Poole on 2 Samuel 11:1-13: David's Adultery with Bath-sheba

[circa 1035 BC]  Verse 1:[1]  And it came to pass, after the year was expired (Heb. at the return of the year,[2] 1 Kings 20:22,[3] 26;[4] 2 Chron. 36:10[5]), at the time when kings go forth to battle, that (1 Chron. 20:1) 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.

[With the year turning (thus Junius, Piscator), ‎לִתְשׁוּבַ֙ת הַשָּׁנָ֜ה]  [They render it variously:]  In the return of the year (Montanus, Vatablus, Mariana), that is, in the next, or following, year (Vatablus).  With the year returning (Septuagint, Pagnine, Tigurinus, Menochius).  After the year rolled around again (Munster).  After the revolution, or return, of the year (Piscator).  Near the end of the year (Arabic, similarly Jonathan, Syriac, Mariana).  Understand it, either, 1.  Of the end of a year, after which the previously mentioned Kings went forth to war (Mariana, similarly certain interpreters in Malvenda).  Or, 2.  Of the end of the year absolutely (Mariana).  With the circuit of months now completed, with the year returning to itself, and beginning a new course; which among the Hebrews, as also among Astrologers, happens at the vernal equinox, according to Exodus 12 (Tirinus).  In the beginning of the year, when the sun returns to the point, from which it had gone forth at the beginning of the year (Piscator); that is, in the beginning of the spring (Pagnine, Grotius out of Kimchi, Menochius, Tirinus, Lyra, Sanchez).

After the year was expired; when that year ended, and the next begun, which was in the spring time, Exodus 12:2.

[At the time, when kings are wont to go forth to war, ‎לְעֵ֣ת׀ צֵ֣את הַמַּלְאכִ֗ים]  At the time of the going forth of kings (Septuagint, thus Jonathan, Montanus, Vatablus).  At which time kings go forth (Junius and Tremellius, Syriac).  Understanding, to war (Syriac, Piscator, Munster, Vatablus); that is, in the summer time, when food is at hand for men and beasts (Vatablus, similarly Menochius, Martyr).  There is a similar ellipsis in Genesis 10:11, out of that land he went forth, understanding, to wage war (Bochart’s A Sacred Catalogue of Animals 2:4:2:48).  [See the things noted there.]  Others understand this of the Kings of Syria; that is to say, with the year complete, after which the Kings of Syria, so that they might avenge the slaughter of their own, had gone forth to war (Hebrews in Sanchez, similarly Mariana).

When kings go forth; which is when the ground is fit for the march of soldiers, and brings forth provision for man and beast.  To battle:  these words are to be understood here, as Genesis 10:11; 14:8.

[They besieged Rabbah, ‎רַבָּה]  This city was mighty, royal, the capital of the Ammonites; so called from the magnitude of the city, or from the multitude of its citizens.[6]  The same was called Ammon, or Amman, and the city of waters, 2 Samuel 12:27, because the river Jabbok flows around it, afterwards called Philadelphia by Ptolemy Philadelphus[7] (Lapide); Rabbath-amana, that is, of Ammon, by Polybius (Grotius).

Rabbah; the chief and royal city of the Ammonites, Deuteronomy 3:11.

Verse 2:[8]  And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, (Deut. 22:8) and walked upon the roof of the king’s house:  and from the roof he (Gen. 34:2; Job 31:1; Matt. 5:28) saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

[That David arose from off his bed after midday]  He was fed and full with sleep and food, and therefore prone to lust (Lapide).  There he had taken an afternoon nap, like Ish-bosheth, 2 Samuel 4:7 (Vatablus).  This is evidence of a softer disposition (Sanchez), and of a man secure and idle (Martyr).  Ovid:[9]

It is asked, How was Ægisthus made an adulterer?

The answer is in readiness:  he was idle[10] (Grotius).

It was the custom of the ancients, which even now obtains, in the summer season to take a light nap at midday.  Varro, Of Agricultural Topics 1:2 (Gataker).  This history is to be read attentively, not so that men might defend their vices; but, 1.  So that good men, warned by this example, might call upon God, lest they suffer themselves to slip.  2.  So that those fallen might not despair, but be recalled to repentance (Martyr).  3.  So that the holy might know themselves to be in need of divine grace.  4.  So that we might know those to be men, whom we are able to imitate (Serarius).

From off his bed; where he had lain and slept for some time; being possibly disposed to sleep after dinner, by reason of some excess committed in eating or drinking; and indulging himself in his lazy humour, which may seem very improper for so great a prince and captain, who had so many and great burdens upon his shoulders, especially in a time of war; and therefore such practices have been condemned by heathens; and Homer will not allow a general and great counsellor to sleep all the night, much less to take any part of the day for it.  And therefore this is thought to be David’s first error, and the occasion of his following fall.

[He walked upon the roof]  Upon the roof of the palace, which according to the custom of the region was plain, and was surrounded by an enclosure, so that one might walk upon it (Menochius).  See on Deuteronomy 22:8 (Vatablus).

Walked upon the roof; which was plain, after the manner, Deuteronomy 22:8.

[And he saw a woman washing herself]  Either, 1.  In a garden (Serarius).  For they were having baths in gardens:  imprudently (Grotius).  Or, 2.  In some part of her house, which, with some window open, or by another accidental manner, could be seen (Serarius).  She was washing herself either for the health and strength of the body, or for the sake of pleasure (Sanchez); or to cleanse the body’s natural, or legal, uncleanness; or so that she might cool herself from the heat, since it was the summer season (Menochius).  In the bath of her house she was purifying her monthly uncleanness, according to Leviticus 15:19 (Vatablus, Malvenda).

Washing herself, to wit, in a bath, which possibly was in her garden, or in some room near to the king’s palace, where she might wash herself divers ways, and for different ends; either for health, or coolness, or to cleanse herself from some kind of legal impurity; where also, the windows being open, and she careless, David might espy her.

[Over against him upon his roof, ‎מֵעַ֣ל הַגָּ֑ג [11]]  From the roof.  It is to be joined with the preceding verb, he saw from the roof, namely, through a window of the house in which she was washing (Vatablus).

Verse 3:[12]  And David sent and enquired after the woman.  And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba (or, Bath-shuah, 1 Chron. 3:5[13]), the daughter of Eliam (or, Ammiel), the wife (2 Sam. 23:39) of Uriah the Hittite?

[He sent, and asked, who she was, etc.]  So that, if  she were unattached, he might take her to wife; but, with the temptation growing in strength, knowing that she was married, he commanded her to be brought notwithstanding, etc. (Lyra, similarly Martyr).

David sent and enquired, etc.:  Instead of suppressing that lust which the sight of his eyes had kindled, he seeks rather to feed it; and first inquires who she was; that, if she were unmarried, he might make her either his wife or his concubine..

[And it was reported to him]  Hebrew:  and he said.[14]  That is, he to whom the matter had been committed (Vatablus).

[The daughter of Eliam]  It signifies my God is the people.[15]  This man, with the letters transposed, is called Ammiel, 1 Chronicles 3:5, which signifies a similar thing, namely, my people is God[16] (Menochius, Lapide).  Moreover, this Eliam was the son of Ahithophel, say the Hebrews in Jerome (Lapide, Menochius), and the text of 2 Samuel 23:34 teaches us (Menochius):  and perhaps this is the reason of the conspiracy of Ahithophel, that he might avenge the injury inflicted upon his granddaughter and grandson (Tirinus, Lapide).

Bath-sheba, called also Bath-shua, 1 Chronicles 3:5, where also Eliam is called Ammiel.

[The wife of Uriah the Hittite]  He is called a Hittite, Either, 1.  Because he was born of the Hittites, but because a proselyte (Theodoret in Serarius, Vatablus), and, as it appears, was reckoned in the number of the Cherethites and Pelethites, whence also he had his house near to the royal palace (Tirinus).  Or, 2.  Because he was a Hittite by habitation, although not by race (Vatablus).  Or, 3.  Because he or his father had done some illustrious deed among them; just as Archias was called Samius in Herodotus’ Histories 3,[17] although he was a Lacedæmonian (Serarius).  Or, 4.  From a place called Eth or Heth, in the region of Hebron, as Adrichomius testifies, which appears closest to the truth (Lapide, thus Menochius).

The Hittite; so called, either, 1.  By his original, being born either of that race, but become a zealous proselyte; or, at least, among that people.  Or, 2.  By his habitation among them.  Or, 3.  For some notable exploit of his against that people:  see 1 Samuel 26:6, and the notes on 2 Samuel 8:18.

Verse 4:[18]  And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and (Ps. 51 title; Jam. 1:14) he lay with her; for she was (Lev. 15:19, 28; 18:19) purified from her uncleanness:  and she returned (or, and when she had purified herself, etc., she returned[19]) unto her house.

[And so, with the messengers of David sent]  Behold how lust, with decency and prudence banished from mind, rendered him blind, since he was not hesitating to open so foul a wound in the messengers (Sanchez).

[He took her]  Not by force, but by persuasion and petition (Tirinus).

David sent and took her from her own house into his palace, not by force, but by persuasion, as desiring to speak with her.

[When she came in unto him]  Which words indicate that she did not resist much, or for very long (Sanchez, similarly Martyr).  Perhaps she was moved either by the dignity of the King, or ambition.  Perhaps she was thinking that the King would bring it to pass, that, with the bill of divorcement remitted, she would be repudiated by her husband,[20] and would be queen (Martyr).  Bath-sheba appears to have been a woman not unchaste, but who would refuse nothing in the hope of power, like Agrippina, the mother of Nero.[21]  And so lust for power is more ardent than all the affections, says Tacitus in Annals 15:53 (Grotius).

She came in unto him; into his palace and chamber, as he desired.

[And she was immediately purified from her uncleanness,וְהִ֥יא מִתְקַדֶּ֖שֶׁת מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ]  And she, sanctified, or cleansed (sanctifying herself [Montanus], had purified or sanctified herself [Munster, Tigurinus, Vatablus]) from her uncleanness (Septuagint, Jonathan, thus Grotius).  It is able to be referred to the prior washing, which David had observed (Mariana).  She had purified herself from menstrual pollution, namely, when the king saw her washing herself; that is to say, he did not sin because he had an affair with an unclean woman; for she was clean; but, which is much worse, because he committed adultery (Vatablus).  Others thus:  she purified herself by washing immediately after her intercourse with David, according to the law in Leviticus 15:18 (certain interpreters in Malvenda, Tostatus in Sanchez, Lapide, Castalio).  Both the Hebrews and the Gentiles were wont to purify themselves by washing after intercourse.  See on Exodus 19 (Sanchez).  Others thus:  her menstrual uncleanness stopped or ceased:  that is, she conceived; for the monthly cycle ceases in pregnant women.  With a baby conceived, she was freed from monthly uncleanness (certain interpreters in Malvenda).  With that flow ceasing, she is said to be sanctified or purified; that is, not polluted or unclean; in which sense he is said to be vivified, who is not dead (Sanchez).  Others thus:  Therefore, this is added, lest we marvel that she immediately conceived (Grotius, similarly Piscator, certain interpreters in Malvenda).  Φύσει οὖν ἡ σύλληψις γίνεται μετὰ τὴν τούτων ἀπαλλαγὴν τῇ γυναιξὶ, women naturally conceive after the cessation of their monthly, says Aristotle, Concerning the History of Animals 7:20 (Grotius).

For she was purified, to wit, from her menstruous pollution, according to the law, Leviticus 18:19; which is here noted as the reason, either why David pursued his lustful desire, or why she so easily yielded to it, because she was not under that pollution which might alienate her from it; or rather, why she so readily conceived, that time being observed by Aristotle and others to be the most likely time for conception.

Verse 5:[22]  And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

[And she, sending, announced…I have conceived]  That is to say, See, attend both to thy reputation, and my safety (Tirinus).  She was fearing either disgrace, or the punishment of the Law, that she would be stoned,[23] or the rage of her husband,[24] if he had discovered this (Martyr).  The ceasing of her monthly cycle [of which it was spoken in verse 4] was a certain sign of pregnancy (Tirinus).

I am with child:  Consider therefore what to do for thy own honour, and for my safety, whom thou hast brought into a most shameful and dangerous condition.

Verse 6:[25]  And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite.  And Joab sent Uriah to David.

[Send to me Uriah]  So that, if Uriah, having returned, had known his wife, he would have believed the begotten infant to be his own (Menochius).  This was injustice, and theft, to intrude his own child into the inheritance of Uriah (Martyr).

Verse 7:[26]  And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how (Heb. of the peace of,[27] etc.) Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

David demanded of him, etc.:  Frivolous questions, which any common messenger could have answered; which probably made Uriah suspect that there was some other secret cause why he was sent for.  And he might understand something, either by David’s messengers, verse 4, or by some of his own family, concerning her being sent for to the court; which, together with other circumstances, might give him cause of further suspicion.  Yet such might be the questions (though not here particularly mentioned) concerning those heads, as every private person might not be acquainted with, nor able to resolve, but such only as were acquainted with the counsel of war.

Verse 8:[28]  And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and (Gen. 18:4; 19:2) wash thy feet.  And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him (Heb. went out after him[29]) a mess of meat from the king.

Go down to thy house; not doubting but he would there converse with his wife, and so cover their sin and shame.

[And wash thy feet]  As those coming from a journey were wont to do (Menochius).  Washing in Palestine was frequent because of the nature of the place (Sanchez).  It is a Synecdoche; that is to say, Refresh thyself from the labor of the journey (Malvenda out of Junius, Piscator, similarly Martyr).

Wash thy feet; as travellers there used to do.

[And royal fare followed him, ‎וַתֵּצֵ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו מַשְׂאַ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃]  And there went out after him a food-tray (fare [Jonathan], entertainment [Syriac], ration [Septuagint]) of the king (Montanus, Junius and Tremellius); refreshment (gift [Strigelius, thus Piscator]) royal (Munster), as a sign of favor and good will (Malvenda out of Junius); but actually, so that he, received more sumptuously and cheerfully, might be drawn to lust (Menochius out of Tostatus); then, so that through those messengers he might learn, whether he had gotten himself home (Martyr).

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.

Verse 9:[30]  But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

[He slept…before the gate of the royal house]  With other prætorian soldiers for the protection of the king (Martyr).  More powerful Lords had night watches of servants at the threshold, Lipsius on Tacitus[31] (Gataker).

[He went not down to his house]  With God willing to reveal this scandal of so well-established a King (Grotius).  David wishes in every way to conceal his sin; but God altogether wills to reveal it.  It is plausible that his wife sent or came to him; for that sleeping apart was displeasing, for thus the sin could not be covered.  But he was able to be overcome neither by the dignity of the king, nor by the form of his wife (Martyr).

With all the servants of his lord; with the king’s guard.  This he did, either upon some suspicion of the matter; see verse 7; or by the secret direction of God’s wise and irresistible providence, who would bring David’s sin to light.

Verse 10:[32]  And 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?

When they had told David; whether of their own accord, or being first asked by David, it doth not appear.

[Camest thou not from thy journey?]  That is to say, Since thou art fatigued from thy journey, thou oughtest to go down to thy house (Vatablus).

Camest thou not from thy journey, wearied with hard service and travel, and therefore didst need refreshment? nor did I expect or desire that thou shouldst now attend upon my person, or keep the watch.

Verse 11:[33]  And Uriah said unto David, (2 Sam. 7:2, 6) The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and (2 Sam. 20:6) 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.

[The ark of God]  Which was wont to be borne into the camp, either as a testimony of the favor of God (Grotius, similarly Martyr); or so that, with necessity requiring, they might consult the Lord before it (Piscator, similarly Martyr).  Others thus:  The ark was not abiding in any fixed house of stone, but in a tent almost improvised, which David had pitched in his city (Malvenda).

The ark, it seems, was now carried with them for their encouragement and direction, as was usual:  see Numbers 10:35; 1 Samuel 4:4.

[And my lord Joab]  The master of the military (Grotius).  Uriah was the squire of Joab (Josephus in Martyr).

[They abide upon the face of the ground]  They lie on the ground, as it is done in camps (Grotius, thus Vatablus).  He shows that he, as a good soldier, was far from indulgences (Grotius).

In the open fields, to wit, in tents which are in the fields.  And to lie with my wife:  he might possibly add these words, to insinuate his apprehension of the king’s design, and to awaken his conscience to the consideration of his sin, and of the injury which he had done him.  His meaning is, Now when God’s people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights.  Whereby he might possibly intimate how unworthy it was for David in such a season to indulge himself in sinful and injurious pleasures.  But David’s ear was now deaf, his heart being hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

[By thy well-being, and by the well-being of thy soul]  Thy well-being and the well-being of thy soul are the same thing.  Therefore, the oath is not twofold, but a repetition of the same thing (Menochius).  This prayer ought especially to have pricked David.  Bud David is grieved over this virtue and constancy of the soldier, concerning which it was especially proper for him to be thankful.  Whether Uriah sniffed out the purpose of David, is not evident (Martyr).

Verse 12:[34]  And 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.

Verse 13:[35]  And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him (Gen. 19:33, 35) drunk:  and at even he went out to lie on his bed (2 Sam. 11:9) with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

When David had called him, that is, being invited by David.

[He made him drunk]  It is well-known that the belly boiling with wine foams forth into lusts.  See Genesis 19; Proverbs 31:5 (Sanchez).  But Uriah did not allow himself to become overwhelmed, even if he had been made merrier by wine (Estius).  Good men, even with their minds affected, persevere in restraint, like good horses with loose reins:  among the signs of a confirmed habit (Mariana).

He made him drunk, or, he made him merry, as the word oft signifies.  He caused him to drink more than was convenient.  He went out to lie on his bed; which it doth not appear that he did the night before; but now his excess in eating and drinking might make it more necessary for him.  With the servants of his lord, that is, in some chamber in the king’s court, where the king’s servants used to take their repose.

[1] Hebrew: וַיְהִי֩ לִתְשׁוּבַ֙ת הַשָּׁנָ֜ה לְעֵ֣ת׀ צֵ֣את הַמַּלְאכִ֗ים וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח דָּוִ֡ד אֶת־יוֹאָב֩ וְאֶת־עֲבָדָ֙יו עִמּ֜וֹ וְאֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיַּשְׁחִ֙תוּ֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיָּצֻ֖רוּ עַל־רַבָּ֑ה וְדָוִ֖ד יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ס

[2] Hebrew:  ‎לִתְשׁוּבַ֙ת הַשָּׁנָ֜ה.

[3] 1 Kings 20:22:  “And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest:  for at the return of the year (‎לִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֔ה) the king of Syria will come up against thee.”

[4] 1 Kings 20:26:  “And it came to pass at the return of the year (‎לִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֔ה), that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.”

[5] 2 Chronicles 36:10:  “And when the year was expired (וְלִתְשׁוּבַ֣ת הַשָּׁנָ֗ה), king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.”

[6] רָבַב signifies to be many or much.

[7] Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned as the second Ptolemaic Pharaoh of Egypt from 284 to 246 BC.

[8] Hebrew: וַיְהִ֣י׀ לְעֵ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב וַיָּ֙קָם דָּוִ֜ד מֵעַ֤ל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙ עַל־גַּ֣ג בֵּית־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה רֹחֶ֖צֶת מֵעַ֣ל הַגָּ֑ג וְהָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

[9] Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC-17 AD) was a Roman poet.

[10] Remedia Amoris 161, 162.

[11] 2 Samuel 11:2:  “And 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 he saw a woman washing herself from upon the roof (‎וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה רֹחֶ֖צֶת מֵעַ֣ל הַגָּ֑ג); and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”

[12] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּדְרֹ֖שׁ לָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲלוֹא־זֹאת֙ בַּת־שֶׁ֣בַע בַּת־אֱלִיעָ֔ם אֵ֖שֶׁת אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַחִתִּֽי׃

[13] 1 Chronicles 3:5:  “And these were born unto him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bath-shua the daughter of Ammiel (‎לְבַת־שׁ֖וּעַ בַּת־עַמִּיאֵֽל׃)…”

[14] Hebrew:  ‎וַיֹּאמֶר.

[15] אֱלִיעָם/Eliam is composed of אֱלִי, my God, and עַם/people.

[16] עַמִּיאֵל/Ammiel is composed of עַמִּי, my people, and אֵל/God.

[17] In the sixth century BC, the Lacedæmonians attacked Samos (a Greek island in the eastern Ægean).  In the engagement, the Samians fled into the city, followed only by Archias and Lycopas, who then heroically died in combat with Samian forces.

[18] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ דָּוִ֙ד מַלְאָכִ֜ים וַיִּקָּחֶ֗הָ וַתָּב֤וֹא אֵלָיו֙ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עִמָּ֔הּ וְהִ֥יא מִתְקַדֶּ֖שֶׁת מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ וַתָּ֖שָׁב אֶל־בֵּיתָֽהּ׃

[19] Hebrew:  ‎וְהִ֥יא מִתְקַדֶּ֖שֶׁת מִטֻּמְאָתָ֑הּ וַתָּ֖שָׁב.

[20] See Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

[21] Agrippina the Younger (15-59) was the fourth wife and niece of Claudius, and the mother of Nero.  She is described as ruthlessly ambitious, domineering and manipulative, maneuvering Nero into the line of succession, and exerting influence over him in his early years.

[22] Hebrew:  ‎ותַּ֖הַר הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה וַתִּשְׁלַח֙ וַתַּגֵּ֣ד לְדָוִ֔ד וַתֹּ֖אמֶר הָרָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי׃

[23] See Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:21, 22; John 8:3-5.

[24] See Proverbs 6:34.

[25] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח דָּוִד֙ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב שְׁלַ֣ח אֵלַ֔י אֶת־אֽוּרִיָּ֖ה הַחִתִּ֑י וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח יוֹאָ֛ב אֶת־אֽוּרִיָּ֖ה אֶל־דָּוִֽד׃

[26] Hebrew:  ‎וַיָּבֹ֥א אוּרִיָּ֖ה אֵלָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל דָּוִ֗ד לִשְׁל֤וֹם יוֹאָב֙ וְלִשְׁל֣וֹם הָעָ֔ם וְלִשְׁל֖וֹם הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

[27] Hebrew:  ‎לִשְׁלוֹם.

[28] Hebrew:  ‎וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לְא֣וּרִיָּ֔ה רֵ֥ד לְבֵיתְךָ֖ וּרְחַ֣ץ רַגְלֶ֑יךָ וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֽוּרִיָּה֙ מִבֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַתֵּצֵ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו מַשְׂאַ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

[29] Hebrew:  ‎וַתֵּצֵ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו.

[30] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּשְׁכַּ֣ב אוּרִיָּ֗ה פֶּ֚תַח בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֵ֖ת כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָרַ֖ד אֶל־בֵּיתֽוֹ׃

[31] Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) was a Flemish philologist and historian.  He produced editions of Seneca and Tacitus.

[32] Hebrew: וַיַּגִּ֤דוּ לְדָוִד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא־יָרַ֥ד אוּרִיָּ֖ה אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אוּרִיָּ֗ה הֲל֤וֹא מִדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אַתָּ֣ה בָ֔א מַדּ֖וּעַ לֹֽא־יָרַ֥דְתָּ אֶל־בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃

[33] Hebrew: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר אוּרִיָּ֜ה אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד הָ֠אָרוֹן וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֙ל וִֽיהוּדָ֜ה יֹשְׁבִ֣ים בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹת וַאדֹנִ֙י יוֹאָ֜ב וְעַבְדֵ֤י אֲדֹנִ֙י עַל־פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ חֹנִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֞י אָב֧וֹא אֶל־בֵּיתִ֛י לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת וְלִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִם־אִשְׁתִּ֑י חַיֶּ֙ךָ֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ אִֽם־אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

[34] Hebrew: וַיֹּ֙אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־אוּרִיָּ֗ה שֵׁ֥ב בָּזֶ֛ה גַּם־הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֣ר אֲשַׁלְּחֶ֑ךָּ וַיֵּ֙שֶׁב אוּרִיָּ֧ה בִירוּשָׁלִַ֛ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וּמִֽמָּחֳרָֽת׃

[35] Hebrew:  ‎וַיִּקְרָא־ל֣וֹ דָוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֧אכַל לְפָנָ֛יו וַיֵּ֖שְׁתְּ וַֽיְשַׁכְּרֵ֑הוּ וַיֵּצֵ֣א בָעֶ֗רֶב לִשְׁכַּ֤ב בְּמִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ עִם־עַבְדֵ֣י אֲדֹנָ֔יו וְאֶל־בֵּית֖וֹ לֹ֥א יָרָֽד׃