Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
Verſ. 1. ANd it came to paſſe, that after the yeare was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battell, that David ſent Joab, &c.] That is, in the ſpring of the year following, after the overthrow of the Syrians mentioned in the former chapter (for then the yeare was accounted to begin, becauſe then the ſunne returnes to the place whence it went forth in the former yeare.) After thoſe victories obtained, whereof mention is before made, the winter approching, David and his captains gave over the proſecuting of their new conqueſt in the land of the Ammonites: but in the Spring of the next yeare (which was the uſuall time when in thoſe countreys they went out to warre, becauſe then they had the Summer before them, for the perfecting of any hard ſiege they ſhould undertake, and then in thoſe regions both graſſe and corn began to ripen and ſo they might have food and relief both for themſelves and their horſes) David ſent out Joab with a great army to perfect the conqueſt of the Ammonites, which the yeare before they had begun, and ſo beſieged Rabbah, the chief city of the Ammonites, afterwards called Philadelphia.
Verſ. 2. And it came to paſſe in an evening tide that David aroſe from off his bed, and walked▪ &c.] The occaſions of Davids fall into that grievous ſinne of adultery with the wife of Uriah, are here ſet down. Firſt, he went not out himſelf to war againſt the Ammonites as formerly he had wont to do, but ſent out Joab, as is expreſſed in the former verſe: and ſecondly, being at home, he gave himſelf to his eaſe; having ſpent ſome good part of the day in ſtretching himſelf upon his bed, in the evening he aroſe and walked upon the roof of his houſe, (which were amongſt the Jews built flat upon the top) and ſo was there entangled with the ſight of Bathſheba. As long as David was perſecuted by Saul he kept cloſe to God, nor do we read of any ſcandalous ſinnes he fell into, but when he was ſettled in the kingdome, and ſo lived in the plentie, pomp, and ſtate that became ſo great a king, but eſpecially, when he came to take ſuch liberty for his eaſe, as to lie upon his bed at noon and to ſpend his time in walking upon his houſe top, then we ſee into what a grievous ſinne he fell with this wife of Uriah. Running ſtreams are clear and wholeſome, but ſtanding waters are uſually muddy and unſavoury, and apt to gather all kind of filth and corruption.
And from the roof he ſaw a woman waſhing her ſelf.] To wit, to purifie her ſelf from her menſtruall uncleanneſſe according to the law, Levit. 15.27, 28. for ſo it is expreſſed. verſ. 4. For ſhe was purified from her uncleanneſſe. It is not probable indeed, that Bathſheba would waſh her ſelf, eſpecially in this kind, where ſhe thought any body might ſee her, but onelyonly her ſervants that were with her; but luſt is quick ſighted, and ſome want of warineſſe and care it ſeems there was in her, and ſo David eſpied her from the top of his houſe, and ſo by that means his eye proved an inlet of luſt into his ſoul.
Verſ. 3. And David ſent and enquired after the woman.] When the ſight of naked Bathſheba had kindled luſtfull thoughts and deſires in Davids heart, had he preſently caſt out thoſe unclean motions, and ſet his mind upon better things, perhaps he had never gone further; but we ſee he went on thinking of the ſight he had ſeen and ſent to enquire what woman it was, and ſo ſuffering the poyſoned arrow to lie rankling in his heart, at length the wound grew incurable, and he could not be ſatisfied till he had enjoyed her.
And one ſaid, Is not this Bathſheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Ʋriah the Hittite?] Bathſheba is called Bathſhuah, 1. Chron. 3.5. as alſo Eliam her father is there called Ammiel. Why Uriah is called the Hittite, we may ſee by that which is noted, 1. Sam. 26.6.
Verſ. 4. For ſhe was purified from her uncleanneſſe.] That is, from her menſtruall uncleanneſſe, Lev. 18.19. and hereby ſhe was the more apt to conceive.
Verſ. 5. And the woman conceived, and ſent and told David, and ſaid, I am with child.] To wit, as bewailing her condition, and to ſee if he could or would do any thing, to prevent thoſe miſeries that were like to come upon her, and wherein he alſo was ſure to have a great ſhare: now ſhe began when it was too late, to bethink her ſelf how her husband would be enraged againſt her, and what in his rage he might do to her; day and night it ranne in her mind, what ſhame and reproch her great belly when it came to be known, would bring upon her; how every one would look upon her and deſpiſe her as an harlot; loathing her the more, becauſe ſhe was unfaithfull to ſo brave a man, as her husband Uriah was; and that too, when he was abroad fighting for his countrey; and how at length ſhe muſt be brought forth, and put to death as the law had appointed; and thus being overwhelmed with ſorrow and fear, ſhe ſent to impart it to David, as having this onelyonly hope, that he might happely find out ſome way to prevent theſe miſeries.
Verſ. 7. David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the warre proſpered.] Thus we ſee how David faultered in ſeeking ſome prete…e for ſending for Uriah to come home to him; for were not theſe very weak pretences for fetching home ſuch a worthy as Uriah was, from a ſervice of ſuch concernment, as was the ſiege of Rabbah? Alas, theſe things he might have known, and did dayly hear by every meſſenger that came from the camp; and enough it was to make Uriah ſuſpect ſome underhand plot, to ſee that he ſhould be ſent for upon ſo ſleight an occaſion, as to ſatisfie ſuch triviall queries as theſe were. But David was forced to diſſemble and pretend ſomewhat, and could not act this part artificially.
Verſ. 8. And Uriah departed out of the kings houſe, and there followed him a meſſ of meat from the king.] To wit, that this might be an occaſion of inviting him to make merry with his wife, and ſo to lie with her.
Verſ. 9. But Ʋriah ſlept at the door of the kings houſe with all the ſervants of his Lord.] That is with the kings guard, whoſe cuſtome it was, to watch at the doore of his houſe all night.
Verſ. 11. And Ʋriah ſaid unto David; The ark, and Iſrael, and Judah abide in tents, &c] They uſed in perillous warres to carry the ark with them into the camp, both as a teſtimony of Gods preſence, and that they might ask counſel of God as occaſion ſerved; as is evident, 1. Sam. 4.4. and 14.18. and therefore the moſt of Expoſitours conceive, that accordingly at this time, the ark was with Joab in the camp at the ſiege of Rabbah; and that this was the reaſon why Uriah ſpake of the arks abiding in tents, together with Iſrael and Judah: but yet becauſe it ſeems not probable, that they would carry the ark, the ſigne of Gods preſence amongſt his people out of the land of Canaan into the countrey of the Ammonites; I ſhould rather think, that being to ſpeak of the abiding of Iſrael and Judah in tents, in regard that the ark was alſo in the tent which David had ſet up for it, chap. 6.17. Therefore onelyonly it is, that he joyns the ark with Iſrael and Judah; The ark, ſaith he, 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? &c. But however, the drift of theſe words is evident, to wit, that Uriah herein rendred a reaſon why he would not go home to his houſe, namely, becauſe he judged it unfit and unreaſonable, that he ſhould take his eaſe and pleaſure, whileſt his Generall and his brethren lay abroad in continuall danger in the open fields: and then beſides, there was withall in theſe words, by the providence of God, a ſecret check given to David, that Uriah ſhould make conſcience of taking pleaſure with his own wife, at a time when the people of God were in continuall danger, and yet David had not ſcrupled at that very time, to ſatisfie his luſt with the wife of Uriah.
Verſ. 13. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him, and made him drunk.] It is not probable, that Uriah that had ſo reſolutely refuſed to feaſt and frolick with his wife; would yeild to do that with the king, which he had refuſed to do with his wife; onelyonly when David had invited him to his table, he thought it too much to reject the kings favour, and therefore reſolved to yeild herein to the kings commandment no further then might ſtand with his reſolved courſe of auſterity; fully purpoſing not to let looſe himſelf to any delight or freedome in eating or drinking: but we ſee the event; by degrees he was overtaken and e… ſnared, contrary to what he had purpoſed with himſelf, and ſo was made drink which was that David aimed at, hoping that when he was heated with wine, he would then go home to his wife, which hitherto he had refuſed to do.
And at even he went out to lie on his bed with the ſervants of his lord, but went not down to his houſe.] He went not to ſleep as the night before, at the doore of the kings houſe, verſ. 9. (to wit, becauſe he had drunk too freely) but yet he went not home to his wife, but lay in the court amongſt the kings houſhold ſervants: ſo that though he were a little overgone with exceſſe, yet he ſtill remembred and ſtuck to his former reſolution of not going home to his wife: A paſſage very obſervable, whileſt David uſed all his skill to get him home, doubtleſſe his wife was not wanting to act her part too: it cannot be thought, but that ſhe ſent and came to him again and again, and ſolicited him earneſtly to come home to her, (for it much concerned her) and yet all this could not move him; even when he was drunk he would not home to his houſe: for whence was this? doubtleſſe there was a ſecret hand of Providence in it; it is like enough he was diſpleaſed that he was ſo cauſeleſſely taken off from that noble enterpriſe of the ſiege of Rabbah, and deemed it unfitting, as he had ſaid before, to take his pleaſure, whileſt his brethren and fellow ſouldiers were in ſuch hard ſervice: but yet conſidering how many means were uſed to overcome him; we may well conclude, that there was a ſpeciall hand of Providence, in the firmneſſe of his reſolution; the Lord intending hereby to counterplot David, and not to ſuffer him to ſmother his ſinne, as he deſired to have done.
Verſ. 16. He aſſigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.] To wit, that he might be ſlain by them, as David had in his letter commanded▪ There was no reaſon given in the letter, why this plot muſt be laid for his life; it was ſufficient to Joab that the king commanded it; he knew how much advantage it might be to him, to have the favour of his prince, and what danger there might be in oppoſing his commands; and therefore he ſtuck not at doing what he had enjoyned: yea and perhaps too, remembring what himſelf had done in the murder of Abner, he was the more willing that David ſhould be involved in the ſame ſinne, as thinking that he would be the readier to pardon him, when himſelf was become guilty in the ſ…e kind.
Verſ. 21. Wh… ſmote Abimelech the ſonne of Jerubeſheth.] That is, Gideon who was called Jerubbaal, Judges 6.32.
Verſ. 25. Let not this thing diſpleaſe thee: for the ſword devoureth one as well as another, &c.] The time was, when Davids conſcience ſmote him for cutting off tho lap of Sauls garment, though he was his deadly enemy; and yet now his heart being hardened upon his adultery with Bathſheba, he could ſleight the murder of Uriah, and many other of Gods people ſlain by his means, as if it had been a matter of nothing.
Verſ. 26. And when the wife of Ʋriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, ſhe mourned for her husband.] Conſidering what ſhame would have fallen upon her, if her husband had lived, and the hope ſhe might well conceive of becoming now the wife of ſo great a Prince as David was, we may well think that ſhe was inwardly glad of theſe tidings; but yet the better to conceal her ſinne, ſhe would not omit the cuſtomary wayes that were uſed in thoſe times, of mourning for her deceaſed husband.
Verſ. 27. But the thing that David had done, diſpleaſed the Lord.] This is added, to ſhew the vanity of Davids comforting himſelf in what was done; he chuckered himſelf now, as concluding that now the ſhame he feared would be prevented, and ſo all would be well: But ſaith the text, the thing that David had done, diſpleaſed the Lord, and this he found to be bitterneſſe in the end; little cauſe had he therefore to be ſo well ſatisfied with the ſecreſie of his ſinne, the Lord being ſo highly offended with him.