The Quran

Preface

قالَ لَقَد ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤالِ نَعجَتِكَ إِلىٰ نِعاجِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثيرًا مِنَ الخُلَطاءِ لَيَبغي بَعضُهُم عَلىٰ بَعضٍ إِلَّا الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ وَقَليلٌ ما هُم ۗ وَظَنَّ داوودُ أَنَّما فَتَنّاهُ فَاستَغفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ راكِعًا وَأَنابَ ۩

Yusuf Ali

(David) said: “He has undoubtedly wronged thee¹ in demanding thy (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners (in business)² who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?”...and David gathered that We had tried him: he asked forgiveness of his Lord,³ fell down, bowing (in prostration), and turned (to God in repentance).4176-A###

The circumstances were mysterious, the accusation was novel; it was not clear why the unjust brother should also have come with the complainant, risking his life in climbing the wall to evade the guard, and he certainly said nothing. David took them literally, and began to preach about the falsehood and the fraud of men, who should be content with what they have, but who always covet more. (R).
Especially, said David, is it wrong for brothers or men in partnership to take advantage of each other; but how few are the men who are righteous? He had in mind his own devotions and justice. But lo and behold! the men disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. It was then that David realised that his visions had been a trial or temptation-a test of his moral or spiritual fibre! Great though he was as a king, and just though he was as a judge, the moment that he thought of these things in self-pride, his merit vanished. In himself he was as other men; it was God’s grace that gave him wisdom and justice, and he should have been humble in the sight of God.
Judged by ordinary standards, David had done no wrong; he was a good and just king. Judged by the highest standard of those nearest to God (Muqarrabun, 56:11), the thought of self-pride and self-righteousness had to be washed off from him by his own act of self-realisation and repentance. This was freely accepted by God, as the next verse shows.