2 Samuel 11:17-27

17 And [the] men went out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed of the people of the servants of David, and also Uriah (the) Hittite was dead there. (And the men came out of the city, and fought against Joab, and they killed some of David's officers, and Uriah the Hittite was also killed.)
18 Therefore Joab sent, and told all the words of the battle; (And so Joab sent a message to David, telling him all about the battle;)
19 and he commanded to the messenger, and said, When thou hast fulfilled all the words of the battle to the king (When thou hast finished telling the king everything about the battle),
20 if thou seest, that he is wroth, and saith, Why nighed ye to the wall to fight? whether ye knew not, that many darts, (or arrows,) (would) be sent out from the wall above?
21 who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? whether not a woman sent on him a gobbet of a millstone from the wall, and killed him in Thebez? why nighed ye beside the wall? thou shalt say, Also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, died. (do ye not recall who struck down Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman send down a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall above, and killed him there in Thebez? why did ye go beside the wall? thou shalt say, And thy officer, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)
22 Therefore the messenger went, [and came] (to the king), and told to David all things which Joab had commanded to him.
23 And the messenger said to David, [The] Men had the mastery against us, and they went out to us into the field; and with great fierceness we pursued them unto the gate of the city.
24 And [the] archers sent (out) darts to thy servants from the wall above, and some of the king's servants be dead; and also thy servant, Uriah (the) Hittite, is dead. (And their archers sent out arrows at thy servants, or thy officers, from the wall above, and some of the king's servants were killed; and thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, also died.)
25 And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, This thing break not thee; for the hap of battle is diverse, and sword wasteth now this man, [and] now that man; comfort thy fighters against the city, that thou destroy it, and excite thou them. (And David said to the messenger, Thou shalt say these things to Joab, Do not let this thing break thee; for the happenstance of battle is diverse, and the sword wasteth now this man, and now that one; make thy fighting men strong against the city, so that thou destroy it, yea, encourage thou them.)
26 And the wife of Uriah heard, that Uriah her husband was dead, and she bewailed him.
27 And when the mourning was passed, David sent, and brought her into his house; and she was made (a) wife to him, and she childed a son to him. And this word that David had done displeased before the Lord (But this thing that David had done greatly displeased the Lord).

2 Samuel 11:17-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 11

This chapter begins with the destruction of the Ammonites, and the siege of Rabbah their chief city, 2Sa 11:1; and enlarges on the sins of David in committing adultery with Bathsheba, 2Sa 11:2-5; in contriving to conceal his sin by sending for her husband home from the army, 2Sa 11:6-13; in laying a scheme for the death of him by the hand of the Ammonites, 2Sa 11:14-25; and in marrying Bathsheba when he was dead, 2Sa 11:26,27.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.