Commentators point out that David's sin was not a sudden event but the result of prior choices. He neglected his duty by staying in Jerusalem instead of going to war, indulged in idleness, and let his eyes wander. This serves as a powerful warning that when we are 'out of the way of our duty,' as Matthew Henry puts it, we place ourselves in the path of temptation. Sin is often a downhill slide that begins with seemingly small compromises.