Why was David rebuked for adultery and death of Uriah only in 2 Samuel 12?

Question

After committing adultery David conceives a plan to get rid of Uriah.His plan involves getting the Israelites close to the wall of their enemies which culminates in the death of innocent men.

2 Samuel 11:17 ESV

And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.

When the Prophet rebukes David he only makes reference to the adultery case and the death of Uriah.There is no mention of the innocent men who perished along with Uriah.

2 Samuel 12:9-10 ESV

Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

Why was David not rebuked for the death of innocent men?

Answer 1

2 Samuel 12:

9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

OP: When the Prophet rebukes David he only makes reference to the adultery case and the death of Uriah. There is no mention of the innocent men who perished along with Uriah. Why was David not rebuked for the death of innocent men?

The prophet Nathan was focusing on the main point: the death of Uriah. The others were collateral damages. But look at the punishment:

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

Was David's house punished only because of David's taking Uriah's wife? No. This was a huge punishment. For what? For despising God, including taking Bathsheba, ordering Uriah's death, the collateral deaths of the innocent soldiers, etc.

Why was David not rebuked for the death of innocent men?

Nathan was just focusing on the main point of David's ordering the death of Uriah.

Answer 2

David's instructions are in 2 Samuel 11:15 and are (ESV): “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.”

There is nothing in those instructions that would endanger other people. Nor, should it be assumed that Joab changed the plan - aside for where Uriah was deployed - in order to get Uriah dead. The Bible does not say it that. I think that the better understanding - consistent with Joab's character - is that the closeness to the wall was an error on Joab's part. It should be noticed that all the men approaching the wall is opposite David's instructions of all the men withdrawing from Uriah. Joab erred and he points to Uriah's death to successfully avoid being rebuked.

Also, the men weren't innocent for there are none innocent, not one. But what I think you mean is that these men were unknown to David and died simply of collateral damage. They did die as collateral damage but they died as collateral damage in the effort to besiege Rabbah, which is legitimate.

Answer 3

Why was David not rebuked for the death of innocent men ?

For the same reason no other biblical king, in the entire military history of Israel, has ever been rebuked for losing soldiers in war or battle against its enemies.

His plan involves getting the Israelites close to the wall of their enemies

This plan is not dependent upon Uriah's presence or absence; one cannot conquer a fortress without eventually sending soldiers or warriors either over its walls, or to knock down its gate; in any such endeavors, losses on the part of the attacker are ultimately inevitable.

When the Prophet rebukes David he only makes reference to the adultery case and the death of Uriah.

Because the main or only motive for his presence there was ultimately due to reasons bearing little or no strategic military value.