2 Samuel 11:15

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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• 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.”

Context of 2 Samuel 11:15

13David summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But that evening Uriah went to lie down on his bed among his superior’s mercenaries. He didn’t go home. 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is heaviest. Then abandon him so that he’ll be struck down and die.” 16Since Joab had kept the city under observation, he put Uriah at the place where he knew the experienced warriors were. 17The men of the city came out and fought Joab. Some of the people, namely, some of David’s mercenaries, fell and died—including Uriah the Hittite.

2 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 11:17The men of the city came out and fought Joab. Some of the people, namely, some of David’s mercenaries, fell and died—including Uriah the Hittite.
• 1 Samuel 18:17Finally, Saul said to David, “Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight the Lord’s battles.” (Saul thought, “I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that.”)
• Psalms 51:4I have sinned against you, especially you. I have done what you consider evil. So you hand down justice when you speak, and you are blameless when you judge.
• 2 Samuel 12:9Why did you despise my word by doing what I considered evil? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle. You took his wife as your wife. You used the Ammonites to kill him.

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

• David
• Government
• Homicide
• Ingratitude
• Joab
• Lasciviousness
• Uriah

In the dictionaries

• Uriah
• Uriah; Uruah
• Approach
• David
• Forefront
• Samuel, Books of
• Writing
• Bible, the
• Epistle
• Gentiles

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