II Samuel 11:5-13 · Bible study
2 Samuel 11:5-13 Commentary: David's Failed Cover-Up
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of David's attempts to hide his adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah's loyalty, and the spiral into greater sin.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David's desperate cover-up of his adultery is repeatedly thwarted by Uriah's integrity and God's hidden hand.
- Key Words: Women in some traditions argue for women's ordination; also the ark (symbol of God's presence) and the tents (solidarity with soldiers).
- Main Debate: Whether Bathsheba was a willing participant or a victim of royal power; whether Uriah suspected the adultery.
- Theological Theme: Sin cannot be hidden from the eyes of God, and attempts to conceal it only multiply guilt.
- Best Use: A cautionary narrative for anyone tempted to use power to cover moral failure.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
5And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
8Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
9But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”
11Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
12“Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
WEB World English Bible 2000
5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
6David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.
7When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
8David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.
9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and didn’t go down to his house.
10When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”
11Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”
12David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.
13When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.
KJV King James Version 1769
5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
8And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10And 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?
11And Uriah said unto David, The ark, 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? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12And 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.
13And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
5And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
8And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king.
9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?
11And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12And 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.
13And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
5and the woman conceiveth, and sendeth, and declareth to David, and saith, `I am conceiving.'
6And David sendeth unto Joab, `Send unto me Uriah the Hittite,' and Joab sendeth Uriah unto David;
7and Uriah cometh unto him, and David asketh of the prosperity of Joab, and of the prosperity of the people, and of the prosperity of the war.
8And David saith to Uriah, `Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet;' and Uriah goeth out of the king's house, and there goeth out after him a gift from the king,
9and Uriah lieth down at the opening of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord, and hath not gone down unto his house.
10And they declare to David, saying, `Uriah hath not gone down unto his house;' and David saith unto Uriah, `Hast thou not come from a journey? wherefore hast thou not gone down unto thy house?'
11And Uriah saith unto David, `The ark, and Israel, and Judah, are abiding in booths, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field are encamping; and I--I go in unto my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife! --thy life, and the life of thy soul--if I do this thing.'
12And David saith unto Uriah, `Abide in this place also to-day, and to-morrow I send thee away;' and Uriah abideth in Jerusalem, on that day, and on the morrow,
13and David calleth for him, and he eateth before him, and drinketh, and he causeth him to drink, and he goeth out in the evening to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, and unto his house he hath not gone down.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6And David sent to Joab [saying], Send me Urijah the Hittite. And Joab sent Urijah to David.
7And when Urijah had come to him, David asked how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered.
8And David said to Urijah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Urijah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him presents from the king.
9And Urijah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10And they had told David saying, Urijah did not go down to his house; and David said to Urijah, Art thou not come from a journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?
11And Urijah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into my 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.
12And David said to Urijah, Abide here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. And Urijah abode in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.
13And David invited him, and he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but did not go down to his house.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
5And she returned to her house having conceived. And she sent and told David, and said: I have conceived.
6And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias the Hethite. And Joab sent Urias to David.
7And Urias came to David. And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.
8And David said to Urias: Go into thy house, and wash thy feet. And Urias went out from the king's house, and there went out after him a mess of meat from the king.
9But Urias slept before the gate of the king's house, with the other servants of his lord, and went not down to his own house.
10And it was told David by some that said: Urias went not to his house. And David said to Urias: Didst thou not come from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?
11And Urias said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? By thy welfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing.
12Then David said to Urias: Tarry here to day, and to morrow I will send thee away. Urias tarried in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13And David called him to eat and to drink before him, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening, and slept on his couch with the servants of his lord, and went not down into his house.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Samuel 11:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage shows David moving from private sin to a desperate and failed cover-up. Adam Clarke notes that Bathsheba's message to David ('I am with child') set in motion 'his crime be concealed.' David's scheme to bring Uriah home and have him sleep with his wife was designed to conceal the pregnancy, as Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, and others affirm. Because God was not on David's side, these efforts met failure. The commentators see in Uriah's loyalty and refusal to go home a display of integrity that shames David's scheming. The Cambridge Bible observes that the story is recorded as a warning that even 'holy men may yield to temptation and fall into gross sin.' The failure of David's cover-up is a direct consequence of God's providence, as Wesley says, who 'would bring David's sin to light.' All agree the passage marks a turning point in David's life and warns against the lengths sin leads a person to conceal its effects.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Bathsheba as willing participant: She did not resist; she sent word to David rather than to the priests or her husband.
- Bathsheba as pressured victim: David was the king; refusing him could mean death; she had little real choice.
- Uriah as suspicious: David's unusual summons and urgent orders to go home could have raised his suspicions.
- Uriah as entirely loyal: His stated reason (v.11) is noble and consistent with his character; no hint of suspicion is recorded.
What is clear: David sinned, attempted to cover the sin, and was thwarted by Uriah's steadfast loyalty.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Bathsheba's role | She sent word to David about the pregnancy, indicating she expected him to act. | Some see her as a co-conspirator who wanted to force David's hand; others see a woman with limited power who feared the death penalty for adultery (Lev. 20:10) and turned to the only one who could protect her. |
| Uriah's awareness | Uriah showed extraordinary loyalty to his comrades and to God. | Some commentators (e.g., Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) suggest his suspicions were awakened; others (Clarke, Cambridge) think he remained ignorant, acting purely from military honor. |
| David's culpability | David sinned and then tried to cover his sin with deception. | All traditions agree on David's guilt; no serious debate exists. |
| Providence in the story | God's hand is behind the failure of David's schemes. | Reformed theology emphasizes predestination; others see general divine sovereignty preventing the cover-up from succeeding. |
| The ark at battle | Uriah mentions the ark as part of the army's camp. | Some argue this was a regular practice in holy wars; others see it as an exceptional measure for this campaign (following 1 Sam. 4). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the Ammonite war, which began in 2 Samuel 10. Verse 1 of chapter 11 says it was 'the time when kings go out' to battle, but David stayed in Jerusalem. That decision set the stage for the afternoon encounter with Bathsheba. Uriah was one of David's elite warriors, a Hittite who had probably converted to Israel's faith and had taken a Hebrew name meaning 'Yahweh is my light.'
When David summons Uriah from the front, he is recalling a soldier still under military obligation. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, soldiers were not free to return home until discharged. David's order for Uriah to 'go down to your house and wash your feet' (v.8) was a veiled command to enjoy the comforts of home, but Uriah reads it as a breach of warrior ethics. His reply (v.11) mentions that 'the ark, and Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents', temporary shelters called sukkoth, the same word for the Feast of Booths. The ark's presence with the army was a sign of God's presence in battle, as seen in Joshua 6 and 1 Samuel 4. Uriah argues that it is unthinkable to enjoy the pleasures of home while the ark of the covenant and his comrades face danger in the open field.
The gift that follows Uriah from the king's table (v.8) was a mark of royal favor, a portion comparable to what Joseph gave Benjamin (Genesis 43:34). But the gift could not purchase Uriah's compliance. The guards who slept 'at the door of the king's house' were the king's personal bodyguard, and Uriah deliberately joins them instead of going home to Bathsheba. This sleeping arrangement would have been public; the next morning everyone knows he did not go home. David's deception unravels precisely because of Uriah's integrity.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for 2 Samuel 11:5-13. The Masoretic Text is stable across manuscripts. The word 'booths' (sukkoth) in verse 11 is consistent across versions, though some translations render it as 'tents' for clarity.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a warning against the progressive nature of sin. Early church fathers such as Ambrose used David's fall to caution that even the greatest saints are vulnerable. In the medieval period, it was a staple of penitential homilies. The story has also been the subject of visual art, particularly Renaissance paintings depicting Bathsheba at her bath and Uriah's death. Reformation commentators (Luther, Calvin) saw it as proof that God's grace is not a license to sin. In modern Christian ethics, the passage is often cited in sermons on integrity and the abuse of power. It has also been a key text in discussions of sexual exploitation, as David's misuse of his royal authority is plain. Despite differing emphases, all traditions agree that God's exposure of David's sin eventually leads to his repentance in Psalm 51.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Sin cannot stay secret. Bathsheba's pregnancy makes the private sin public. David reacts not by repenting but by plotting, showing that unconfessed sin always pushes toward more sin.
- Integrity outflanks deception. Uriah's refusal to break his soldier's code exposes David's schemes. The king is thwarted by the very loyalty he depends on.
- God's providence protects even in judgment. The cover-up fails not because David is incompetent, but because God will not let sin be hidden. This is mercy disguised as exposure.
Five-Point Outline
- The word arrives: Bathsheba is pregnant (v.5).
- David summons Uriah and feigns interest in the war (v.6-7).
- The king extends a veiled invitation to go home, but Uriah sleeps with the guards (v.8-9).
- David's direct question is met with Uriah's oath of solidarity with his comrades (v.10-11).
- The king resorts to getting Uriah drunk, yet even intoxication cannot break his resolve (v.12-13).
Illustration Hooks
- An office worker who makes a small mistake and then alters a report to hide it, only to have the cover-up become the bigger problem.
- A husband who lies about a cancelled credit card, then keeps adding lies to avoid confessing the original.
- A student who cheats on a test, then tries to manipulate the teacher to avoid detection.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why didn't David just confess when he got the news from Bathsheba?
- Did Uriah suspect what was going on? The text leaves it open.
- What did Bathsheba expect when she sent word to David? Was she complicit or trapped?
Leading a Discussion
This passage traces the downward slide from a stolen moment to a frantic cover-up. We see David using his royal power to manipulate people, yet each attempt to hide sin makes the situation worse. Uriah stands as a counterpoint: a soldier whose commitment to his comrades and to God is stronger than the king's command.
Discussion Questions
- What does Bathsheba's decision to send word to David tell you about her situation and about David's role in the relationship?
- David asks about 'how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.' Why does the narrator record these details?
- Uriah refuses to go home despite David's gift and his direct orders. What does his answer in verse 11 reveal about his values?
- Why do you think getting Uriah drunk fails to achieve David's goal?
- In what ways does this passage show that one sin leads to another?
- Where do you see God's providence at work in these verses, even though God is not mentioned?
- How might this story affect the way you respond when you are tempted to cover up a mistake or failure?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 22:22 | If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel. |
| Proverbs 6:34 | For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance. |
| Genesis 4:7 | If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.” |
| Genesis 38:18 | He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. |
| Genesis 38:23 | Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.” |
| I Samuel 15:30 | Then he said, “I have sinned; yet please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.” |
| Job 20:12 | “Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue, |
| Job 20:14 | yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that David’s first scheme was not murder but concealment: he tried to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba so the child would appear legitimate. Uriah’s noble refusal — sleeping at the palace door while the ark and his comrades camped in the field — exposed David’s plan. Only then did David resort to deeper sin.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the "mess of meat" refers to an honorable portion given by a host to his chief guest, not just any serving.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary emphasizes that Scripture records David’s sin with stark honesty, neither flattering nor concealing his fall, as a warning that even holy people can yield to temptation and that one sin often leads to others. Yet it equally highlights the liberating power of repentance: David’s example shows that no one should presume they will not sin or despair when they do, because repentance brings restoration.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize Uriah's remarkable self-denial: though the king presses him to go home and enjoy his wife, Uriah refuses all comfort while the ark and his fellow soldiers remain in the open field. His loyalty to his comrades stands in stark contrast to David's scheming.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that God's overruling providence frustrated every scheme David devised to conceal his sin. Uriah's refusal to go home, even when made drunk, is attributed to divine intervention. In this reading, even David's careful plotting could not hide what God intended to bring to light.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Uriah's refusal to go home likely arose from honorable military discipline, not ignorance of David's scheme. The king's sudden recall and gift of meat would have stirred suspicion. Yet Providence overruled Uriah's integrity, using it to advance the tragedy that Scripture records as a warning.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads David's fall as a sobering lesson about sin's inner logic: one hidden corruption, left unchecked, breeds a whole chain of crimes. He stresses that the man after God's own heart fell not by sudden force but through small failures of vigilance, idleness, and unfaithfulness in calling, which opened the door to lust, deceit, and murder.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes the painful irony of this episode: the very season when kings go to war, David stays behind and is conquered by his own lust. His public glory in fighting God’s battles gives way to private shame, while even the Hittite Uriah shows more honor by refusing comforts his comrades lack.