2 Samuel 11 12

2 Samuel 11:12 kjv

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.

2 Samuel 11:12 nkjv

Then David said to Uriah, "Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

2 Samuel 11:12 niv

Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

2 Samuel 11:12 esv

Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

2 Samuel 11:12 nlt

"Well, stay here today," David told him, "and tomorrow you may return to the army." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 12 Meaning

This verse describes King David's second attempt to deceive Uriah the Hittite, hoping Uriah would go home and sleep with his wife Bathsheba, thus concealing David's adultery with her. David commands Uriah to remain in Jerusalem for two more days, implying a later dismissal, a manipulative strategy following Uriah's unwavering commitment to the soldiers and the Ark. Uriah obediently stays in the capital, thereby inadvertently frustrating David's sinful scheme yet again, highlighting his remarkable integrity against the king's deep moral decline.

2 Samuel 11 12 Context

This verse is centrally located in 2 Samuel chapter 11, which marks a pivotal and tragic turning point in the reign of King David. The narrative opens with David remaining in Jerusalem instead of leading his army to war, a departure from his usual character. This idleness leads to his adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. Upon learning of Bathsheba's pregnancy, David attempts to cover up his sin. He recalls Uriah from the battlefield, first urging him to go home to his wife (v. 8), which Uriah nobly refuses (v. 9-11), citing the loyalty he owes to his fellow soldiers and the Ark of the Covenant, and his commitment to the holy war effort. Uriah's principled refusal to go home is critical because Israelite soldiers observed ceremonial purity laws during military campaigns, which precluded conjugal relations. David's words in verse 12 are his second attempt to manipulate Uriah, keeping him in Jerusalem, perhaps hoping Uriah would relax, become more disposed to personal comfort, and ultimately return home to his wife. This is a subtle yet significant escalation of David's deception, pushing Uriah towards David's agenda, all while Uriah remains unknowingly a pawn in a king's cover-up scheme.

2 Samuel 11 12 Word analysis

• Then David said to Uriah, 'Remain here today also...':

  • David (דָּוִד - Dawid): The highly esteemed king of Israel, "a man after God's own heart" (1 Sam 13:14), whose character here demonstrates a severe lapse into sin and abuse of power. His words show his calculated and manipulative intent.
  • Uriah (אֽוּרִיָּה - Uriyah): Meaning "My light is Yahweh" or "Yah is my light." Ironically, his name signifies divine light while he is surrounded by David's moral darkness. He is identified as "the Hittite," an ethnic outsider who exemplifies covenant loyalty and military consecration far more purely than the Israelite king in this narrative. His very presence highlights David's corruption.
  • 'Remain here' (שֵׁב בָּזֶה - shev bazeh): The imperative "shev" means "sit," "dwell," or "remain." It’s a direct command, yet loaded with David's hidden agenda. David's instruction implies Uriah is to linger at the king's court, under royal gaze, subtly pressuring him, instead of being officially dismissed to his tent.
  • 'today also' (גַּם־הַיּוֹם - gam-hayyom): Signifies extending Uriah's stay, part of David's persistent, coercive strategy. It reflects David's frustration from Uriah's previous refusal and his determination to find another way to achieve his wicked goal.

• '...and tomorrow I will send you away.':

  • 'tomorrow I will send you away' (וּמָחָ֥ר אֲשַׁלְּחֶֽךָּ - u'makhar ashalkheka): This is a promise of future dismissal, intended to lull Uriah into a false sense of security or obligate him to accept David's hospitality for the short term. The verb "ashalkheka" (to send, dismiss, release) gives an appearance of concern and control over Uriah's movements, a deceptive veneer over David's actual wicked intentions.

• So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.:

  • 'remained' (וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב - vayyeshev): The same root word as David's command ("shev"), indicating Uriah's obedience to the king's direct order. This reinforces Uriah's dutiful character. However, this act of obedience simultaneously (and ironically) thwarts David's underlying goal.
  • 'in Jerusalem' (בִירוּשָׁלָ֘יִם֮ - Bîrûshālaim): The capital city, symbolizing David's seat of power. Uriah remains at the heart of the kingdom, dedicated, while the king is betraying his position and God's law within its very walls.
  • 'that day and the next' (בַּיּ֣וֹם הַהוּא֮ גַּם־מִמָּחֳרָ֣ת - bayyom hahū gam mimmochărāt): This indicates a two-day period. David is extending his opportunity to influence Uriah, which eventually includes intoxicating him (v. 13), highlighting David's escalating and desperate attempts to manipulate.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Then David said to Uriah, 'Remain here today also...'": This phrase sets up David's calculated cunning. He speaks words of feigned hospitality or routine royal decree, masking a devious intent. This highlights David's abuse of his authority.
  • "...and tomorrow I will send you away.": This part of David's speech is a further layer of deceit, a strategic postponement. It paints David as a thoughtful king planning for his soldier, while his true motive is to force Uriah into a domestic scenario he refuses.
  • "So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.": This demonstrates Uriah's simple obedience and trust in his king's directive, contrasted with the complex web of deceit David is weaving. Uriah's unyielding principles of military and religious devotion remain unshaken, rendering David's direct and indirect machinations utterly ineffective. His purity and loyalty are exemplary even in unwitting defiance of a king's wickedness.

2 Samuel 11 12 Bonus section

• The failure of David's second plan in verse 12, just like the first (Uriah's refusal to go home), underscores the tenacity of Uriah's integrity. It demonstrates that not every subtle temptation or deceptive ploy will succeed, especially against genuine principle.
• Uriah's exemplary conduct stands as a "light" (as his name implies) exposing the darkness of David's heart. He unknowingly serves as a silent judge of the king's sin, an example of steadfast devotion to God and country that tragically costs him his life because of a king's treachery.
• This verse is part of a series of "frustrated plans" by David, showing God's subtle work in revealing David's sin, even before Nathan's direct confrontation. Each failure of David's scheme leads him further into graver sin, yet also towards the ultimate divine exposure.

2 Samuel 11 12 Commentary

2 Samuel 11:12 unfolds David's escalating sin from passive indulgence to active deceit. Following Uriah's exemplary commitment to his nation's war effort (v.11), which thwarted David's initial attempt to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, David devises a new, more coercive plan. David commands Uriah to stay, pretending concern or perhaps seeking further opportunity to maneuver him. This command, coupled with the promise of future dismissal, shows David's persistent attempt to manipulate. He hopes that by keeping Uriah around the luxuries of the palace for longer, Uriah's resolve might soften, leading him to desire comfort and conjugal intimacy. However, Uriah's simple obedience ("remained in Jerusalem that day and the next") paradoxically becomes another barrier to David's scheme. This verse starkly contrasts David's deepening moral compromise and abuse of royal authority with Uriah's unwavering, almost unconsciously pure, devotion to the military ethos and divine law. It shows that Uriah, the foreign Hittite, possessed greater integrity in adhering to sacred vows than the Israelite king. This failure leads David to his most heinous act: arranging Uriah's death.