O² P 11:1-. Rabbah. Besieged. Q 11:-1–12:25. David's sin. Committed. P 12:26-31. Rabbah. Captured. Q 13:1-20:22. David's sin. Punished.
942 B.C.
11)
1: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle (i.e. the next spring), that David sent Joab (= whose father is Yehovah), and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah (= great. The capital of Ammon [Deut.3:11 Josh.13:25]).
Q R¹ 11:-1-5. David and Bath-sheba. S¹ T 11:6-24. David and Uriah. U 11:25. Displeasure of Joab. R² 11:26,27-. David and Bath-sheba. S² U 11:-27. Displeasure of Yehovah. T 12:1-14. David and Nathan. S³ 12:15-25. David and Bath-sheba's child.
But David tarried still at Jerusalem (note the contrast with "kings" going forth, above, and this word "But". To much time on your hand can cause problems).
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 from the roof he saw a woman bathing herself (probably in the court below); and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. (Was she tempting David? We will never know)
3: And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bath-sheba (= daughter of the oath. Called Bath-shua, 1 Chron.3:5), the daughter of Eliam (called "Ammiel", 1 Chron.3:5. The son of Ahithophel [23:34]), the wife of Uriah (= light of Yehovah. One of David' faithful soldiers [23:39]. Married the daughter of Eliam [11:3], who was the son of Ahithophel [23:34]. This relationship probably led to Ahithophel's disloyalty [15:12]) the Hittite?” (refers to geographical location, NOT blood-line)
4: And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; and when she was purified from her uncleanness (cp. Lev.15:18. It is possible to be more punctilious about the ceremonial Law than the Moral Law): and she returned to her house. (Did she put up a fight? Was this love at first sight?)
5: And the woman conceived, and sent and told David (that David might shield her from the death penalty [Lev.20:10]), and said, “I am with child.”
T V 6. Message to Joab. W 7-13. Uriah's reception. V 14,15. Letter to Joab. W 16-24. Uriah's death.
6: And David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7: And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the People did, and how the war prospered. (Double talk to cause Uriah to think that he [Uriah] is the messanger of the king)
8: 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 mess of meat from the king. (Pregnancy would be explainable if Uriah spent time with his wife)
9: But Uriah slept at the entance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. (Uriah did this out of loyalty to his troups)
10: And when they had told David, saying, “Uriah went not down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from your journey? why then did you not go down to your house?” (This is messing up David's plan)
11: And Uriah said to 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 my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as you live, and as your soul (= you [emp.]) live, I will not do this thing.” (Shows his loyalty to the Ark of God which could be in danger)
12: And David said to Uriah, “Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the next day.
13: And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk (David is still trying to get him home to his wife): and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14: And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. (He knew Uriah wouldn't open it. He was carrying his own death sentence. David will regret this move)
15: And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set you all Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire you all from him, that he may be smitten, and die.” (This is very dificult for a military man to understand)
W s¹ 16,17-. Joab. Obedience. t¹ -17. Death of Uriah. s² 18-21-. Joab. Message sent. t² -21. Death of Uriah. s³ 22-24-. Joab. Message delivered. t³ -24. Death of Uriah.
16: And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17: And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the People of the servants of David;
and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18: Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
19: And charged the messenger, saying, “When you have made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king,
20: And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say to you, ‘Wherefore approached you all so near to the city when you all did fight? knew you all not that they would shoot from off the wall?
21: Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? (Judg.9:1 = Jerubbal. Baal = lord, Bosheth = shame; changed by Holy Spirit here to suit his idolatry [Judg.8:27], and now David's sin) did not a woman cast (one of the 10 deaths caused by a woman. See Judg.4:21) an upper-piece of a millstone upon him from the wall (one of the "despised" things used. See Judg.3:21; 9:35), that he died in Thebez? why went you all nigh the wall?’ then say you,
‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”
22: So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23: And the messenger said to David, “Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate.
24: And the shooters shot from off the wall upon your servants; and some of the king's servants be dead,
and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”
25: Then David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Let not this thing be evil in your eyes (this event put David in Joab's power, which Joab freely used. David was not tongue-tied in 3:29; but from now on he had to endure Joab's insolence, being too suspicious to trust him, and too weak to dismiss him. Cp. 14:19; 19:7. 1 Kings 2:5,22,33), for the sword devours now this one, now that one: make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage you him.”
26: And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentations for her husband.
27: And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house (not till 9 months after), and she became his wife, and bare him a son.
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord (Yehovah).
T u¹ 1-4. Parable. Propounded. v¹ 5,6. David's anger. u² 7-9. Parable. Applied. v² 10-12. David's judgment. u³ 13-. Prable. Effect. v³ -13,14. David's forgiveness.
941 B.C.
12)
1: And the Lord (Yehovah) sent Nathan the prophet to David (see 11:27). And he came to him (Cp. title of Ps.51), and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2: The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
4: And there came a traveller to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come to him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.”
5: And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord (Yehovah) lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die (Heb. is a son of death = liable to die):
6: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold (cp. Ex.22:1. Sept. reads "sevenfold"), because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
7: And Nathan said to David, “You are the man (many means used to produce conviction: God's greatness [Job 42:1-6]; God's glory [Isa.6:5]; God's power [Luke 5:8]; a famine [Luke 15:14,18]; a parable [here]). Thus says Yehovah Elohim of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel (1 Sam.16:13), and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;
8: And I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to you such and such things.
9: Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord (Yehovah), to do evil in His sight? you have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword (not Joab, or the Ammonites), and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
10: Now therefore the sword (Fig., put for manifested hostilty) shall never depart from your house (Fig. put for a part of time, i.e. lifetime); because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
11: Thus says the Lord (Yehovah), ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house (disgraced by one son [13:14], banished by another [15:19], revolted against by a third [1 Kings 2], bearded by his servant, betrayed by his friends, deserted by his People, bereaved of his children), and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour (prochecy. See 16:21,22. God is in control), and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12: For you did it secretly (see v.9): but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ ”
13: And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord (Yehovah).” (Ps.51 is the expansion of this)
And Nathan said to David, “The Lord (Yehovah) also has put away your sin; therefore you shall not die. (Divine forgiveness instantly follows the sinner's confession [1 John 1:9]. Cp. Job 42:6,8,10. Isa.6:5,6, "then flew". Luke 15:18,20, "his father ran", &c.)
14: However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord (Yehovah) to blaspheme (this is noted in the Massorah as one of the emendations of the Sopherim, who altered the primitive text out of mistaken reverence for David and Yehovah. The original reading was "you have greatly blasphemed Yehovah"), the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
R³ w¹ x¹ 15. Child stricken. y¹ 16. David's intercession. z¹ 17. Abstinence. w² x² 18,19. Child's death. y² 20-. David's worship. z² -20. Eating. w³ x³ 21. Child's death. Inquiry. y³ 22. David's weeping. z³ 23. Abstinence given up.15: And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord (Yehovah) struck the child that Uriah's wife bare to David, and it was very sick.
16: David therefore besought God (Elohim) for the child; and David made a strict fast, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth (as a penitent, with Ps.51 for his utterance. Note his sitting before Yehovah as a worshpper, and his utterance [2 Sam.7:18-28]; and his standing as a servant [1 Chron.28:2], and his utterance and service [1 Chron.28:3-29:21]).
17: And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18: And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?”
19: But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”
20: Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord (Yehovah), and worshipped:
then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21: Then said his servants to him, “What thing is this that you have done? you did fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, you did rise and eat bread.”
22: And he said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord (Yehovah) will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’
Epilogue
23: But now he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him (I shall die and be buried [cp.v.19]: i.e. I shall go to the [not "a"] grave [Sheõl]. On the use of this Euphemy as denoting death and burial, see Gen.15:15 [cp. Josh. 24:2,14,15, Abraham's "fathers" being idolaters]; 25:8,17; 35:29; 49:29,33. Nm.20:26; 27:13; 31:22.Deut.31:16; 32:50. Judg.2:10. 1 Sam.28:19 [note "you and your sons"]. 2 Kings 22:30. 1 Chron.17:11. 2 Chron.34:28. Acts 13:36), but he shall not return to me.”
940 B.C.
24: And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called (some codices read "she", in contrast with "he" in next verse) his name Solomon (= Pacific or Peaceful. Cp. 7:13): and the Lord (Yehovah) loved him.
25: And He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and He called (i.e. Yehovah, by the hand of Nathan, in contrast with Bath-shba. See v.24) his name Jedidiah (= beloved of Yah), for the Lord's (Yehovah's) sake.
P X¹ 26-28. Rabbah and Joab. X² 29-31. Rabbah and David.
26: And Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27: And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters (= waters of the city: i.e. the lower waters or town, cutting off the citadel, which David came and took).
28: Now therefore gather the rest of the People together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.” (Was he trying to pick his uncle up?)
29: And David gathered all the People together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30: And he took their king's crown from off his head (= the crown of Milcom, with Sept. Cp. 1 Chron.20:2. Jer.49:1,3. Amos 1:15. Zeph.1:5), the weight whereof was a talent of gold (aprox. 131 lbs.) with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31: And he brought forth the People that were therein, and appointed (or appointed over, set, &c. Heb. sûm [Gen.2:8; 45:8,9; 47:6. Ex.2:14; 5:14. 1 Sam.8:11; 2 Sam.7:10. 2 Kings 10:24. Ps.78:5; 81:5. Hos.1:11, &c.) them with saws (especially to work with. Heb letter Beth, prefixed as prep = in, within, with. When the prep. "under" = beneath, then it is either part of a verb or one of four distinct words: ’el [2 Sam.2:23]; mattãh [1 Chron.27:23]; tehoth’ [Jer.10:11. Dan.4:12,21; 7:27, "under the heavens"]; tahath [Dan.4:14, "under a tree"]. Beth, when translated "under", is only in the sense of within [as "under or within the shelter of"] the "wing", or "under or within the earth"]. Otherwise used with a tool or weapon or instrument, it always means "with". See "with an axe" [Deut.19:5. Jer.10:3]; "with axes" [Jer.4:22. Ezek.26:9. Ps.74:6]; "with nails and with hammers" [Jer.10:4]; "with an ox-goad" [Judg.3:31]; "with mattock" [Isa.7:25]; "with sword and with bow" [Gen.48:22. Josh.24:12. 2 Kings 6:22]; "with a graving tool" [Ex.32:4], &c.), and with harrows of iron, and with axes of iron, and made them pass by (or before) the brick-work (hence, brick pavement or paved area. Not brickkiln; no brickkilns in Palestine. All brick there are sun-dried. Only once spoken of as burnt - as being a strange thing [Gen.11:3]. Heb. malbên, occurs only here, Jer.43:9, and Nah.3:14, the former at "entry" of royal palace, the latter said to be "fortified". Both out of the question, and quite incongruous for a brickkiln. The very paved area of Jer.43:9 was discovered at Taphanhes by Flinders Petrie in 1886, where Nebuchadnezzar did exactly what David did here and in 8:2 and 1 Chron.20:3): and thus did he to all the cities of the sons of Ammon (i.e. as in 8:2, with Moab, sohere; he caused the captives to pass by before him, he seated on a pavement of brick-work, or paved area, where he appointed them to various departments of labour for which they were suited. He was trying to be as fair as he could be. Cp. Jer.43:9-11. These were the "strangers" [i.e. foreigners] and the "abundance of workmen" referred to in 1 Chron.22:2,15. Cp. Deut.29:11. Josh.9:27. See 1 Kings 5:13; 9:15,21,22). So David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Q Y¹ 13:1-14:33. Ammon's sin. Y² 15:1-19:43. Absalom's rebellion. Y³ 20:1-22. Sheba's revolt.
Y¹ A 13:1-4. Ammon's desire for sister's love. B a 13:5-10. Stratagem. Ammon's sin. b 13:11-18. Crime. " c 13:19-22. Emotions. " B a 13:23-27. Statagem. Absalom's revenge. b 13:28-29-. Crime. " c 13:-29-14:27. Commotions. " A 14:28-33. Absalom's desire for father's love.
938 B.C.
13)
1: And it came to pass after this (i.e. 938 B.C. David, 53: Amnon,22; Absalom,20; Tamar,15; Solomon,2), that Absalom (= father of peace. Son of Maacah, daughter of king of Geshur [see 3:3]) the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar (= palm tree); and Amnon (= faithful) the son of David loved her.
2: And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar (= love sick, lust); for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
3: But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shammah David's brother (see 1 Sam.16:9): and Jonadab (= who Yehovah impels) was a very subtil man. (= wise. Looks like a Kenite = Sons of Cain, who brought down Jehu. Check out his spirit. Kenite advice can divide)
4: And he said to him, “Why are you, being the king's son, lean from day to day? will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” (His half-sister)
5: And Jonadab said to him, “Lay you down on your bed, and feign yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I pray you, let my sister Tamar come, and give me heart-shaped cakes (occ. only here and in vv.6,7,8,10), and dress the heart-shaped cakes in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.’ ” (Here we see the subtlety of a trouble-maker. See v.3)
6: So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said to the king, ‘I pray you, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of heart-shaped cakes in my sight (see Ezek.4:9-17), that I may eat at her hand.’ ”
7: Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and dress him heart-shaped cakes.’ ”
8: So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took dough (or paste), and kneaded it, and made heart-shaped cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
9: And she took the pan (in Ezek. pan was the wall of seperation), and put them down before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Have out all men from me.” And they went out every man from him.
10: And Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the heart-shaped cakes into the chamber, that I may eat of your hand.” And Tamar took the heart-shaped cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11: And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come lie with me, my sister.”
12: And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not humble me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do you not this folly. (Forbidden. Lev.18:6,17)
13: And I, to which place shall I cause my shame to go? and as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” (she's trying to buy time)
14: However he would not listen to her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
15: Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her (He hated her more than he had lusted after her). And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone.” (she went from a virgin to a widow)
16: And she said to him, “There is no cause (Heb. ’al "Give no ground for talk"): this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.
17: Then he called his servant that ministered to him, and said, “Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.”
18: And she had a garment of a long tunic with sleeves upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
c d 19. Grief of Tamar. e 20. Absalom's dissimulation. d 21. Anger of David. e 22. Absalom's htred.
19: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of a long tunic and sleeves that was on her, and laid her hand on her head (Fig., put for grieving), and went on crying. (This had destroyed her)
20: And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? but hold now your peace, my sister: he is your brother; regard not this thing (he's telling her, don't worry about the disgrace, I will take care of him. The Law and penalty for rape was death). So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. (a widow. Cp. 1 Tim.5:5)
21: But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.
22: And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23: And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. (time for celebration)
24: And Absalom came to the king, and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech you, and his servants go with your servant.”
25: And the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be burdensome to you.” And he pressed him: however he would not go, but blessed him. (Absalom is trying to convince him the place is not big enough for all of us)
26: Then said Absalom, “If not, I pray you, let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
27: But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. (Sept. and Vulg. add here "and Absalom made a banquet, like the banquet of a king". He [David], probably thought that 2 years was long enough for the rememmbrance of the rape to go away)
28: Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, ”Mark you all now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, ‘Smite Amnon;’ then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous and be sons of valour.”
29: And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon according as Absalom had commanded.
c C¹ 13:-29-39. Absalom's flight. C² 14:1-33. Absalom's recall.
C¹ f¹ -29. Flight of kings son. g¹ 30-33. David. Anxiety. f² 34-. Flight of Absalom. g² -34-36. David. Mourning. f³ 37,38. Flight of Absalom. g³ 39. David. Comforted.
Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule (first occ. Not Gen.36:24. See note there), and fled. (The word got out that Absalon was going to kill everyone)
30: And it came to pass, while they were in the way (always moving in on the inside. Wise up to the ways of the Kenites = sons of Cain. Be aware and alert to reality), that tidings came to David, saying, “Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.” (How could this be that the word got there before them?)
31: Then the king arose, and tore his garments (he remembered what Nathan said), and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by and tore their clothes.
32: And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother (he claimed to be), answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33: Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.” (How would he know that far ahead? There was a spy in his own camp making points by giving the good news. A mark of the Kenite)
34: But Absalom fled.
And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him.
35: And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons come: as your servant said, so it is.” (How did this word get out before them. He planned it from the start. See v.5)
36: And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept with a great weaping.
37: But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud (or Ammihur), king of Geshur. And David the king mourned for his son every day.
938 to 936 B.C.
38: So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
39: And the soul of king David (cp. the omission of nephesh [soul] in Ps.16:2) longed to go forth to Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. (He wasn't man enough to say you are forgiven, come home. Guilt was a heavy burden.)