The siege of Rabbah starts, but David stays behind and commits adultery with Bathsheba, is caught out, repents, then mourns as the resulting child dies: 1 Chronicles 20:1; 2 Samuel 11–12:14; Psalm 51; 2 Samuel 12:15–25; 2 Samuel 5:14–16; 1 Chronicles 14:3–7; 1 Chronicles 3:5–9

The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the better known, and sad, details of King David’s life. What is not often mentioned is that Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who was listed as one of David’s might warriors:

^{1 Chronicles 11:10,41} These were the chiefs of David’s mighty warriors – they, together with all Israel, gave his kingship strong support to extend it over the whole land, as the Lord had promised –  … ⁴¹ Uriah the Hittite, ..

The betrayal was more than David just misusing his power to take someone else’s wife. His betrayal was real and personal: only a few men were named as David’s might warriors, and David would have known them all. In effect, he stole his mate’s wife then had him killed to cover it up.

Small wonder that God was outraged, sending the prophet Nathan to tell him off. Psalm 51 was David’s response.