2 Samuel 11:25

25 et dixit David ad nuntium haec dices Ioab non te frangat ista res varius enim eventus est proelii et nunc hunc nunc illum consumit gladius conforta bellatores tuos adversum urbem ut destruas eam et exhortare eos

2 Samuel 11:25 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:25

Then David said to the messenger
Whom he dispatched again to Joab upon the delivery of his message:

thus shall thou say to Joab;
in the name of David:

let not this thing displease thee;
be not grieved, and cast down, and intimidated at the repulse he had met with, and the loss of so many brave men, and especially Uriah;

for the sword devours one as well as another;
officers as well as soldiers the strong as well as the weak, the valiant and courageous as well as the more timorous; the events of war are various and uncertain, and to be submitted to, and not repined at, and laid to heart. David's heart being hardened by sin, made light of the death of his brave soldiers, to which he himself was accessory; his conscience was very different now from what it was when he cut off the skirt of Saul's robe, and his heart in a different frame from that in which he composed the lamentation over Saul and Jonathan:

make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it;
more closely besiege it, more vigorously attack it; assault it, endeavour to take it by storm, and utterly destroy it, razing the very foundations of it: and encourage thou him; which words are either said to the messenger to encourage and animate Joab in David's name, which is not so likely that a messenger should be employed to encourage the general; or rather the words of David to Joab continued, that he would "encourage it", the army under him, who might be disheartened with the rebuff and loss they had met with; and therefore Joab is bid to spirit them up, to carry on the siege with vigour.

2 Samuel 11:25 In-Context

23 et dixit nuntius ad David praevaluerunt adversum nos viri et egressi sunt ad nos in agrum nos autem facto impetu persecuti eos sumus usque ad portam civitatis
24 et direxerunt iacula sagittarii ad servos tuos ex muro desuper mortuique sunt de servis regis quin etiam servus tuus Urias Hettheus mortuus est
25 et dixit David ad nuntium haec dices Ioab non te frangat ista res varius enim eventus est proelii et nunc hunc nunc illum consumit gladius conforta bellatores tuos adversum urbem ut destruas eam et exhortare eos
26 audivit autem uxor Uriae quod mortuus esset Urias vir suus et planxit eum
27 transactoque luctu misit David et introduxit eam domum suam et facta est ei uxor peperitque ei filium et displicuit verbum hoc quod fecerat David coram Domino
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.