English Standard Version
2 Samuel 11:15
15In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."
2 Samuel 11:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
- New International Version (NIV)In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
Context of 2 Samuel 11:15
13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die." 16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
Read all of 2 Samuel 112 Samuel 11:15 word by word
וַיִּכְתֹּ֥ב בַּסֵּ֖פֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר הָב֣וּ אֶת־אֽוּרִיָּ֗ה אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֤י הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ הַֽחֲזָקָ֔ה וְשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם מֵאַחֲרָ֖יו וְנִכָּ֥ה וָמֵֽת׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And he wroteכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
- in the letterסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Setיָהַבyâhab · to giveH3051
- ye Uriahאוּרִיָּה'ûrîyâh 'ûrîyâhû · UriahH223
- in the forefrontמוּלmûl môl mô'l mûl · oppositeH4136
- in the forefrontפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- of the hottestחָזָקchâzâq · strongH2389
- battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- and retireשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- ye from himאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- that he may be smittenנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- and dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 11:15
- 2 Samuel 11:17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
- 1 Samuel 18:17Then Saul said to David, "Here is my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you for a wife. Only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles." For Saul thought, "Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him."
- Psalms 51:4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
- 2 Samuel 12:9Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11:15
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-27Verses 14-27 Adulteries often occasion murders, and one wickedness is sought to be covered by another. The beginnings of sin are much to be dreaded; for who knows where they will end? Can a real believer ever tread this path? Can such a person be indeed a child of God? Though grace be not lost in such an awful case, the assurance and consolation of it must be suspended. All David's life, spirituality, and comfort in religion, we may be sure were lost. No…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-27David’s affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah show that David was capable of serious moral failure. These actions deeply damaged David’s life and leadership. These failures took place during a period when David was enjoying major military success against the Ammonites (2 Samuel 10:1–11:1; 12:26–31).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah ... Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle--The various arts and stratagems by which the king tried to cajole Uriah, till at last he resorted to the horrid crime of murder--the cold-blooded cruelty of despatching the letter by the hands of the gallant but much-wronged soldier himself, the enlistment of Joab to be a partaker of his sin, the heartless affectation of mourning…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 11:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries