Study Desk

He had written in the letter the following: "Station Uriah on the front line of the fiercest battle and pull back from him, so that he may be struck and killed."

So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men.

'Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did a woman not throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you move against the wall?'—then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.'"

So the messenger departed and came and reported to David everything that Joab had sent him to tell.

"Also, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king's servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died."

"Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, And he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the traveler who had come to him; So he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

"So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion."

Then Nathan went to his house. Loss of a Child Later the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate.

So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.

But Amnon was so frustrated on account of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed too difficult to Amnon to do anything to her.

And he said to him, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."

Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please have my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and have her prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat from her hand.'"

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please have my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of pastries in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand."

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying in bed. And she took dough, kneaded it, made pastries in his sight, and baked the pastries.

Then she took the tray and served them to him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Have everyone leave me." So everyone left him.

Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the pastries which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.

Then Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart." So Tamar remained and was isolated in her brother Absalom's house.

But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, so that we will not be a burden to you." Though he urged him, he would not go; but he blessed him.