Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
2 Samuel Ch.11 / 24 Ch.s
2SA:11
* David's adultery. (1-5) He tries to conceal his crime. (6-13)
Uriah murdered. (14-27)
#1-5 Observe the occasions of David's sin; what led to it. 1.
Neglect of his business. He tarried at Jerusalem. When we are
out of the way of our duty, we are in temptation. 2. Love of
ease: idleness gives great advantage to the tempter. 3. A
wandering eye. He had not, like Job, made a covenant with his
eyes, or, at this time, he had forgotten it. And observe the
steps of the sin. See how the way of sin is down-hill; when men
begin to do evil, they cannot soon stop. Observe the
aggravations of the sin. How could David rebuke or punish that
in others, of which he was conscious that he himself was guilty?
#6-13 Giving way to sin hardens the heart, and provokes the
departure of the Holy Spirit. Robbing a man of his reason, is
worse than robbing him of his money; and drawing him into sin,
is worse than drawing him into any wordly trouble whatever.
#14-27 Adulteries often occasion murders, and one wickedness is
sought to be covered by another. The beginnings of sin are much
to be dreaded; for who knows where they will end? Can a real
believer ever tread this path? Can such a person be indeed a
child of God? Though grace be not lost in such an awful case,
the assurance and consolation of it must be suspended. All
David's life, spirituality, and comfort in religion, we may be
sure were lost. No man in such a case can have evidence to be
satisfied that he is a believer. The higher a man's confidence
is, who has sunk in wickedness, the greater his presumption and
hypocrisy. Let not any one who resembles David in nothing but
his transgressions, bolster up his confidence with this example.
Let him follow David in his humiliation, repentance, and his
other eminent graces, before he thinks himself only a
backslider, and not a hypocrite. Let no opposer of the truth
say, These are the fruits of faith! No; they are the effects of
corrupt nature. Let us all watch against the beginnings of
self-indulgence, and keep at the utmost distance from all evil.
But with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption. He
will cast out no humble, penitent believer; nor will he suffer
Satan to pluck his sheep out of his hand. Yet the Lord will
recover his people, in such a way as will mark his abhorrence of
their crimes, to hinder all who regard his word from abusing the
encouragements of his mercy.