David’s Plan to Cover His Sin
David found himself in a difficult situation and needed to come up with a plan quickly. He had made a serious mistake and was now trying to cover it up. Knowing that Bathsheba was pregnant with his child, he hoped to make it appear as if her husband, Uriah, was the father instead.
To do this, David sent a message to Joab, the commander of his army, ordering him to bring Uriah back from the battlefield. When Uriah arrived, David acted warmly toward him, pretending to be concerned about how the war was going. But in reality, his true motive was to encourage Uriah to go home to his wife, hoping that he would sleep with her. If Uriah did so, then when Bathsheba’s pregnancy became known, everyone would assume the child was his.
David even added an extra gesture to make his plan more convincing. After telling Uriah to go home and rest, he sent a gift to follow him—perhaps food, wine, or some other token of favor. This was meant to make Uriah feel relaxed and more likely to spend the night with his wife. However, things did not go as David expected.
2 Samuel 11:8 – “Then David said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house and wash your feet.’ So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.”