2 Samuel 11:20

2 Samuel 11:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
• English Standard Version (ESV)then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
• New King James Version (NKJV)if it happens that the king’s wrath rises, and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
• New Living Translation (NLT)But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls?

Context of 2 Samuel 11:20

18Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21Who 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.’ ” 22The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.

2 Samuel 11:20 word by word

וְהָיָ֗ה אִֽם־תַּעֲלֶה֙ חֲמַ֣ת הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאָמַ֣ר לְךָ֔ מַדּ֛וּעַ נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם אֶל־הָעִ֖יר לְהִלָּחֵ֑ם הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יֹר֖וּ מֵעַ֥ל הַחוֹמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if so be that the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• wrathחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534
• ariseעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• and he sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nighנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
• unto the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• when ye did fightלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• ye not that they would shootיָרָאyârâh yârâ' · to shootH3384
• from the wallחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 11:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20If - the king's wrath arise - It is likely that Joab had by some indiscretion suffered loss about this time; and he contrived to get rid of the odium by connecting the transaction with the death of Uriah, which he knew would be so pleasing to the king.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. 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

Topics related to 2 Samuel 11:20

• David
• Joab
• Lasciviousness
• Uriah
• Walls, of the Cities

In the dictionaries

• Approach
• David
• Samuel, Books of
• Uriah
• Bible, the
• Gentiles
• Hittites
• Israel, History of
• Nathan (1)
• Samuel, Books of

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