Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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2 Samuel
Book: 2 Samuel
Chapter: 11
Overview:
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 worldly 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.