After inquiring about the state of the war, David shifts his focus to his true objective. Seeking to hide his actions with Bathsheba and cover up her pregnancy, he devises a plan to make the public believe the unborn child belongs to her husband, Uriah. To set this in motion, David instructs Uriah to go home and rest from the exhaustion of his journey and the battlefield.
The instruction to wash is not merely a suggestion for personal hygiene or relaxation. Rather, it serves as a tactful hint encouraging marital relations [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests that the act of washing refers to the ritual immersion required after intimacy, with David actively urging Uriah not to distance himself from his wife despite the ongoing sorrow of the war [אלשיך].
To guarantee the success of his scheme, David ensures a royal gift follows Uriah. The primary approach among commentators is that this gift is a generous portion of food or a royal feast. Outwardly, this gesture is meant to honor Uriah as a returning war hero, offering him the same lavish hospitality in his own home that he would have received at the palace [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אלשיך]. However, the hidden motive is to lift his spirits and encourage him to be with his wife [מצודת דוד]. A differing interpretation suggests the gift is actually a flaming torch, sent to escort Uriah and light his path home [רלב״ג].
Ultimately, Uriah thwarts the entire plan. He refuses to go to his house and instead sleeps at the entrance of the palace. This refusal is not simply a lack of cooperation; it is viewed as a severe offense against the monarchy. By acting this way, Uriah disobeys the king twice: first by ignoring the direct command to go home, and second by publicly rejecting the great honor of the royal feast sent to his house. Through these actions, he effectively brands himself a rebel against the crown, an offense punishable by death [מלבי״ם].
Realizing his cover-up has completely failed, David is forced to change his strategy. He concludes that he must orchestrate Uriah's death on the battlefield, which would allow him to marry Bathsheba without their secret ever being discovered [רלב״ג].