2 Samuel 11:21

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.)

2 Samuel 11:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 11:21

Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth?
&c.] The same with Jerubbaal, who was Gideon, ( Judges 6:32 ) ; Baal, one part of his name, was the name of an idol, and sometimes called Bosheth or Besheth, which signifies shame, being a shameful idol; Gideon had a son called Abimelech, who was smitten, and it is here asked, by whom?

did not a woman cast a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died
in Thebez?
which should have been a warning not to go too near the wall of an enemy; the history is recorded in ( Judges 9:52 Judges 9:53 ) ;

why went ye nigh the wall?
exposing your lives to so much danger, and by which so many lives were lost:

then say thou, thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also;
the whole has not been told, the worst of all is, as the messenger was to represent it, that brave gallant soldier Uriah is dead; this Joab ordered to be told last, as knowing very well it would pacify the king's wrath, and was the agreeable news he wanted to hear.

2 Samuel 11:21 In-Context

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.