2 Samuel 11:19

19 "When you have finished reporting all the news of the battle to the king," Joab instructed the messenger,

2 Samuel 11:19 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:19

And charged the messenger
Gave him a particular direction and instruction what he should say at the close of his narrative, according as he should observe the king's countenance to be:

saying, when thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war
unto the king;
giving an account of all the events that happened since the siege was begun to that time.

2 Samuel 11:19 In-Context

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.

18 Joab sent a complete report of the battle to David.

19 "When you have finished reporting all the news of the battle to the king," Joab instructed the messenger,

20 "if the king gets angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?

21 Who killed Jerubbaal's son Abimelech? didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on top of him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?' then say: ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.'"