2 Samuel 11:4

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home.

Hebrew Names Version
David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.

King James Version
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

Lexham English Bible
Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) And she returned to her house.

English Standard Version
So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.

New Century Version
So David sent messengers to bring Bathsheba to him. When she came to him, he had sexual relations with her. (Now Bathsheba had purified herself from her monthly period.) Then she went back to her house.

New English Translation
David sent some messengers to get her. She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) Then she returned to her home.

Amplified Bible
David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. And when she was purified from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

New American Standard Bible
Then David sent messengers and had her brought, and when she came to him, he slept with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Dauid sent messengers, & tooke her away: and she came vnto him & he lay with her: (now she was purified from her vncleannes) & she returned vnto her house.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

Complete Jewish Bible
David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house.

Darby Translation
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; and she had purified herself from her uncleanness; and she returned to her house.

Easy-to-Read Version
David sent messengers to go and bring Bathsheba to him. She had just purified herself after her monthly time of bleeding. She went to David, he had sexual relations with her, and then she went back to her house.

George Lamsa Translation
So David sent a messenger and took her; and she came in to him and he lay with her; and that very day she had cleansed herself after her menstruation; and she returned and went to her house.

Good News Translation
David sent messengers to get her; they brought her to him and he made love to her. (She had just finished her monthly ritual of purification.) Then she went back home.

Literal Translation
And David sent messengers and took her. And she came to him, and he lay with her. And she purified herself from uncleanness, and she returned to her house.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid sent messaugers, and caused for to fetch her. And wha she was come in vnto him, he laye with her. Neuertheles she halowed hir selfe from hir vnclennes, and turned agayne vnto hir house.

American Standard Version
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned unto her house.

Bible in Basic English
And David sent and took her; and she came to him, and he took her to his bed: (for she had been made clean;) then she went back to her house.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sent messengers, and toke her away: And she came in vnto him, and he lay with her (and she was purified from her vnclennesse) and returned vnto her house.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.

King James Version (1611)
And Dauid sent messengers, and tooke her, and shee came in vnto him, and he lay with her, ( for she was purified from her vncleannesse) and shee returned vnto her house.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.

English Revised Version
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; (for she was purified from her uncleanness;) and she returned unto her house.

Berean Standard Bible
Then 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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor bi messangeris sent Dauid took hir; and whanne sche entride to hym, he slepte with hir, and anoon sche was halewid fro hir vnclenesse.

Young's Literal Translation
And David sendeth messengers, and taketh her, and she cometh unto him, and he lieth with her -- and she is purifying herself from her uncleanness -- and she turneth back unto her house;

Update Bible Version
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her, for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned to her house.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned to her house.

World English Bible
David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.

New King James Version
Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.

New Living Translation
Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home.

New Life Bible
David sent men and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. After she had made herself clean again, she returned to her house.

New Revised Standard
So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And David sent messengers, and fetched her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, she having purified herself from her uncleanness, - and she returned unto her own house.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in to him, and he slept with her: and presently she was purified from her uncleanness:

Revised Standard Version
So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

Contextual Overview

¹ When that time of year came around again, the anniversary of the Ammonite aggression, David dispatched Joab and his fighting men of Israel in full force to destroy the Ammonites for good. They laid siege to Rabbah, but David stayed in Jerusalem. ²One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful. David sent to ask about her, and was told, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?" David sent his agents to get her. After she arrived, he went to bed with her. (This occurred during the time of "purification" following her period.) Then she returned home. Before long she realized she was pregnant. Later she sent word to David: "I'm pregnant."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sent messengers: Genesis 39:7, Job 31:9-11, Psalms 50:18

he lay: Psalms 51:1, *title James 1:14, James 1:15

she was: etc. or, and when she had purified herself, etc. she returned. Proverbs 30:20

purified: Leviticus 12:2-5, Leviticus 15:19-28, Leviticus 15:29-33, Leviticus 18:19

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:14 - General Leviticus 18:20 - General 2 Samuel 12:4 - took the 2 Samuel 12:9 - despised 2 Samuel 12:12 - secretly 1 Kings 15:5 - save only 2 Chronicles 16:10 - the same time Job 24:15 - eye Proverbs 6:29 - he that

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.

Deuteronomy 9:1
Attention, Israel! This very day you are crossing the Jordan to enter the land and dispossess nations that are much bigger and stronger than you are. You're going to find huge cities with sky-high fortress-walls and gigantic people, descendants of the Anakites—you've heard all about them; you've heard the saying, "No one can stand up to an Anakite."

2 Samuel 8:13
David built a victory monument on his return from defeating the Arameans. Abishai son of Zeruiah fought and defeated the Edomites in the Salt Valley. Eighteen thousand of them were killed. David set up a puppet government in Edom, and the Edomites became subjects under David. God gave David victory wherever he marched.

Proverbs 10:7
A good and honest life is a blessed memorial; a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David sent messengers,.... To invite her to his palace:

and took her; not by force, but through persuasion:

and she came in unto him; into the apartment where he was:

and he lay with her; she consenting to it, being prevailed upon, and drawn into it through the greatness and goodness of the man, which might make the sin appear the lesser to her. This is recorded to show what the best of men are, when left to themselves; how strong and prevalent corrupt nature is in regenerate persons, when grace is not in exercise; what need the saints stand in of fresh supplies of grace, to keep them from falling; what caution is necessary to everyone that stands, lest he fall; and that it becomes us to abstain from all appearance of sin, and whatever leads unto it, and to watch and pray that we enter not into temptation; and such a record as this is an argument for the integrity of the Scriptures, that they conceal not the faults of the greatest favourites mentioned in them, as well as it serves to prevent despair in truly penitent backsliders:

for she was purified from her uncleanness; this clause is added in a parenthesis, partly to show the reason of her washing herself, which was not for health and pleasure, and to cool herself in a hot day, but to purify herself from her menstruous pollution, according to the law in Leviticus 15:19; the term of her separation being expired; and partly to give a reason why she the more easily consented, and he was the more eager to enjoy her; and in this he sinned, not that he did not lie with an unclean person; but, then, as some observe, he did that which was much worse, he committed adultery; also this may be added to observe, that she was the more apt for conception, as Ben Gersom notes, and to account for the quickness of it, with which the philosopher i agrees:

and she returned unto her house; whether that evening, or next morning, or how long she stayed, is not said.

i Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 7. c. 2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 11:4. And she came in unto him — We hear nothing of her reluctance, and there is no evidence that she was taken by force.