2 Samuel 11:20

20 he may become angry and ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?

2 Samuel 11:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:20

And if so be that the king's wrath arise
Which might be seen in his countenance, or expressed in his words:

and he say, wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did
fight?
as to expose the king's troops to the enemy on the wall, who by stones or darts greatly annoyed them, or sallied out on them, and killed many of them:

knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
they must have known that, and therefore should have kept out of the reach of their shot.

2 Samuel 11:20 In-Context

18 Yo'av sent a message to David reporting all the news concerning the war,

19 and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling the king all the news about the war,

20 he may become angry and ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?

21 Didn't you think about the person who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet, that a woman threw an upper millstone down on him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?' If he says this, tell him, 'Your servant Uriyah is dead also.'"

22 So the messenger left, and on arrival he told David all that Yo'av had sent him to say.