2 Samuel 11:2
ESV
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king 's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
NIV
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
NASB
Now at evening time David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.
CSB
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
NLT
Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.
KJV
And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
NKJV
Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
What does 2 Samuel 11:2 mean?
In both the ancient and modern Middle East, house rooftops provide additional living space. When the sun recedes, the roof becomes an ideal place to escape the heat inside the house and enjoy cooler breezes. David is walking on his roof in the late afternoon or early evening in the springtime following a nap on his couch. Such naps are another common way to avoid the hottest part of the afternoon.From his rooftop, David sees an exceptionally beautiful woman bathing. The text never said where she was, despite the traditional claim that she was on her rooftop. The Hebrew words used for "beautiful," tobat mar'eh, emphasize how a person looks. This is different from the word often used for "beautiful," yapah, which describes more of the whole person (1 Samuel 25:3).
David doesn't have a palace, yet; the order of the events in 2 Samuel isn't completely chronological. But his house would probably have been on the north, higher end of the City of David, giving it a commanding view of the neighborhood. Despite traditional claims otherwise, nothing in the text suggests that Bathsheba is intentionally trying to catch David's eye. In fact, Scripture never portrays her as anything but innocent (2 Samuel 12:2–4). Rooftops are considered private space, though hers is visible to David's roof.
Bathsheba is performing a Mikveh: immersion in natural water for ceremonial cleansing. If so, she is following the Mosaic law about bathing after her menstrual period so she can participate in society once more (2 Samuel 11:4; Leviticus 15:19–24). After the Babylonian captivity, Jerusalem will have designated pools for ceremonial bathing.
