The Meaning of 2 Samuel 11:11 Explained

2 Samuel 11:11

KJV: And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

YLT: And Uriah saith unto David, 'The ark, and Israel, and Judah, are abiding in booths, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field are encamping; and I -- I go in unto my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife! -- thy life, and the life of thy soul -- if I do this thing.'

Darby: And Urijah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

ASV: And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Uriah  said  unto David,  The ark,  and Israel,  and Judah,  abide  in tents;  and my lord  Joab,  and the servants  of my lord,  are encamped  in the open  fields;  shall I  then go  into mine house,  to eat  and to drink,  and to lie  with my wife?  [as] thou livest,  and [as] thy soul  liveth,  I will not do  this thing. 

What does 2 Samuel 11:11 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 11:1-13 - Giving Rein To Self-Indulgence
This was not an isolated sin. For some time, backsliding had been eating out David's heart. The cankerworm takes its toll before the noble tree crashes to the ground. See Psalms 51:8. Joab and his brave soldiers were in the thick of a great conflict. Rabbah was being besieged and had not fallen. It was a time when kings went out to battle, but David tarried at home. It was a fatal lethargy. If the king had been in his place, this sin would never have besmirched his character.
A look, as in Eve's case, opened the door to the devil. "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity." However great our attainments and however high our standing, we are all liable to attack and failure; but when we abide in Christ, no weapon that hell can forge can hurt us. When we have sinned, our only safety is in instant confession. This David delayed for a year and till forced to it. He was more eager to evade the consequences than to deal with his transgression. Sober David was far worse, here, than drunken Uriah. The singular self-restraint of the soldier threw the sin of the king into terrible and disgraceful prominence. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 11

1  While Joab besieges Rabbah, David commits adultery with Bathsheba
6  Uriah, sent for by David to cover the adultery, would not go home
14  He carries to Joab the letter of his death
18  Joab sends the news thereof to David
26  David takes Bathsheba as his wife

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 11:11 mean?

and said Uriah to David the ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord in open the fields are encamped then I shall go my house to eat and drink and to lie with my wife [As] you live and [as] lives your soul not I will do - thing this
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אוּרִיָּ֜ה אֶל־ דָּוִ֗ד הָ֠אָרוֹן וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל וִֽיהוּדָ֜ה יֹשְׁבִ֣ים בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹת וַאדֹנִ֨י יוֹאָ֜ב וְעַבְדֵ֤י אֲדֹנִ֨י עַל־ פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ חֹנִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֞י אָב֧וֹא בֵּיתִ֛י לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת וְלִשְׁכַּ֣ב עִם־ ؟ אִשְׁתִּ֑י חַיֶּ֙ךָ֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ אִֽם־ אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה אֶת־ הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אוּרִיָּ֜ה  Uriah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
דָּוִ֗ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
הָ֠אָרוֹן  the  ark 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֲרֹון  
Sense: chest, ark.
וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל  and  Israel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וִֽיהוּדָ֜ה  and  Judah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
יֹשְׁבִ֣ים  are  dwelling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּסֻּכּ֗וֹת  in  tents 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: סֻכָּה  
Sense: thicket, covert, booth.
וַאדֹנִ֨י  and  my  lord 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
יוֹאָ֜ב  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
וְעַבְדֵ֤י  and  the  servants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲדֹנִ֨י  of  my  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
פְּנֵ֤י  open 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַשָּׂדֶה֙  the  fields 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
חֹנִ֔ים  are  encamped 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָנָה  
Sense: to decline, incline, encamp, bend down, lay siege against.
וַאֲנִ֞י  then  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אָב֧וֹא  shall  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּיתִ֛י  my  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
לֶאֱכֹ֥ל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְלִשְׁתּ֖וֹת  and  drink 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
וְלִשְׁכַּ֣ב  and  to  lie 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
؟ אִשְׁתִּ֑י  my  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
חַיֶּ֙ךָ֙  [As]  you  live 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וְחֵ֣י  and  [as]  lives 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
אֶעֱשֶׂ֖ה  I  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדָּבָ֥ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.