2 Samuel 11:15

2 Samuel 11:15 in other versions

• 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.”
• 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 when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. 14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 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. 16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

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

• 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 went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
• 1 Samuel 18:17And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.
• Psalms 51:4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
• 2 Samuel 12:9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

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
• Approach
• David
• Forefront
• Samuel, Books of
• Writing
• Bible, the
• Epistle
• Gentiles
• Hittites

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