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The 10 Commandments and David’s Sin
David’s Sin and the 10 Commandments
When David sinned with Bathsheba, how many sins from the 10 Commandments did he commit?
1. Number 6 – Do not murder. Vicariously, he murdered Uriah and many others unnamed (2 Samuel 2:15).
2. Number 7 – Do not commit adultery. While David’s sexual sin was most likely worse than just adultery, he was married when he had relations with Bathsheba who was married (2 Samuel 11:3).
3. Number 8 – Do not steal. The text says David “saw” and “took” (2 Samuel 11:2,4). This is the same language used of Eve and the forbidden tree. David took what was not his.
4. Number 9 – David caused Joab to bear false witness by misleading the messenger as to what to say (2 Samuel 11:18-25).
5. Number 10 – David coveted, lusted, after another man’s wife (2 Samuel 11:2-4).
The only sin among the second half of the 10 Commandments (which deal with loving your neighbor as yourself) that David did not break was honoring your parents (Number 5). However, David did not honor the parents of a very important person. Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam (2 Samuel 11:3), who was one of David’s 30 Mighty Men (2 Samuel 23:34), as was Uriah (2 Samuel 23:39). David’s disloyalty to the father of Bathsheba is just another horrendous offense against his “neighbor”.
We could also say that David was guilty of worshiping self instead of God which violates the first commandment. Let us all be aware of this one fact: often our sins are more layered than we know or want to admit. Be careful and search your heart and God’s law.
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