The Meaning of 2 Samuel 11:8 Explained

2 Samuel 11:8

KJV: And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

YLT: And David saith to Uriah, 'Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet;' and Uriah goeth out of the king's house, and there goeth out after him a gift from the king,

Darby: And David said to Urijah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Urijah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him presents from the king.

ASV: And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  to Uriah,  Go down  to thy house,  and wash  thy feet.  And Uriah  departed out  of the king's  house,  and there followed  him a mess  [of meat] from the king. 

What does 2 Samuel 11:8 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 11:8 mean?

And said David to Uriah go down to your house and wash your feet So departed Uriah from house the king's And followed him a gift [of food] from the king
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ לְא֣וּרִיָּ֔ה רֵ֥ד לְבֵיתְךָ֖ וּרְחַ֣ץ רַגְלֶ֑יךָ וַיֵּצֵ֤א אֽוּרִיָּה֙ מִבֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַתֵּצֵ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו מַשְׂאַ֥ת הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִד֙  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
לְא֣וּרִיָּ֔ה  to  Uriah 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
רֵ֥ד  go  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
לְבֵיתְךָ֖  to  your  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּרְחַ֣ץ  and  wash 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָחַץ  
Sense: to wash, wash off, wash away, bathe.
רַגְלֶ֑יךָ  your  feet 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.
וַיֵּצֵ֤א  So  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אֽוּרִיָּה֙  Uriah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אוּרִיָּה 
Sense: Hittite husband of Bathsheba.
מִבֵּ֣ית  from  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ  the  king's 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַתֵּצֵ֥א  And  followed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
מַשְׂאַ֥ת  a  gift  [of  food]  from 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַשְׂאֹות 
Sense: uprising, utterance, burden, portion, uplifting.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.