Question 1

Why did David stay in Jerusalem instead of going to war?

Accepted Answer

The passage opens by saying it was the time when kings usually went out to battle, but David stayed in Jerusalem. This shows he stepped back from his normal duty as leader of the army. Instead of sharing the hardship of his men, he remained at home in comfort. That choice gave room for idleness and temptation later that evening on the roof. The story uses this setting to show how neglecting our place and work can open the door to sins we never planned to commit.

Question 2

How does David’s sin with Bathsheba grow worse over the chapter?

Accepted Answer

The story shows sin growing step by step. First David is idle at home while his men fight. Then he looks at Bathsheba and keeps looking. He asks about her, even after hearing she is another man’s wife. He sends for her and commits adultery. When she becomes pregnant, he tries to cover it up by sending Uriah home. When that fails, he gets Uriah drunk. Finally he plans Uriah’s death in battle. What began with a look ends with murder and other men dying as well.

Question 3

Who is Uriah the Hittite and how does he act in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Uriah is one of David’s soldiers, a foreigner by birth who has joined Israel. In this story he comes across as very loyal and upright. When David tells him to go home and enjoy his wife, Uriah refuses, because the ark, Israel, Judah, Joab, and the army are still in the open fields. He will not take comfort while they suffer. Even when David makes him drunk, he still sleeps at the king’s door with the servants. His self-denial and honor stand in sharp contrast to David’s behavior.

Question 4

Why did David arrange for Uriah to be killed in battle?

Accepted Answer

When Bathsheba tells David she is pregnant, David fears people will see his sin. He calls Uriah back from the war hoping he will go home, sleep with his wife, and so everyone will think the child is Uriah’s. But Uriah will not go home while the army is in the field. After even making him drunk does not change that, David chooses a darker path. He writes to Joab to put Uriah in the fiercest fighting and then pull back, so he will be killed and the problem hidden.

Question 5

What does this passage show about the consequences of hidden sin?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that sin rarely stays small or private. David tries to keep his act with Bathsheba secret, but her pregnancy brings it into the open. His fear of being exposed leads him to lie, to misuse his power, to drag Joab and the army into his plan, and at last to cause Uriah’s death along with other soldiers. The damage spreads far beyond his own life. In the end, the passage says the thing David had done displeased the Lord, reminding us that nothing is hidden from God.

Question 6

How does Uriah’s integrity expose David’s failure?

Accepted Answer

Uriah refuses to enjoy home comforts while the ark and the army live in tents. He chooses hardship over pleasure out of loyalty and respect. David, on the other hand, enjoys ease in Jerusalem instead of sharing the battle, then takes another man’s wife and lies to cover it. Each time Uriah speaks or acts with honor, it quietly shows how far David has fallen. The contrast is sharp: the king, who should protect his men, uses his power to destroy one of his most faithful servants.

Question 7

What does it mean that what David had done displeased the Lord?

Accepted Answer

At the end, after David has taken Bathsheba as his wife and she has borne him a son, the story adds one short but heavy line: what David had done displeased the Lord. This shows that God saw everything, from the first look to the final act. Even though David is king and seems to have covered his tracks, he is still answerable to God. The words prepare us for God’s coming response and teach that sin is not only against people but also against the Lord.

Question 8

How can this story warn believers about temptation today?

Accepted Answer

This passage warns that temptation often begins in small choices, like neglecting duty or giving in to lazy comfort. David did not fall all at once. He looked, then lingered, then sent for Bathsheba, then lied, then planned a death. For readers today, it shows the need to guard the eyes, stay faithful in our work, and turn away quickly when we first feel pulled toward sin. It also reminds us that trying to hide sin only makes it grow and hurt more people.

2 Samuel 11:1

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

David and Bathsheba

David Arranges Uriah’s Death

David Marries Bathsheba

David and Bathsheba

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2 Samuel 11:1

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

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David and Bathsheba

David Arranges Uriah’s Death

David Marries Bathsheba

David and Bathsheba

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