2 Samuel 11:15

15 In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed."

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 summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord's servants and did not go down to his house.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo'av and sent it with Uriyah.
15 In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed."
16 So while Yo'av had the city under siege, he assigned Uriyah to the place where he knew the toughest defenders were.
17 The men of the city went out and fought Yo'av; a number of people fell, including some of David's servants, with Uriyah the Hitti among the dead.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.