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.
NIV
When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.
NASB
When Uriah came to him, David asked about Joab’s well-being and that of the people, and the condition of the war.
CSB
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.
NLT
When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.
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.
NKJV
When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered.
What does 2 Samuel 11:7 mean?
A year before, when the king of Ammon died, David sent representatives to give condolences to the former king's son. The paranoid new king foolishly thought the messengers were spies, come to plan an invasion. The king humiliated the messengers. David sent Joab to avenge them. And the Ammonites holed up in Rabbah, a fortified city (2 Samuel 10).Now, it's spring. David wants the Ammonites taken care of, so he sends Joab back to destroy the city (2 Samuel 11:1). Uriah, one of David's greatest warriors, is with Joab. David sends word that he wants Uriah to return to Jerusalem to give an update on the battle (2 Samuel 11:6).
Any soldier could give David news. David wants Uriah for a specific reason. While Uriah was fighting the Ammonites, David slept with his wife, and now she's pregnant. If word gets out, David could lose his kingdom, and Bathsheba could lose her life. David needs Uriah to go home and have sex with her, so Uriah can think the baby is his (2 Samuel 11:8).
But there's a reason Uriah is a great warrior. He is devoted to David and his fellow soldiers. He can't bear the thought of going to his house and seeing his wife when the rest of the army—not to mention the ark of the covenant—is lying on tents. Instead, Uriah sleeps at David's door with the rest of the servants (2 Samuel 11:9).
