2 Samuel 11:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

NIV: After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

NASB: When the time of mourning was over, David sent servants and had her brought to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.

CSB: When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.

NLT: When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

KJV: And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

NKJV: And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

David thinks his plan to cover up his sin has worked. While the army was away fighting the Ammonites, he slept with Bathsheba, his general Uriah's wife. She became pregnant. David recalled Uriah to Jerusalem, thinking he would make love to his wife and assume the child was his. Uriah refused to go home while the army was still engaged. Realizing his plan failed, David produced another. He sent Uriah back with a message for Joab, the military commander. Joab followed instructions: put Uriah amongst the most dangerous Ammonites, pull back the rest of the unit, and let the enemy kill him (2 Samuel 11:1–15).

Joab obeyed David's orders. Uriah is dead. David lets Bathsheba mourn her husband the appropriate amount of time and takes her as his wife. A few months later, she gives birth to a son (2 Samuel 11:27).

Even if Bathsheba and Joab don't yet know what David did, God does. He sends Nathan the prophet to tell David a story: A poor man had a little lamb that he loved so much he treated her like a daughter. A rich man took the lamb and served it for a traveler's dinner. David is livid until Nathan reveals that David is the rich man. David immediately repents, but it's too late. God takes the life of the baby (2 Samuel 12:1–18).

David goes on to write Psalm 51, a humble, heartfelt confession of his sin against God. It is David's return to God, not his sinlessness, which makes him a man after God's own heart.

Bathsheba loses her baby, which must tear her apart. Later, she gives birth to Solomon, the future king. She also has Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan—Mary's ancestor (Luke 3:31)—as well as a daughter, Ammiel (1 Chronicles 3:5). And when Matthew records Jesus' ancestors, Bathsheba is one of the few women included (Matthew 1:6).

In 2 Samuel 11:26–27, David completes his deception. While his army fought the Ammonites, he slept with his general Uriah's wife and got her pregnant. David tried to get Uriah to sleep with her, so he'd assume the baby was his. When he refused, David had him murdered on the battlefield (2 Samuel 11:1–17). Now, after Bathsheba mourns her husband, David can marry her, and everyone will think the baby was conceived after the wedding. But God is not mocked. He sends Nathan the prophet to confront David. Then He takes the life of the baby (2 Samuel 12).

In 2 Samuel 11, David commits grievous sins. Joab and the Israelite army, including the warrior Uriah, are finishing the battle against the Ammonites. Back in Jerusalem, David takes notice of Uriah's wife and impregnates her. When she informs David of the pregnancy, David recalls Uriah. The king expects the soldier to sleep with his wife and claim the child. Uriah's intense loyalty and integrity prevent him from even visiting his house while the others are still at war. David tells Joab to have Uriah killed in battle. God sends Nathan to confront David. David sincerely repents, but God takes the child (2 Samuel 12).

Second Samuel 11 begins the account of David's greatest sins. David sleeps with and impregnates a soldier's wife, Bathsheba. To hide his sin, David has the soldier killed in battle. God tells Nathan to rebuke David, and David repents fully. But God still takes the life of the baby boy (2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51). The story reveals two things about God. First, He is willing to restore His relationship with us when we repent from even the most horrible sin. And second, He has no interest in shaming vulnerable victims of powerful people.