David and Bathsheba
"You are that man!"
This story tells of a king abusing his power, a murder, and a baby's death.
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
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The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
King David stayed home from the war, saw Bathsheba bathing, took her to the palace and slept with her, and when she became pregnant, he arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in battle. God sent the prophet Nathan, who told a story about a rich man who stole a poor man's only lamb, and when David was outraged, Nathan said, "You are that man!" David confessed, "I have sinned against the LORD," and Nathan said, "The LORD has taken away your sin."
Where it is in the Bible: 2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:25
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- David: The king of Israel. God chose him as a shepherd boy and made him king.
- Bathsheba: A woman in Jerusalem, married to Uriah.
- Uriah: Bathsheba's husband, a loyal soldier in David's army. He is a Hittite, a foreigner who serves Israel.
- Joab: The commander of David's army.
- Nathan: A prophet. God sends him to David.
- The LORD: God. LORD in capital letters stands for God's personal name. Jewish readers traditionally don't say it aloud, out of respect.
Setting
- The king's palace in Jerusalem, and a battlefield at the city of Rabbah.
When
- About 3,000 years ago, when David was king.
Before the Story
God chose David as a shepherd boy. God said, "the LORD sees the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).
David trusted God. He fought Goliath and wrote many psalms. God promised that his family would rule forever (7:16).
David was now a powerful king. No one in Israel could tell him no. Or so it seemed.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. From the roof | 11:1-5 | David takes another man's wife |
| 2. A loyal soldier | 11:6-13 | David tries to cover it up |
| 3. A letter | 11:14-27 | David has Uriah killed |
| 4. "You are that man!" | 12:1-12 | Nathan tells David a story |
| 5. "I have sinned" | 12:13-25 | David confesses, and God forgives |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 5From the Roof
It was spring, when kings went out to war. David sent his army out, but he stayed home in Jerusalem.
One evening, David walked on the palace roof. He saw a beautiful woman bathing.
He found out who she was: Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of his soldiers.
David sent messengers to bring her to the palace, and he slept with her. Then she went home.
David was the king. He used his power to take someone who belonged to another man.
Later, Bathsheba sent word to David: "I am pregnant" (11:5).
Scene 2 of 5A Loyal Soldier
David tried to cover it up. He brought Uriah home from the battle and told him to go home to his wife.
But Uriah slept at the palace door with the servants.
He said that while the army was camping in open fields, he would not go home and enjoy himself.
David even got him drunk. Uriah still didn't go home.
Scene 3 of 5A Letter
So David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it with Uriah himself.
"Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed" (11:15).
Joab did it, and Uriah was killed.
Bathsheba mourned for her husband. Then David brought her to the palace, and she became his wife. They had a son.
"But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD" (11:27).
Scene 4 of 5"You Are That Man!"
The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan told him a story.
There were two men. One was rich, with many sheep and cattle. The other was poor. He had only one little lamb.
The poor man loved that lamb. It ate from his plate, drank from his cup, and slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
A guest came to visit the rich man. The rich man didn't want to use one of his own animals for the meal. So he took the poor man's lamb.
David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!" (12:5).
Then Nathan said, "You are that man!" (12:7).
Nathan told David everything God had given him. God would have given him even more. "Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight?" (12:9).
Scene 5 of 5"I Have Sinned"
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD" (12:13).
No excuses.
"The LORD has taken away your sin," Nathan replied. "You will not die" (12:13).
But David's sin still brought sorrow. Nathan said trouble would come to David's family, and the baby would die.
The baby became sick. David begged God for the child. He wouldn't eat. He lay on the ground all night.
On the seventh day, the baby died.
David got up, washed, and went to worship God.
He said, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me" (12:23).
Later, David and Bathsheba had another son. They named him Solomon. "Now the LORD loved the child" (12:24).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "David remained in Jerusalem" (11:1) | David wasn't where he was supposed to be. |
| "David sent messengers to get her" (11:4) | David used his power as king to take what wasn't his. |
| "Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle" (11:15) | One sin led to another, and then to murder. |
| "Evil in the sight of the LORD" (11:27) | David hid it from people, but not from God. |
| "You are that man!" (12:7) | Nathan helped David see his own sin. |
| "I have sinned against the LORD" (12:13) | David confessed honestly. |
| "The LORD has taken away your sin" (12:13) | God forgave David right away. |
Back Then
David wrote a prayer after this. Psalm 51 says it was written when Nathan came to David. It begins, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion" (Psalm 51:1).
Uriah was a foreigner. He was a Hittite, yet more faithful than the king of Israel.
Bathsheba later became the mother of King Solomon. She is named in Jesus's family tree (Matthew 1:6).
Literal Reader Alert
Was Bathsheba to blame? The Bible puts the blame on David. Nathan's story makes Bathsheba like the innocent lamb and David like the rich man who took her. David was the king, and he had all the power.
If someone with power pressures you, is it your fault? No. If anyone, especially someone older or more powerful, makes you do something you don't want, it is never your fault. Please tell a trusted adult.
Did God kill the baby to punish David? This is one of the hardest parts of the Bible. The Bible says David's sin brought death and sorrow. God never says children die because of their own sin. David trusted he would see his son again.
If God forgave David, why were there still consequences? God forgives completely. But sin hurts people, and some of that hurt doesn't go away right away.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bathsheba | Grieving | Her husband was killed (11:26) |
| Uriah | Loyal | He wouldn't go home while his army was in the field (11:11) |
| David | Angry | He thought the rich man in the story deserved to die (12:5) |
| David | Guilty | Nathan showed him his sin (12:13) |
| David | Grieving | His baby died (12:16, 12:18) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What does this story say to you? Tap one.
I've hidden something
David tried to hide it. God already knew, and he forgives.
I need to confess
"I have sinned." No excuses. God takes sin away.
Someone hurt me
Bathsheba was hurt by someone with power. God saw. Tell a trusted adult.
I feel too bad
Even David, after this, was forgiven. So can you be.
You Might Have Heard
"Good people don't do bad things."
What's true: God calls us to live good lives.
What the story is mainly about: David was God's chosen king, a man after God's heart, and he did terrible things. No one is too good to fall. And no one is too far gone to be forgiven. When David confessed, God took his sin away.
Where Jesus is: Jesus was born from David's family, through Solomon (Matthew 1:6). He came to take away sin like David's, and ours. He is the true King who never abused his power, but gave himself for others.
Good News
David did something terrible. God sent a prophet, not to destroy him, but to bring him back.
"The LORD has taken away your sin" (12:13).
When we confess, God forgives. Jesus took our sin away on the cross. And God loved Solomon, the son born after all of this, and through David's family he sent Jesus.
David sinned terribly, but when he confessed, God forgave him. No one is too far gone for God's forgiveness.
Big Idea
King David took Bathsheba and had her husband killed. Nathan said, "You are that man!" David confessed, and God took his sin away.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther often pointed to David's confession in Psalm 51. He said it shows what true repentance looks like: no excuses, just "I have sinned," and then trusting God's promise of mercy.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year C, it reads 2 Samuel 11:26 to 12:10 and 13-15 in June (Lectionary 11), next to Jesus forgiving a sinful woman. In Year B, parts of this story are read in July (Lectionary 12 and 13).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I have sinned against the LORD.
How did that feel?
You finished David and Bathsheba.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Lectionary 11 Year CFirst reading, 2 Samuel 11:26–12:10, 13–15
For a newsletter or sermon notes
David and Bathsheba, explained in plain words. King David abuses his power. The prophet Nathan tells him a story. About 11 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/david-and-bathsheba/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church