Following Uriah’s report David gives him permission to go home. This was clearly an attempt on the part of the king to clear himself and make it look like Uriah was the father of the child that Bathsheba would eventually have.

The expression wash your feet has caused a great deal of discussion by biblical scholars. Many take it to be nothing more than an invitation for Uriah to refresh himself after a long journey over dusty roads and wearing only sandals (Gen 18.4; 19.2; 24.32; Judges 19.21). Other commentators, however, note that in certain contexts this is a euphemism referring to sexual intercourse, since the word “feet” sometimes referred to the genitals (see, for example, Ruth 3.4, 7, 8; Song 5.3). It is quite possible that David intentionally used an expression that was ambiguous but that could have made Uriah think of sex. The information about this possible double meaning, however, can only be made clear to the reader in a footnote, since it would be inappropriate if not impossible to include it in the text.

There followed him a present from the king: the way this is worded in Revised Standard Version makes it sound almost as if the king’s present to Uriah was an animal of some kind that could have followed him home of its own accord. The meaning, however, is that the king sent him a gift, probably a portion of food. Goldman, in fact, translates present as “a mess of food.” Anchor Bible, on the other hand, alters the Hebrew text and comes up with the following reading: “he marched out with the weapon-bearers.” However, the most probable meaning is that a portion of food from the king’s table was sent to Uriah’s house. The sending of such gifts was apparently an indication of favor shown by a superior in Old Testament times (Gen 43.34). Note that New American Bible translates “a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “was followed by a present from the king’s table.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .