Useful Bible Studies > 2 Samuel Commentary > chapter 11
David probably thought that Bathsheba’s beauty attracted him to her. In addition, it probably interested him that she came from one of the most important families in Israel. Her father, Eliam was one of Israel’s bravest soldiers (23:34). Her grandfather, Ahithophel, was David’s wisest adviser (16:23). So it interested David to speak to her, and to find out what her character was like. It seems from 1 Kings 1:15-21 that she too was wise and intelligent.
However, we can see that, in reality, David’s wrong desires were guiding his actions (see James 1:14). He already knew that Bathsheba was a married woman. He knew that God’s law did not permit him to sleep with her (Exodus 20:17). Still, David did what he wanted with her. Then he sent her back home. He already had many wives (3:1-5), although as Israel’s king, he should not have married all those women (Deuteronomy 17:17).
David thought that he could keep his affair with Bathsheba secret. He did not want her husband, Uriah - who was another of David’s bravest soldiers (23:39) - to know about it. In Leviticus 20:10, the proper punishment for this evil deed was death.
However, Bathsheba found that she was expecting a baby. Uriah had been abroad with Israel’s army for several months. Clearly therefore, he was not the father. Bathsheba sent a message to David, to make him aware of the situation. Of course, that message was a great shock for David. He now became desperate to find a way to keep this matter secret.
Next part: David tries to hide his evil deed (2 Samuel 11:6-8)
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