2 Samuel 11 26

2 Samuel 11:26 kjv

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

2 Samuel 11:26 nkjv

When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

2 Samuel 11:26 niv

When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.

2 Samuel 11:26 esv

When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.

2 Samuel 11:26 nlt

When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 26 Meaning

This verse details Bathsheba’s immediate reaction to the news of Uriah's death: she observes the customary period of mourning for her deceased husband. It signifies a transition point, confirming Uriah's elimination from David's scheme and setting the stage for David's final act of covering his sin by marrying Bathsheba.

2 Samuel 11 26 Context

This verse functions as a pivotal point in the deeply disturbing narrative of David's sin. Chapter 11 recounts King David's initial adultery with Bathsheba while Uriah, her husband, was away fighting Ammonites. David then attempted to conceal the pregnancy by bringing Uriah home from battle, hoping Uriah would sleep with his wife and legitimize the child. Uriah's unwavering loyalty to David, the ark, and the army foiled this plan (2 Sam 11:11). Desperate, David orchestrated Uriah’s death by sending him back to the battle front with a letter instructing Joab, the army commander, to place Uriah in the fiercest part of the fight and withdraw support. This act successfully, though tragically, removed Uriah. Verse 26 confirms Uriah's death, clearing the way for David to proceed with the final phase of his cover-up: taking Bathsheba as his own wife. Bathsheba’s mourning, in line with custom, signals her availability for remarriage, which David immediately exploits in the subsequent verse (2 Sam 11:27).

2 Samuel 11 26 Word analysis

• When: Indicates an immediate chronological progression; the news arrived, and the reaction followed promptly.
• the wife of Uriah: Bathsheba. She is deliberately identified by her relationship to Uriah, not yet as "David's wife," highlighting Uriah's recent death and the ongoing implications for him, even in death. This framing underscores David's egregious sin against Uriah's covenant.
  • Hebrew: 'eshet 'U·ri·yah (אֵֽשֶׁת־אוּרִיָּה). The word 'eshet (אֵשֶׁת) means "woman" or "wife," emphasizing her legal and relational status to Uriah.
• heard: Received the formal news. This implies definite confirmation of his death, not mere rumor, and initiates the customary practices.
  • Hebrew: sha·m'a (שָׁמְעָה) - "she heard, understood, perceived." It denotes reception of information, which would be expected after an official report from the battlefield arrived in Jerusalem.
• that Uriah her husband was dead: Confirms the outcome of David's deadly scheme. The repetition of "her husband" reiterates the personal loss and deepens the sense of injustice of David's act against a loyal servant.
  • Hebrew: ki mat 'U·ri·yah 'i·shah (כִּי־מֵת אוּרִיָּה אִישָׁהּ). Mat (מֵת) is the verb "to die" or "is dead." Ishah (אִישָׁהּ) refers to "her man" or "her husband," reinforcing the marital bond that was broken.
• she mourned: Instituting the traditional lamentation rites. This mourning was a public, culturally prescribed process following death, essential before a widow could remarry. It legitimizes David's next step in the eyes of society, even as it highlights his calculated exploitation.
  • Hebrew: wat-tit·'ab·bel (וַתִּתְאַבֵּל) - from the root אָבַל ('āval), "to mourn, lament." This describes a formal and visible act of grief, often involving specific actions like tearing garments or wearing sackcloth.
• for her husband: Reinforces the reason for the mourning. This brief statement underscores the tragedy, whether Bathsheba's grief was sincere or primarily an expected social formality. The narrative, focused on David's culpability, does not elaborate on her inner emotions.

2 Samuel 11 26 Bonus section

The brevity with which Bathsheba's mourning is described, in contrast to David's more dramatic displays of grief for Saul and Jonathan (2 Sam 1), often leads commentators to interpret it as either a formal requirement without deep personal investment or as a deliberate narrative choice to keep the focus on David's unfolding sin rather than Bathsheba's emotional state. The precise duration of her mourning is not given, but its immediate cessation is noted, directly leading to David marrying her. This quick sequence highlights David's urgency to fully "integrate" her and the child into his household before his sin became undeniably public, further emphasizing his strategic and ungodly pursuit of cover-up rather than repentance.

2 Samuel 11 26 Commentary

This concise verse concludes the meticulously executed second stage of David's great sin: the murder of Uriah, following his adultery with Bathsheba. Bathsheba's act of mourning, while brief in the biblical account, was a culturally prescribed period and vital formality, essential to legitimize her status as a widow and subsequent availability for remarriage. The text does not detail the depth of her grief, nor does it portray her as resisting or protesting David's actions, keeping the focus squarely on David’s transgressions. This mourning period, typically seven days (or up to thirty in some cases for notable individuals), directly precedes David bringing her into his house, underscoring the swift and calculated nature of his cover-up, moving from sin to concealment to what he thought was resolution. However, divine judgment through Nathan's prophecy was soon to expose the depth of his transgression (2 Samuel 12), revealing that human machinations cannot ultimately hide sin from God.