Bible Strands
2 Samuel 11:3
So 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.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David sends messengers to ask about a woman he saw bathing from his palace roof. The inquiry occurs immediately after his observation, and the messengers reply with her identity and marital status.
The words — וַ/יִּדְרֹ֖שׁ (va/i.yid.Rosh) means "and he enquired," describing David's deliberate action to gather information. הֲ/לוֹא־ (ha./lo'-) means "is it not," framing the messenger's reply as a straightforward confirmation of fact.
The thread — The text names Uriah the Hittite, who reappears in 2 Samuel 23:39 and is linked to Bathsheba in 1 Chronicles 3:5. Jeremiah 5:8 later uses the phrase "neighbor’s wife" to illustrate collective moral failure.
Why it lands — The verse records David's shift from passive sight to active investigation, establishing his direct responsibility before any physical act occurs. It asks the reader to recognize how deliberate inquiry and withheld restraint precede moral compromise.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath–sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 23:39 and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all.
- 1 Chronicles 3:5 and these sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. These four were born to him by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel.
- Jeremiah 5:8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
- James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.
- 1 Chronicles 11:41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai,
- Hosea 7:6 For they prepare their heart like an oven while they lie in wait; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire.