New English Translation
2 Samuel 11:21
21Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
2 Samuel 11:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
- New International Version (NIV)Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”
Context of 2 Samuel 11:21
19He instructed the messenger as follows: “When you finish giving the battle report to the king, 20if the king becomes angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall? Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’” 22So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. 23The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and attacked us in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way to the door of the city gate.
Read all of 2 Samuel 112 Samuel 11:21 word by word
מִֽי־הִכָּ֞ה אֶת־אֲבִימֶ֣לֶךְ בֶּן־יְרֻבֶּ֗שֶׁת הֲלֽוֹא־אִשָּׁ֡ה הִשְׁלִ֣יכָה עָלָיו֩ פֶּ֨לַח רֶ֜כֶב מֵעַ֤ל הַֽחוֹמָה֙ וַיָּ֣מָת בְּתֵבֵ֔ץ לָ֥מָּה נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֖ם אֶל־הַֽחוֹמָ֑ה וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ גַּ֗ם עַבְדְּךָ֛ אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַחִתִּ֖י מֵֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Who smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- the sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of Jerubbeshethיְרֻבֶּשֶׁתyerûbbesheth · JerubbeshethH3380
- did not a womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- castשָׁלַךְshâlak · to throwH7993
- a pieceפֶּ֫לַחpelach · millstoneH6400
- of a millstoneרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariot: millstoneH7393
- upon him from the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- that he diedמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- in Thebezתֵּבֵץtêbêts · ThebezH8405
- why went ye nighנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
- then sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- thou, Thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- Uriahאוּרִיָּה'ûrîyâh 'ûrîyâhû · UriahH223
- the Hittiteחִתִּיchittîy · HittiteH2850
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 11:21
- Judges 9:53a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull.
- Judges 6:32That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.”
- Judges 7:1Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his men got up the next morning and camped near the spring of Harod. The Midianites were camped north of them near the hill of Moreh in the valley.
- 2 Samuel 3:27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.
- Psalms 39:8Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion! Do not make me the object of fools’ insults!
- Isaiah 14:10All of them respond to you, saying: ‘You too have become weak like us! You have become just like us!
- Ezekiel 16:51Samaria has not committed half the sins you have; you have done more abominable deeds than they did. You have made your sisters appear righteous with all the abominable things you have done.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Who smote Abimelech - This reference indicates the existence in David‘s time of the national annals of that period in an accessible form, and the king‘s habit of reading, or having read to him, the history of his country. (Compare Esther 6:1.)Read the comment
- 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. 21Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him: Compare Judges 9:54.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 11:21
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
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