2 Samuel 11:15

15 He wrote in the letter, "Place Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle, and then pull back from him so that he will be struck down and die."

2 Samuel 11:15 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:15

And he wrote in the letter, saying
Giving the following orders to Joab:

set ye Uriah is the forefront of the hottest battle:
over against that part of the city where the enemy was strongest, and the battle the fiercest, and the stones and arrows were cast the thickest:

and retire ye from him;
leave him to himself to combat the enemy alone; who seeing him deserted, would sally out upon him, and the few that might be with him, and slay him:

that he may be smitten, and die;
thus he sought to add murder to adultery, and that in the basest manner, and which he accomplished; and this is often the case, that murder follows adultery, either by way of revenge for it, or in order to cover it, as here.

2 Samuel 11:15 In-Context

13 David called for him, and he ate and drank, and David got him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to sleep in the same place, alongside his master's servants, but he did not go down to his own home.

14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15 He wrote in the letter, "Place Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle, and then pull back from him so that he will be struck down and die."

16 So as Joab was attacking the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew there were strong warriors.

17 When the city's soldiers came out and attacked Joab, some of the people from David's army fell. Uriah the Hittite was also killed.