The Meaning of 2 Samuel 11:2 Explained

2 Samuel 11:2

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.

YLT: and it cometh to pass, at evening-time, that David riseth from off his couch, and walketh up and down on the roof of the king's house, and seeth from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman is of very good appearance,

Darby: And it came to pass at evening time that David arose from off his couch, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful;

ASV: And it came to pass at eventide, 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 bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 11:2 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 11:2 mean?

And it came to pass in an evening one evening that arose David from his bed and walked on the roof of house of the king and he saw a woman bathing the roof and the woman [was] beautiful to behold very
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ לְעֵ֣ת הָעֶ֗רֶב וַיָּ֨קָם דָּוִ֜ד מֵעַ֤ל מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙ עַל־ גַּ֣ג בֵּית־ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַיַּ֥רְא אִשָּׁ֛ה רֹחֶ֖צֶת הַגָּ֑ג וְהָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה טוֹבַ֥ת מַרְאֶ֖ה מְאֹֽד

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְעֵ֣ת  in  an  evening 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
הָעֶ֗רֶב  one  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
וַיָּ֨קָם  that  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙  his  bed 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁכָּב  
Sense: a lying down, couch, bier, act of lying.
וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙  and  walked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
גַּ֣ג  the  roof 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
בֵּית־  of  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיַּ֥רְא  and  he  saw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אִשָּׁ֛ה  a  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
רֹחֶ֖צֶת  bathing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
הַגָּ֑ג  the  roof 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
וְהָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה  and  the  woman  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
טוֹבַ֥ת  beautiful 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular construct
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
מַרְאֶ֖ה  to  behold 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַרְאֶה  
Sense: sight, appearance, vision.
מְאֹֽד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.