Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 11:2
2One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
2 Samuel 11:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
- New International Version (NIV)One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
- English Standard Version (ESV)It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
Context of 2 Samuel 11:2
1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. 3So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.
Read all of 2 Samuel 112 Samuel 11:2 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י׀ לְעֵ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב וַיָּ֨קָם דָּוִ֜ד מֵעַ֤ל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙ עַל־גַּ֣ג בֵּית־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה רֹחֶ֖צֶת מֵעַ֣ל הַגָּ֑ג וְהָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
- ·הָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- ·עֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- One eveningעֶ֫רֶב‛ereb · eveningH6153
- Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- got upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- fromעַל‛al · uponH5921
- his bedמִשְׁכָּבmishkâb · bedH4904
- and strolled aroundהָלַךְhâlak · to go: walkH1980
- the roofגָּגgâg · roofH1406
- of the palaceבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- of the palaceמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- he sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- bathingרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
- a veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- beautifulטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- beautifulמַרְאֶהmar'eh · appearanceH4758
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 11:2
- 2 Samuel 4:5Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.
- Proverbs 19:15Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.
- Proverbs 24:33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
- Matthew 26:40Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.
- 1 Peter 4:7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.
- Deuteronomy 22:8If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it.
- Jeremiah 19:13The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”
- Matthew 10:27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.
- Acts 10:9The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
- Genesis 3:6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
- Genesis 6:2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
- Genesis 34:2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
- Job 31:1“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?
- Psalms 119:37Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.
- Matthew 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2In an evening-tide - David arose - He had been reposing on the roof of his house, to enjoy the breeze, as the noonday was too hot for the performance of business. This is still a constant custom on the flat-roofed houses in the East. He saw a woman washing herself - How could any woman of delicacy expose herself where she could be so fully and openly viewed? Did she not know that she was at least in view of the king's terrace? Was there no design in all…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2An eveningtide - The evening began at three o‘clock in the afternoon.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2strolled around on the roof: The roofs of houses were flat and often used for different activities, like drying and storing food (Joshua 2:6), walking and socializing, and sleeping in warm weather. Bathsheba was bathing in clear view from the roof of the king’s palace. She might have thought everyone was inside, escaping the heat or taking a midday rest.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed--The Hebrews, like other Orientals, rose at daybreak, and always took a nap during the heat of the day. Afterwards they lounged in the cool of the evening on their flat-roofed terraces. It is probable that David had ascended to enjoy the open-air refreshment earlier than usual.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 11:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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