2 Samuel 11:20

20 After you finish, the king may be angry and ask, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the city 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 Then Joab sent David a complete account of the war.

19 Joab told the messenger, "Tell King David what happened in the war.

20 After you finish, the king may be angry and ask, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the city wall?

21 Do you remember who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? It was a woman on the city wall. She threw a large stone for grinding grain on Abimelech and killed him there in Thebez. Why did you go so near the wall?' If King David asks that, tell him, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.'"

22 The messenger left and went to David and told him everything Joab had told him to say.