2 Samuel 11:3
ESV
And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
NIV
and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."
NASB
So David sent servants and inquired about the woman. And someone said, 'Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'
CSB
So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, "Isn’t this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?"
NLT
He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, 'She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.'
KJV
And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
NKJV
So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “ Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
What does 2 Samuel 11:3 mean?
Walking on his roof in the relative cool of the evening, David sees a beautiful woman bathing. Nothing in the text suggests that either of them is doing anything wrong at this point. Bathsheba doesn't appear to realize anyone can see her and Scripture does not say that she was on her own roof. David isn't intentionally looking for naked women. Perhaps his gaze lingered longer than it should have, but the text doesn't comment on this. David asks who she is. We don't know what's in his heart, but his actions aren't yet sinful. He has the right to pursue her for wife or concubine if she's single.She's not. She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite. David knows both men very well.
Eliam is the son of Ahithophel, who will later be described as one of King David's wisest and most valued advisers (2 Samuel 16:23). Both Eliam and Uriah are part of an elite military regiment called "the thirty," the mightiest of David's men (2 Samuel 23:34, 39). Uriah is from the Hittite people, one of the Canaanite people God told the Israelites to drive out (Deuteronomy 7:1). But Uriah has demonstrated longstanding loyalty to David and earned his place among the Israelite people as one of them.
Bathsheba's family is loyal and deeply respected in David's kingdom. Uriah is actively fighting a battle that David demanded. By taking Bathsheba and having sex with her, David commits an egregious betrayal of their loyalty and trust (2 Samuel 11:4).
At least two other men in the Bible are named Uriah: a priest (2 Kings 16:10–16) and a wall-builder (Nehemiah 3:4, 21; 8:4).
