2 Samuel 11:23

23 "The men overpowered us," the messenger told David. "They came out against us in the open field, but we fought against them up to the entrance of the city gate.

2 Samuel 11:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:23

And the messenger said unto David
The particulars of his account follow:

surely the men prevailed against us;
the men of the city of Rabbah, the besieged there, in one onset they made upon them:

and came out unto us in the field;
the besiegers that lay encamped there; they sallied out upon them:

and we were upon them, even unto the entering of the gate;
rallied upon them, and drove them back, and pursued them to the gate of the city.

2 Samuel 11:23 In-Context

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.'"

22 So the messenger set off, and when he arrived he reported to David everything Joab sent him to say.

23 "The men overpowered us," the messenger told David. "They came out against us in the open field, but we fought against them up to the entrance of the city gate.

24 Archers shot down on your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants died. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too."

25 David said to the messenger, "Say this to Joab: ‘Don't be upset about this because the sword is that way: taking the life of this person or that person. Continue attacking the city and destroy it!' Encourage Joab!"

Footnotes

• [a]. Or we were upon them