2 Samuel 11:7 kjv
And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
2 Samuel 11:7 nkjv
When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered.
2 Samuel 11:7 niv
When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.
2 Samuel 11:7 esv
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
2 Samuel 11:7 nlt
When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.
2 Samuel 11 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 11:1 | In the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle... David remained at Jerusalem. | David's initial abdication of duty, leading to his sin. |
| 2 Sam 11:2-5 | ...David saw a woman bathing... she was Bathsheba... and she sent word to David, “I am pregnant.” | The direct context of the sin David is trying to hide. |
| 2 Sam 12:7-9 | Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!... Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight?" | God's exposure of David's hidden sin through Nathan. |
| Prov 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | Principle: Covering sin leads to failure, confession to mercy. |
| Gen 3:7-10 | Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked... they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God. | First instance of hiding sin and attempting a cover-up. |
| Ps 32:3-5 | For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away... I acknowledged my sin to you... and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. | David's later reflection on the physical/spiritual cost of concealed sin and relief of confession. |
| Luke 8:17 | For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. | All secret things will be revealed. |
| Eccl 12:14 | For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. | God's ultimate judgment of all actions, including hidden ones. |
| Job 22:13-14 | But you say, ‘What does God know?... He walks on the vault of heaven.’ | The futility of trying to hide anything from God. |
| Heb 4:13 | And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. | God's perfect knowledge and seeing of all things. |
| Isa 29:15 | Woe to those who hide deep from the LORD their counsel... | Rebuke against those who seek to hide their plans from God. |
| John 3:19-20 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. | Preference for darkness when engaged in evil deeds. |
| 1 Tim 5:24-25 | The sins of some people are conspicuously open, going before them to judgment... others come after. | Some sins are immediately obvious, others take time to be revealed. |
| Rom 2:16 | ...on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. | God's judgment will extend to the secret acts of men. |
| Jer 23:24 | Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. | God's omnipresence and inability for man to hide from Him. |
| Matt 23:28 | ...you outwardly appear righteous to people, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. | Jesus' condemnation of outward appearance concealing inner corruption (Pharisees). |
| Ps 50:21 | ...you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I will rebuke you and lay bare your deeds before your eyes. | God rebuking those who think He is unaware or complicit in their sin. |
| Gen 4:9 | The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” | Another early biblical instance of a deceptive answer to hide sin. |
| Ps 36:2-4 | For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. | Describes the self-deception often present in those who commit sin. |
| Jer 17:9-10 | The heart is deceitful above all things... I the LORD search the heart and test the mind. | God's knowledge of the human heart's deceptive nature. |
| Phil 2:3 | Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. | Contrasts with David's selfish act for self-preservation, disregarding Uriah. |
| 2 Sam 23:8 (Uriah) | ...Uriah the Hittite. (Listed among David's mighty men) | Highlights Uriah's esteemed status and loyalty to David and Israel. |
2 Samuel 11 verses
2 Samuel 11 7 Meaning
This verse details David's seemingly normal interaction with Uriah upon his arrival from the battlefield. However, beneath the surface of royal inquiry, David is initiating his carefully constructed scheme to conceal his adultery with Bathsheba and the resulting pregnancy. His questions about Joab's well-being, the welfare of the soldiers, and the progress of the war are not born of genuine concern for the kingdom, but rather a deceptive pretense designed to mask his true, insidious objective: to get Uriah to go home and lie with his wife, thus allowing the pregnancy to be attributed to him.
2 Samuel 11 7 Context
Chapter 11 of 2 Samuel marks a tragic turning point in the life of King David, detailing his grievous moral failures. It opens with David, uncharacteristically, remaining in Jerusalem instead of leading his army to battle during springtime, a time when "kings go out to battle" (2 Sam 11:1). From his rooftop, he sees Bathsheba bathing, succumbs to lust, and commits adultery with her. When Bathsheba informs him of her pregnancy, David's focus shifts from sensual indulgence to a desperate, premeditated attempt to cover up his sin. He summons Uriah, Bathsheba's husband and one of his loyal "Mighty Men," back from the siege of Rabbah. This specific verse, 2 Samuel 11:7, describes David's initial interaction with Uriah, a feigned display of kingly concern meant to set the stage for Uriah to return home and sleep with his wife, thus masking David's transgression.
Historically, kings were expected to be engaged in matters of state and war. David's inquiries here, if genuine, would have been appropriate for a monarch. However, the profound hypocrisy embedded in these seemingly mundane questions reveals David's moral deterioration and the escalating spiral of his sin from lust to adultery to calculated deception, ultimately leading to murder. This scene starkly contrasts the expected kingly virtue with the chilling reality of David's deceitful actions.
2 Samuel 11 7 Word analysis
- When Uriah came (וַיָּבֹא֩ אוּרִיָּ֨ה / vayyavo uriyyah): The Hebrew "וַיָּבֹא" is a waw-consecutive perfect, indicating a swift, consequential action. Uriah, a highly loyal Hittite fighting for Israel, enters David's presence. His very name, "Uriyah," meaning "Yahweh is my light" or "My light is Yahweh," provides a stark, tragic irony to the darkness into which David is about to cast him, underscoring Uriah's faithfulness in contrast to David's faithlessness. Uriah's arrival immediately triggers the next phase of David's cover-up.
- to him (אֵלָ֜יו / 'elaw): Refers to King David. It emphasizes Uriah's obedience to the king's summons, unaware of the treacherous plot awaiting him.
- David asked (וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל דָּוִ֗ד / vayyish'al david): The waw-consecutive again indicates immediate action following Uriah's arrival. David, the once exemplary king "after God's own heart," is now reduced to a deceiver, acting on selfish, ungodly motives. His questions appear proper for a king inquiring about the battle, but their true purpose is corrupt.
- how Joab was (לִשְׁל֣וֹם יוֹאָב֩ / li-shlom yo'av): The phrase "לִשְׁלוֹם" (li-shlom) means "concerning the welfare/peace of." "Shalom" encompasses wholeness, completeness, well-being, and prosperity, not just the absence of conflict. David’s inquiry about Joab, his military commander, seems outwardly appropriate, establishing the façade of kingly concern for his army leadership. This also implicitly references the military action at Rabbah.
- and how the people were (וְלִשְׁל֨וֹם הָעָ֜ם / və-li-shlom ha'am): This refers to the welfare of "the people," specifically the soldiers under Joab's command. David is maintaining the pretense of a concerned ruler, asking about the safety and morale of his fighting men. This question further solidifies the illusion of genuine care for the army David should have been leading himself (2 Sam 11:1).
- and how the war prospered (וְלִשְׁל֖וֹם הַמִּלְחָמָה / və-li-shlom ha-milchamah): Again, the repetition of "li-shlom" underscores David's feigned interest in the "welfare" or "progress" of the war itself. David asks about the general state and success of the military campaign. This appears to be a typical inquiry of a monarch, designed to mask the depth of his ulterior motive regarding Uriah. The triplication of "lishlom" makes David's "concern" seem thorough and genuine, precisely because it is meant to deceive.
- Word-Groups Analysis:
- "When Uriah came to him, David asked...": This opening sequence sets the immediate action. David does not hesitate; he acts swiftly on his deceptive plan as soon as Uriah is in his presence, highlighting his premeditated intentions. The rapid movement from Uriah's arrival to David's questioning reveals David's immediate engagement with the cover-up, indicative of a planned scheme rather than an impulsive response.
- "how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war prospered.": The repetition of "li-shlom" ("concerning the welfare of") creates a pattern of seemingly diligent inquiry. This pattern reinforces David's outwardly impressive kingly concern, subtly betraying the careful construction of his deceptive act. His "welfare" questions are designed to appear thorough and innocent, masking the true evil brewing in his heart.
2 Samuel 11 7 Bonus section
- Irony of "Shalom": David's repeated inquiries about "shalom" are tragically ironic. While asking about the "peace" and "welfare" of his commander, army, and the war, he is actively destroying the shalom of Uriah, Bathsheba, his own household, and ultimately, his relationship with God. The word itself, embodying wholeness and divine blessing, is corrupted by his deceitful tongue.
- Passive vs. Active Sin: David's initial sin (lust leading to adultery) was a sin of commission born of impulse and opportunity. This verse marks his transition into a sin of premeditated, active deception. He actively orchestrates a scenario, using his kingly authority to manipulate circumstances, highlighting the dangerous escalation of unrepentant sin.
- Character Contrast: The loyalty and simple integrity of Uriah, who soon after refuses to go home (2 Sam 11:11) while the ark and his comrades are in the field, stands in stark contrast to David's calculating and self-serving hypocrisy displayed in this verse. Uriah, a Gentile proselyte, embodies more faithfulness to Israelite military and spiritual principles than King David does at this moment.
- Royal Deception: Kings in the ancient Near East often used their authority for personal gain, but for an Israelite king, divinely chosen to uphold justice and covenant, David's actions here are a profound betrayal of his office and the Mosaic Law (Deut 17:14-20).
2 Samuel 11 7 Commentary
This verse is a subtle yet profound entry into the dark narrative of David's cover-up. What appears to be a routine royal inquiry is, in fact, the initial maneuver in a series of calculated deceptions. David's meticulous questions, repeated three times for emphasis on "welfare" (shalom), are hollow expressions. He cares not for the true state of the battle or his men but for the advancement of his personal, immoral agenda. This hypocrisy highlights the insidious nature of unconfessed sin, showing how it compels an individual, even a spiritual leader, to create elaborate facades. David, by this action, debases his kingly role, demonstrating a radical departure from the "man after God's own heart" by valuing his reputation over the well-being and life of a loyal subject, and over God's own law. It is a chilling portrait of how quickly and deeply a fall from grace can plunge one into darkness, manipulating others for selfish gain, and seeking to conceal actions that are openly seen by God. This episode sets the stage for the tragic consequences that inevitably follow concealed sin.