2 Samuel 11:11
in 2 Samuel 11Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
KJV
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 11
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The ark - Perhaps there was a double purpose in taking the ark; one, to excite to the utmost the enthusiasm of the people for its defense and against the Ammonites; the other, to have the means at hand of inquiring of the Lord, which David had found so serviceable.
This site's exposition
abide in tents
Uriah gives the reason himself: the ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in tents, and Joab and his lord's servants camp in the open field, and he will not go down to eat and drink and lie with his wife while they do. The ark's presence with the army ties this verse to its own thread; some read it carried along to rally the troops and to keep enquiry of the Lord near at hand. A foreign-born soldier keeps a stricter loyalty to Israel's war than the king who sent him home to break it. Uriah's oath, as thou livest and as thy soul liveth, is spoken in the very words a man would use to swear before God, to the man already plotting his death.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
We have taken up the task of writing an apology for the present style of the prophet David, not because he needs this gift, who has excelled in such great merits and flourished in virtues, but because many people, reading the sequence of his deeds without considering the power of the Scriptures or the hidden mysteries, wonder how such a great prophet did not avoid the contagion of adultery first and then of murder. Therefore, it was our desire to review the history itself, which seems to have been exposed to sin.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The ark - This it seems, was now carried with them for their encouragement and direction, as was usual. Fields - In tents which are in the fields. His meaning is, now, when God's people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights.
Whether he suspected any thing or no, Providence put this resolution into his heart, and kept him to it, for the discovering of David's sin, and that the baffling of his design to conceal it might awaken David's conscience to confess it and repent of it. The reason he gave to David for this strange instance of self-denial and mortification was very noble,
And Uriah said unto David,....
Every good man, especially every magistrate, should endeavour to prevent this sin, by admonishing, restraining, and denying the glass to those whom they see falling into excess; but to further it is to do the devil's work, to officiate as factor for him. How this plot was defeated by Uriah's firm resolution not to lie in his own bed.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The ark, and Israel - abide in tents - It appears therefore that they had taken the ark with them to battle. This was the answer of a brave, generous and disinterested man. I will not indulge myself while all my fellow soldiers are exposed to hardships, and even the ark of the Lord in danger. Had Uriah no suspicion of what had been done in his absence?
The words behind it
34 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אוּרִיָּ֜ה | ʾuriyah | Uriah | H223 → | 39 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| הָ֠אָרוֹן | haaron | the ark | H727 → | 202 times |
| וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל | veyisrael | and Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וִֽיהוּדָ֜ה | vihudah | and Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| יֹשְׁבִ֣ים | yoshevim | [are] dwelling | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹת | basukot | in <the> booths | H5521 → | |
| וַאדֹנִ֨י | vadoni | and lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| יוֹאָ֜ב | yoav | Joab | H3097 → | 144 times |
| וְעַבְדֵ֤י | veavdei | and [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֲדֹנִ֨י | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֤י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶה֙ | hasadeh | the open country | H7704 → | 334 times |
| חֹנִ֔ים | chonim | [are] encamping | H2583 → | 143 times |
| וַאֲנִ֞י | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אָב֧וֹא | ʾavo' | will I go? | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּיתִ֛י | beiti | house my | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לֶאֱכֹ֥ל | leekhol | to eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת | velishtot | and to drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| וְלִשְׁכַּ֣ב | velishkav | and to lie | H7901 → | 212 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אִשְׁתִּ֑י | ʾishti | wife my | H802 → | 781 times |
| חַיֶּ֙ךָ֙ | chaiyekha | [by] [the] life of you | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְחֵ֣י | vechei | and [by] [the] life of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ | nafshekha | self your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אִֽם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה | ʾeeseh | I will do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אוּרִיָּ֜הUriah
ʾuriyahH223 →39 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
הָ֠אָרוֹןthe ark
haaronH727 →202 times
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֨לand Israel
veyisraelH3478 →2507 times
וִֽיהוּדָ֜הand Judah
vihudahH3063 →819 times
יֹשְׁבִ֣ים[are] dwelling
yoshevimH3427 →1079 times
בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹתin <the> booths
basukotH5521 →
וַאדֹנִ֨יand lord my
vadoniH113 →333 times
יוֹאָ֜בJoab
yoavH3097 →144 times
וְעַבְדֵ֤יand [the] servants of
veavdeiH5650 →799 times
אֲדֹנִ֨יlord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֤י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הַשָּׂדֶה֙the open country
hasadehH7704 →334 times
חֹנִ֔ים[are] encamping
chonimH2583 →143 times
וַאֲנִ֞יand I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אָב֧וֹאwill I go?
ʾavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּיתִ֛יhouse my
beitiH1004 →2046 times
לֶאֱכֹ֥לto eat
leekholH398 →810 times
וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹתand to drink
velishtotH8354 →217 times
וְלִשְׁכַּ֣בand to lie
velishkavH7901 →212 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
אִשְׁתִּ֑יwife my
ʾishtiH802 →781 times
חַיֶּ֙ךָ֙[by] [the] life of you
chaiyekhaH2416 →498 times
וְחֵ֣יand [by] [the] life of
vecheiH2416 →498 times
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָself your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
אִֽם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אֶעֱשֶׂ֖הI will do
ʾeesehH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֥רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Samuel 7:6For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt until this day, but I have moved about with a tent as My dwelling.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:16
‘Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be…
- Exodus 40:18–19
When Moses set up the tabernacle, he laid its bases, positioned its frames, inserted its crossbars, and set up its posts.
- Joshua 18:1
Then the whole congregation of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. And though the land was subdued before them,
- 1 Kings 8:16
Through
2 Samuel 7:2he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:1
So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
- 2 Samuel 5:11
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.
- 1 Chronicles 16:1
Through
2 Samuel 20:6And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 21:17
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the…
- 1 Kings 1:33
“Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Solomon on my own mule and take him down to Gihon.
- 2 Samuel 21:17
Through
1 Samuel 1:26“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 2:2
and Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not…
- 2 Kings 2:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, Apology for the Prophet David, Chapter 1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.