*7al. 51 The came in unto him -, and he * lay with her ( Þ for zl, the was purified from her uncleanneſs ) » and ſhe re- tHeb- 974 turned unto her houſe. ſn was - { From her own Houſe into his Palace, not by force, but by per- rijing mi ſwaſion, as deſiring to ſpeak with her, Into his Palace and if from 2@r Chamber, as he detired. » To wit, from her menſtruous Pollution, mcleameſs. according to the Law, Levit, 18. 19. which is here noted, as the | » Gr, reaſon, either why David purſued his luſtful deſire ; or why ſhe Lev 15. ſo eaſily yielded to it, becauſe ſhe was nor under that Pollution 19- and which might - alienat her from it; or rather, why ſhe ſo readily 18. 19, conceived, that time being obſerved by Ariftorle and others, to be the moſt likely time for Conception. 5 And t''e woman conceived, and ſent, and told David, and ſaid I am with Child 0.
0 Conſider therefore what to do for thy own Honour, and for my ſafety, whom thou haſt brought into a moſt ſhameful and dan- gerous condition» :
6 And David ſent to Joab, ſaying, Send me Uriah the Hittite : And Joab ſent Uriah to David.
. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David de- P . of manded of him + how Joab did, and how the People . the peace of, +. q 5 & did, and: how the war proſpered p*
|} Heb. vent out af< te them.s
F Chap. 29. 6,
HH & 4
poſed to ſleep after Dinner, by reaſon of ſome Exceſs committe
in eating or drinking ; and indulging himſelf1in his Lazy Humour, which may ſeem very improper for ſo great a Prince and Captain, who had 1ſo many and great Burdens upon his Shoulders, eſpeci- ally in a time ot War; and therefore ſuch Pra&ices have been con- demned by Heathens : And Homer will not allow a General and great
Counſellor to ſleep all the Night, much leſs to take anypart of th Day for it. And therefore th
open, and ſhe careleſs, David might eſpie her.
3 And David ſent and enquired after the woman þ: and one ſaid, Is not this Bathſheba # the daughter of
Eliam, the wife ot Uriah the Hittite & ?
5 Inſtead of ſuppreſſing that luſt which the ſight of his Eyes had kindled, he ſeeks rather to feed it ; and firſt enquires who ſhe
was ; that, if the were unmarried, he might make her either his Wife or his Concubine. # Called alſo Bathjbua, 1 Chron_ 3. 5. where alſo Eliam is called Ammiel, k So called, either, 1, By his Origi- nal, being born either of that Race, bur become a zealous Profe- lite; or, atleaſt, among that People. Or, 2. By his Habitation among them. Or, 3. For ſome notable exploit of his againſt thar People : See 1 Sam, 26. 6. and the notes on 2 Sam. 8. 18,
4 And David ſent Meſfengers and took her /, and
p. Frivolous Queſtions whichany common Meſſenger could have anſwered : which probably made Uriah ſuſpe& that there was ſome other ſecret cauſe why he was ſent for. And he might underſtand ſomething, either by David's Meſſengers, wv. 4+ or by* ſome of his own Family, concerning her being tent for to the Court; which, together with other Circumitances might give him cauſe of further ſujpicion. Yet ſuch might be the Queſtions, ( though not here particularly mentioned ) concerning thoſe Heads, as every pri- vate Perſon might not be acquainted with, nor able to reſolve, but ſuch only:as were acquainted with the Counſel of War.
8 And David faid to Uriah, Go down to thy houſe 9, and waſh thy feet r, And Uriah departed out of the kings houſe, and there + followed him a mels of meas from the king 5.
9 Not doubting bur he would there converſe with his Wife, and fo cover their Sin and Shame. r As Travellers there uſed ro do. 5 Seemingly as a Tettimony of David's Reipe& and Affettion to him; bur really to cheer up his Spirits, and diſpoſe himto de- firchis Wife's company.
'9 Bur Uriah flepe at the door of the kings houſe with all the Servants of his lord 5 , and went not down to his houſe.
_* with the King's Guard. This he did, either upon ſome ſuſpi- cion of the matter, See v. 7. Or, by the ſecret dire&ion of God's ke and irrefiſtable Providence, who would bring David's Sin to ight.
io And when they had told David, ſaying, Uriah
went not down unto his houſe, David ſaid unto Uriah, Cameſt thou not from thy journey «? why then didſt thou not go down unto thine houſe ? _ * Whether of their own accord, or being firſt asked by David, 1t doth not appear. « Wearied with hard Service and Travel, and therefore didti need refreſhment ; nor did I expect or defire that thou ſhouldeſt now attend upon my Perſon, or keep the Watch.
11 And Uriah ſaid unto David, The ark x, and Iirael, and Judah abide in tents, and * my lord Joab, and the fervants of my Jord are encamped in the open fields ) ; ſhall I then go into mine houſe to ear, and ro drink, and to ly with my wife 2? As thou liveſt, and 4s thy foul liveth, I will notdo this thing.
x Which it ſeems, was now carried with them for their encou- ragement and dire&ion, as was uſual : See Numb. 10. 35. 1 Sam 4 4 y Towit, in Tears which are in the Fields. z He might poſ- fibly add theſe words, to intinuar his apprehenſion of the King's
is 1s thought to be Davia's firſt Er- ror, and the occaſion of his following fall. f which was plain after the manner, Deur. 22. 8. g To wit, in a Bath, which pol- ſibly was in her Garden, or in ſome room near to the King's Pa- lace, where ſhe might waſh her ſelf divers ways, and for diffe- rent ends; either for health, or coolneſs, or to cleanſe her ſelf from ſome kind of legal Impurity : where alſo, the Windows being
Mi
M TU E EE:
d | full and injurious pleaſures. But David's Far was now deaf, his
c| 13 And when David had called him .*., he did eat and drink before him, and he made him drunk «: and ar even he went out to lie on his bed b with the ſer- vants of his Lord c, but wentnot down to his houſe,
.. i.e. Being invited by David. a Or he made him merry,as the word oft ſignifies. He cauſed him to drink more than was convenient. 6 which ir doth not appear, that he did the night before ; bur now his Exceſs in eating and drinking, might make it more ne- ceſfary for him. «c #. e. In ſome Chamber in rae King's Court, where the King's Servants uſed to take their repoſe.