2 Samuel 11 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter continues the story of what David did as the king of Israel. However, it marks a turning point in his life. David commits two very serious sins, adultery and murder. For the rest of his life, David experienced the consequences of these sins as his children committed sexual violence and murder against one another and as one of his sons rebelled against him to try to replace him as king.

This chapter describes specifically how David saw a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, and required her have sexual relations with him. When she became pregnant, David brought her husband Uriah home from fighting against the Ammonites. David encouraged him to relax at home with his wife so it would appear as if he was the father of the child. But Uriah remained on duty, staying with the palace guards. So David arranged with his general Joab to have Uriah killed in battle. He then married Bathsheba. The author concludes this account by noting that “the thing that David had done was bad in the eyes of Yahweh.” David begins to experience the consequences in the following chapter.