2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing--a very beautiful woman.

◄ 2 Samuel 11:2 ►

New International Version
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,

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
Now when evening came David arose 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.

NASB 1977
Now when evening came David arose 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now when evening came David arose 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.

Amplified Bible
One evening David got up from his couch and was walking on the [flat] roof of the king’s palace, and from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very beautiful in appearance.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.

American Standard Version
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.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now, when evening came, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the royal palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, and she was very pretty.

Good News Translation
One day, late in the afternoon, David got up from his nap and went to the palace roof. As he walked around up there, he saw a woman taking a bath in her house. She was very beautiful.

International Standard Version
Late one afternoon about dusk, David got up from his couch and was walking around on the roof of the royal palace. From there he watched a woman taking a bath, and she was very beautiful to look at.

Majority Standard Bible
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing?a very beautiful woman.

NET Bible
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive.

New Heart English Bible
Now it happened one evening that David got up from his bed and walked on the roof of the king?s palace; and he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in an evening, 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.

World English Bible
At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass, at evening-time, that David rises from off his bed, and walks up and down on the roof of the king’s house, and sees a woman bathing from the roof, and the woman [is] of very good appearance,

Young's Literal Translation
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,

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be at the time of the evening, and David will rise from off his bed, and will go upon the roof of the king's house: and he will see from the roof a woman washing herself; and the woman good of aspect exceedingly.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
In the mean time it happened that David arose from his bed after noon, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and he saw from the roof of his house a woman washing herself, over against him: and the woman was very beautiful.

Catholic Public Domain Version
While these things were taking place, David happened to arise from his bed after midday, and he walked upon the terrace of the king’s house. And he saw, across from his terrace, a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful.

New American Bible
One evening David rose from his bed and strolled about on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman bathing; she was very beautiful.

New Revised Standard Version
It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And it came to pass in the evening that David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And at the time of evening, David arose from his bed and he walked on the roof of the house of his kingdom, and he saw one woman when she bathed, and the appearance of the woman was very beautiful

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

David and Bathsheba
1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing— a very beautiful woman. 3So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.

Matthew 5:28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Proverbs 6:25
Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.

Genesis 39:7-12
and after some time his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” / But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care. / No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?” ...

Job 31:1
“I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I gaze with desire at a virgin?

1 Corinthians 10:12
So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.

Judges 16:1
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.

Proverbs 7:6-27
For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice. / I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment, / crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house, ...

Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

Romans 13:14
Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, / not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Psalm 51:1-4
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. / Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. / For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ...

Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass in an evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on 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 on.

arose from

2 Samuel 4:5,7
And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon…

Proverbs 19:15
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Proverbs 24:33,34
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: …

the roof of

Deuteronomy 22:8
When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

Jeremiah 19:13
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

Matthew 10:27
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

he saw

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Genesis 34:2
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

very beautiful

Genesis 39:6
And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.

Proverbs 6:25
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

Proverbs 31:30
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

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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

Berean Study Bible

One evening
The phrase "one evening" sets the stage for a significant turning point in King David's life. In the Hebrew context, evening often symbolizes a time of vulnerability and introspection. It is a period when the day's activities have ceased, and one might be more susceptible to temptation. This moment foreshadows the moral and spiritual darkness that is about to unfold in David's life.

David got up from his bed
This phrase suggests a restlessness in David. As king, he should have been with his army, leading them in battle, but instead, he is at home, idle. The Hebrew word for "bed" (מִשְׁכָּב, mishkav) can also imply a place of comfort or complacency. David's physical rising from his bed symbolizes a spiritual descent, as he moves from a place of rest to one of moral compromise.

and strolled around on the roof of the palace
The roof of the palace was a place of privilege and perspective, offering a view over the city. In ancient Near Eastern architecture, roofs were often used for relaxation and reflection. However, David's stroll is not one of innocent contemplation. The Hebrew verb "strolled" (הָלַךְ, halak) implies a casual, perhaps aimless, movement, reflecting David's lack of purpose at this moment. His physical elevation on the roof contrasts with his impending moral fall.

And from the roof he saw a woman bathing
The act of seeing here is pivotal. The Hebrew verb "saw" (רָאָה, ra'ah) indicates more than a casual glance; it suggests a deliberate and lingering look. This moment of seeing is the inception of David's sin, as it leads to covetousness and ultimately to adultery. The act of bathing was a private ritual, and David's intrusion into this privacy marks the beginning of his transgression.

a very beautiful woman
The description of the woman as "very beautiful" (טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה, tovat mareh) emphasizes the allure and temptation that David faces. In the Hebrew Bible, physical beauty is often noted, but it can also serve as a test of character. David's failure to look beyond the external beauty to the moral implications of his actions highlights his spiritual weakness at this moment. This phrase serves as a reminder of the biblical teaching that true beauty is found in righteousness and obedience to God.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) In an eveningtide.--Late in the afternoon, when David had taken the siesta customary in Oriental countries, he rose from his couch and walked on the roof of his palace, which in the cool of the day was the pleasantest part of an eastern house. This palace was on the height of Mount Zion, and looked down upon the open courts of the houses in the lower city. In one of these he saw a beautiful woman bathing. In the courts of the houses it was common to have a basin of water, and the place was probably entirely concealed from every other point of observation than the roof of the palace, from which no harm was suspected.

David's grievous fall was consequent upon his long course of uninterrupted prosperity and power, which had somewhat intoxicated him and thrown him off his guard. It is no part of the plan of Scripture to cover up or excuse the sins of even its greatest heroes and saints. This sin was followed by the deepest repentance and by the Divine forgiveness; nevertheless its punishment overclouded all the remaining years of David's life. His fall, as St. Augustine has said, should put upon their guard those who have not fallen, and save from despair those who have.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - David arose from off his bed. It was usual in Palestine, and remains so in all hot countries, to take a siesta in the heat of the day (2 Samuel 4:5); and, on awaking, David walked backward and forward on the fiat roof of his house (1 Samuel 9:25), to enjoy the cool breezes of the evening. In so doing he was probably following his usual habits; but temptation came upon him, as so often is the case, unexpectedly. We are told that it is regarded in the East as improper for one neighbour to look over the battlement of his house into the inner court of the next dwelling (Philippson). Considering the jealousy with which Orientals guard the female members of their family from intrusion, it was a wrong act on the king's part to spy into what was going on in the recesses of the adjoining house. But he did so, and suffered for it years of disgrace and misery. For he saw a beautiful woman, the wife of one of his high officers, bathing, probably to purify herself from some legal uncleanness, such as those mentioned in Leviticus 15. No blame, so far, must be attached to her. The place was regarded as perfectly secluded, and probably neither she nor Uriah had ever suspected that what went on there could be observed from the roof of the king's palace.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

One evening
הָעֶ֗רֶב (hā·‘e·reḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6153: Evening

David
דָּוִ֜ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

got up
וַיָּ֨קָם (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

from
מֵעַ֤ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his bed
מִשְׁכָּבוֹ֙ (miš·kā·ḇōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4904: Place of lying, a couch, act of lying

and strolled around
וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ֙ (way·yiṯ·hal·lêḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the roof
גַּ֣ג (gaḡ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar

of the palace.
בֵּית־ (bêṯ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

And from
מֵעַ֣ל (mê·‘al)
Preposition-m
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the roof
הַגָּ֑ג (hag·gāḡ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1406: A roof, the top of an altar

he saw
וַיַּ֥רְא (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

a woman
אִשָּׁ֛ה (’iš·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

bathing—
רֹחֶ֖צֶת (rō·ḥe·ṣeṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 7364: To wash, wash off or away, bathe

a very
מְאֹֽד׃ (mə·’ōḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 3966: Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily

beautiful
טוֹבַ֥ת (ṭō·w·ḇaṯ)
Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

woman.
וְהָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה (wə·hā·’iš·šāh)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

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OT History: 2 Samuel 11:2 It happened at evening that David arose (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)