the roof of his houſe (houſes being among the Jews flat roofed) from whence he ſaw a woman waſhing her ſelf to purifie her ſelf from her menſtrual uncleanneſs according to the Law, Levit. 15.27, 28. Some think ſhe waſhed her ſelf in her Garden near adjoining to the Palace, which if ſhe did ſhe was not free from fault and blame in not taking care to waſh her ſelf more privately. Others think ſhe waſhed her ſelf in her Chamber which was oppoſite to the Kings Palace, and ſome window or caſement being accidently open, David with the quick ſight of his luſtful eye gazed upon her, and ſo was inſnared with her beauty. His heart being thus inflam'd with luſt (the firſt ſparks whereof he ſhould have reſolutely quenched) he ſends and inquires after the woman, and was told her name was Bathſheba †Call'd Bathſhua, 1 Chron. 3.5.the wife of Ʋriah the Hittite (d)Some think he was call'd an Hittite becauſe born at Heth a place near Abrahams burial place, ſee Gen. 23.3., who was ſo by Nation, but now a ſincere Proſelyte to the Jewiſh Religion, and one of Davids Worthies, as we may ſee 2 Sam. 23.39. David ſends for her notwithſtanding he underſtood ſhe was another mans wife, and he had ſo many wives of his own. What is man if left to himſelf? She being come to him he us'd ſuch allurements and perſwaſions to her that not having the fear of God before her eyes, nor that conjugal love and faithfulneſs which ſhe ſhould have had to her brave and worthy husband, ſhe conſented unto him, and ſo ſhe became the Harlot of a King inſtead of being the loyal wife of an honeſt ſubject, and ſhe who had newly cleanſed her ſelf from her legal uncleanneſs, now defileth her ſoul and body with moral filthineſs. However ſhe having now conceived by him, ſhortly after (when ſhe perceiv'd it) wrote unto him that ſhe was with child. This ſhe did (its likely) that he might conſider of ſome way how their ſin and ſhame might be covered and concealed, and that ſhe might eſcape the rage of her husband at his coming home, and alſo the puniſhment by Law due unto her, which was no leſs than death. David upon this inſtead of repenting of his ſin, and humbly ſeeking pardon of God for it, ſets himſelf in the hardneſs of his heart to contrive and plot how it might be concealed from the knowledg of man, not conſidering the all-ſeeing eye of God which beheld all his cloſe actings, nor his ſevere threatnings againſt all ſuch great and heinous tranſgreſſions. Therefore he immediately ſendeth for Ʋriah from the Camp to come to him, that ſo he coming home might go to his wife and lye with her (as 'twas likely he would do) and ſo cloak and cover the buſineſs. Ʋriah accordingly is ſent by Joab from the Army to him. When he was come, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war went on? 'Tis like Ʋriah wondred that he ſhould be ſent for in all haſt from his ſervice in the Army only to anſwer ſuch queſtions as theſe, which every Meſſenger that came from the Army might eaſily have ſatisfied the King in. And thereupon poſſibly he did ſuſpect that there was ſome other cauſe of his ſending for, and began to have ſome jealouſie of his beautiful wife, and to think that all was not right with her, and that might be the true reaſon why he would not be perſwaded to go home and accompany with her. However when he had anſwered theſe queſtions, the King kindly diſmiſſed him, telling him that it was fit for him after ſuch a journey to go home and refreſh himſelf, and waſh his feet, as in thoſe hot Countries after a journey they uſed to do. And preſently after he was gone out, there followed him a meſs of meat from the King, which 'tis like was ſo ordered that Ʋriah might the more willingly go home to his wife and feaſt with her thereupon. But he would not go home for all this; by this time we may ſuppoſe that his fair but falſe wife heard of his being come to Court, and ſeeing he did not come to her, that ſhe came her ſelf and with great importunity beſought him to come home, ſeeing it did ſo much concern her to enjoy his company to cover her fault, and hide her ſhame; but notwithſtanding he would not, but ſlept that night with the Kings Guard at the Palace-gate. David underſtanding this, ſent for him next morning and asked him why he did not go to his own houſe, being weary with his journey. Ʋriah replied, the Ark (c)It is probable that the Ark was at this time with Joab in the Camp, ſeeing in great and dangerous Wars they uſed to carry it along with them, it being a viſible ſign of Gods preſence with them, and by it they might receive directions from God (ſpeaking to them from between the Cherubims) in their difficulties, ſee 1 Sam 4.4.and Iſrael, and Judah and my Lord Joab abide in Tents in the open fields, how unfitting then is it for me to go home to my houſe and there ſolace my ſelf with my wife and other delights; this I think not fit in a time of publick danger and calamity; as thou liveſt and as thy ſoul liveth I will not do it. Which words (one would think) might have been ſufficient to have awaked David out of his deep ſleep of ſin and ſecurity, who wallowed in unlawful luſt and pleaſure when Ʋriah would not enjoy honeſt and lawful delights at ſuch a time of calamity as this was. David alſo might have taken notice of the Providence of God croſſing him in his intended deſign, and thereupon have humbled himſelf for his heinous ſin, but inſtead thereof he reſolves to practiſe another ſtratagem upon Ʋriah for the attaining his end. He tells him he ſhall ſtay one day longer with him, and then he ſhall return to the Army. That day he invites him to his Table, reſolving to make him drunk, that being heated with wine he might forget his Oath, and go home to his wife, which hitherto he refuſed to do. And here behold a ſad example of humane frailty, Ʋriah being now entertain'd at the Kings Table, (where 'tis like David took order to have him ply'd with good ſtore of wine) by degrees he is overtaken and made drunk; but that would not do neither, for notwithſtanding all David's devices and practices he remained firm and conſtant in his reſolution, and ſo would not go home to his own houſe, but lay in the Court among the Kings houſhold-ſervants. And thus the Lord counterplotted David, and would not ſuffer him to ſmother his ſin as he earneſtly endeavoured to have done. David ſeeing that none of theſe devices would do, reſolves now upon a worſe project than any of the former; he writes a Letter to Joab, and ſends it by Ʋriah himſelf, commanding him to ſet Ʋriah in the forefront of the hotteſt battel, and to retire from him that he might be ſmitten and die. Behold here the fearful progreſs of ſin from one degree to another; David whoſe conſcience was once ſo tender that it ſmote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment, being now left to himſelf groweth to ſuch an hardneſs in ſin, that he ſcrupleth not to murder a faithful, innocent, and valiant ſubject, and together with him divers others of his good ſubjects, and draweth Joab alſo to partake with him in the ſame wickedneſs; ſo great cauſe have we daily and earneſtly to pray unto God not to lead us into temptation, or not to leave us unto the power of it. Joab having received theſe orders, not regarding (as it ſeems) whither they were juſt or unjuſt, right or wrong, but reſolving to pleaſe his Prince (upon whoſe favour he depended) whither he pleaſed God or no, he ſets himſelf to put them in execution; and perhaps he hoped thereby to recover the Kings favour to the full height, which had been much leſſened and abated towards him ſince he had killed Abner; and poſſibly he thought that David would be the more propitious to him when himſelf was become guilty in the like kind. Obſerving therefore in what part of the City the ſtouteſt Soldiers of the enemy manned the walls, he aſſigned Ʋriah with a commanded party to that quarter, and the City ſallying out upon them, ſeveral of them were ſlain, and Ʋriah among the reſt. Then Joab ſent a meſſenger to David to inform him how things went, and put words into his mouth, and inſtructed him what he ſhould ſay if he found the King diſpleaſed at the loſs of his men; he tells him that poſſibly the King would be angry that they approached ſo near the walls of the City, ſeeing they could not but think the enemy would ſhoot upon them from thence, and would ſay what did they not remember how Abimelech the Son of Jerubbeſheth (a)Call'd Jerubbaal, Judg. 7.1. but here Jerubbeſheth becauſe the Hebrews deteſtation of Idols did expunge the word Baal out of their names, and put Boſheth or Beſheth in the room of it, ſignifying an infamous thing, as the Idol was, Hoſ. 9.10. compare 1 Chron. 8.33. with 2 Sam. 2.8. and 1 Chron. 8.34. with 2 Sam. 4.4. where Eſhbaal and Meribaal in the one place are called Iſhboſheth, and Mephiboſheth in the other.or Gideon was ſlain, [Judg. 9.53.] by venturing too near to the wall of Thebez? He bids him that if the King expreſſed himſelf to him after this manner then he ſhould forthwith ſay, thy ſervant Ʋriah the Hittite is ſlain among the reſt. The meſſenger coming to David told him (it ſeems) only that the men of Rabbah had ſallied out upon them, and at firſt prevailed againſt them, but they ſoon forced them to retreat, and purſuing them too hotly even to the Gate of the City, and the ſhooters ſhooting from the wall upon them, they ſlew ſome of the Kings ſervants, and among the reſt his ſervant Ʋriah. The King hearing this expreſſed no ſuch diſpleaſure at the loſs of his men as Joab imagined he would do, ſeeing Ʋriah (whoſe death he mainly deſigned was taken off) but bad the meſſenger tell Joab that he muſt not be over much troubled at this loſs, for the ſword devoureth one as well as another, therefore he muſt be content and bear with patience ſuch accidents, and take care to ſtrengthen his ſiege for the future againſt the City that he might take it. The King further bad the Meſſenger in his name to comfort and encourage Joab that he might go on chearfully with the war. When Bathſheba heard that her husband Ʋriah was dead, ſhe put her ſelf into mourning *The time of ordinary, as Joſephus writes, laſted but ſeven days, ſee Gen. 50.10. but their more ſolemn mournings laſted thirty days, Deut. 34.8.for him, the better to conceal her ſin; but whether ſhe were inwardly grieved or no(a)Lacrymas non ſponte cadentes effudit, gemituſ que expreſſit pectore laeto. Lucan., be ſure ſhe had cauſe enough of heart-bleeding, and heart-breaking mourning if ſhe conſidered that by her ſin ſhe had occaſioned her husbands untimely death. But when the time of her mourning (b)Tempus luctus (quod Romanis mulieribus erat annus vel decem menſes, intra quod tempus nubere eis non licebat) Haebreis in lege non erat conſtitutum.was over, (which undoubtedly was as ſhort as conveniently might be) David ſent for her and made her his wife, that ſhe might be thought to be with child by him after they were married; but their adultery could not be ſo concealed, for ſhe ſoon was brought to bed of a Son, and the thing that David had done highly diſpleaſed the Lord, and he ſoon found the bitter effects of it.
2 Sam. Ch. 11. whole Chapter.
SECT. CXCIII.
IOab reſolutely purſuing the ſiege of Rabbah, at laſt he took that part of the City which was called the Royal City (wherein the Kings Palace ſtood) and the City of waters (becauſe it was invironed with waters both for ſafety and delight) and knowing that the other part could not long ſtand out, he ſent to David to intreat him to come thither with ſome new forces that ſo he might have the honour of taking it, and the glory and renown of this great enterprize. For he knew that Kings were apt to be jealous, and did not love that their ſubjects ſhould eclipſe their glory; David accordingly went thither and took the City, and with it their King Hanun, and putting his Crown of State (the weight whereof was a talent of Gold (c)A Crown of State, and too weighty to be worn., adorned with precious jewels) upon his head, and then taking it off, they ſet it upon Davids, to ſhew that the Royal dignity of that Nation was removed from him and conferred on David, and then Hanun (as 'tis probable) was either inſtantly depoſed or put to death, and his Brother made Governour of Rabbah under David, whence it was that he ſhewed ſuch reſpect to David when he fled from Abſalom, David was never ſo ſevere and cruel as at this time when he lay under the guilt of Adultery and murder.Ch. 17.27, 28. David having thus taken the City, he brought forth the ſpoil of it in great abundance, and took ſo many of the people as he thought fit to make exemplary, and ſuch of their Elders and Rulers as had been the chief ringleaders in all their vile and wicked actings, and inflicted moſt ſevere puniſhments on them, putting ſome of them under Saws, ſome under Harrows of iron, ſome he ordered to be cut in pieces with Axes, and ſome he cauſed to paſs through the fiery brick kiln to expreſs his deteſtation of their inhumane Idolatry, who cauſed their own children to paſs through the fire to their Idol Moloch, 1 King. 11.7. and thus he did to the Elders of every City who were the chief offenders, and that not only becauſe they had ſo abominably (contrary to the Law of Nations) abuſed his Ambaſſadours, but had alſo hired the Nations round about them to make war upon him, intending (if they could) utterly to deſtroy the Iſraelites. Theſe things being done, David and his people returned to Jeruſalem.
2 Sam. Ch. 12. from v. 26, to the end.
1 Chron. 20. from 1, to 4.