2 Samuel 11 15

2 Samuel 11:15 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.

2 Samuel 11:15 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."

2 Samuel 11:15 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."

2 Samuel 11:15 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."

2 Samuel 11:15 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."

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 15 Meaning

This verse reveals King David's explicit instruction to Joab, his military commander, detailing a premeditated act of murder. To cover his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and her subsequent pregnancy, David ordered that her husband, Uriah the Hittite, be placed in the most perilous position on the battlefield—the "hottest battle"—and then intentionally abandoned by his fellow soldiers, ensuring he would be killed by the enemy. It signifies David's abuse of royal authority to commit a grievous sin of treachery and murder.

2 Samuel 11 15 Context

2 Samuel 11:15 is the culmination of King David's attempt to cover his adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of his most loyal "mighty men." After Bathsheba became pregnant by David, he first tried to coax Uriah into sleeping with his wife to legitimize the pregnancy. Uriah, a man of remarkable integrity, refused to go home to his wife while his fellow soldiers were fighting for the Ark and Israel (2 Sam 11:8-11), inadvertently thwarting David's scheme. Frustrated and desperate to conceal his sin, David resorts to a far darker act: sending Uriah back to the front lines of the war against the Ammonites with a letter containing the death warrant sealed by the king himself. This verse details the content of that infamous letter to Joab, David's trusted general. It highlights the drastic, calculated measure David took, transforming from a righteous king into a cunning murderer. The wider historical context is the time of monarchical rule in Israel, where kings possessed immense power, yet were still under the divine law and covenant with Yahweh.

2 Samuel 11 15 Word analysis

• And he wrote: The Hebrew word vayikhtov (וַיִּכְתֹּב֙) is a Piel imperfect consecutive verb, emphasizing the definitive and active role David took. This was not a rash decision but a deliberate, considered action to commit a severe crime. His act of writing makes the command formal and tangible, incriminating him directly.
• in the letter: The phrase bas sefer (בַּסֵּ֤פֶר) refers to a document or scroll. This was a formal communication, carrying the full authority of the king. By putting the order in writing, David intended to legitimize the instruction, hiding its true malicious intent behind official procedure. This document would later serve as irrefutable evidence of his complicity.
• saying: The Hebrew le'mor (לֵאמֹ֑ר) introduces the direct quote of David's instructions. It implies a clear, unambiguous command to Joab.
• Set ye Uriah: The verb šīṭū (שִֽׂימוּ) is a Piel imperative, "set" or "place." It is a direct and forceful command, targeting Uriah specifically. David singled out this loyal soldier for elimination.
• in the forefront: The Hebrew el-mûl (אֶל־מוּל֙) means "opposite, in front of, facing." This signifies the most exposed and dangerous position. David intended for Uriah to face the direct and unshielded impact of the battle.
• of the hottest battle: The phrase ḥabbôt hammiḥlāmâ (חַבֹּת֙ הַמִּלְחָמָה֙) refers to the fiercest, most intense, or "hottest" part of the fighting. The root ch-b-b can mean "to glow" or "to be inflamed." This was not just a dangerous post, but a suicidal one, designed to guarantee death.
• and retire ye from him: The Hebrew vəšabtem mēʾaḥărâv (וְשַׁבְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽאַחֲרָיו֙) literally means "and you will turn back from behind him." This is a treacherous order. It commands his own forces, including Uriah's comrades, to abandon him deliberately, leaving him exposed and vulnerable to the enemy, thus ensuring his death was not accidental but engineered. This act reveals David's cynical betrayal of military loyalty and camaraderie.
• that he may be smitten, and die: The verbs vənikkâ vâmet (וְנִכָּה֙ וָמֵ֔ת) are consequential, detailing the desired outcome. Nikkâ is from nākâ (to strike down, to kill) in the Niphal (passive) perfect form, "he be struck down" or "he be slain." Followed by vâmet, "and die." This is the cold, calculated objective of the command. The passive construction subtly hides the active agents (David's soldiers and the Ammonites) while emphasizing Uriah's unavoidable demise.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And he wrote in the letter, saying": This phrase emphasizes the deliberate and official nature of David's action. It was a conscious decision, not an accidental slip. The act of writing makes it an indelible command from the highest authority, lending it an air of legitimacy despite its sinister purpose.
• "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle": This reveals David's strategy to use the war itself as an instrument of murder. He meticulously planned the context for Uriah's demise, leveraging military conflict to achieve his personal, immoral objective. It highlights the direct targeting of an individual for extermination under the guise of warfare.
• "and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die": This is the truly heinous part of the command, demonstrating premeditated murder through treachery. The act of withdrawal by his own forces ensures Uriah's isolation and inevitable death. It reflects David's complete disregard for human life and the ethics of warfare, turning his own troops into passive accomplices in his crime. The ultimate goal—death—is stated chillingly, reflecting David's descent into a profound moral abyss to preserve his own reputation.

2 Samuel 11 15 Bonus section

The nature of this command also reveals David's deep understanding of military strategy and human psychology. He didn't order Joab to simply "kill Uriah," but rather created a scenario where Uriah's death would appear to be a casualty of war, thereby obscuring David's direct involvement in his murder. This illustrates the cunning and deception at play. Furthermore, the willingness of Joab to execute such a sinister command highlights the complex and often compromised nature of power structures, where subordinates may feel compelled to follow even immoral orders from a king. Uriah himself carried his own death warrant unknowingly, a tragic irony. This entire incident serves as a stark warning about the corrupting influence of unchecked desire and power, even in those genuinely committed to God, showing how even a man like David could fall so grievously without repentance.

2 Samuel 11 15 Commentary

2 Samuel 11:15 represents the nadir of King David's moral fall, moving from adultery to calculated murder. This verse strips away any pretense that Uriah's death was a casualty of war; it was an execution engineered by the very king he served. David's meticulous planning—writing the order, identifying the "hottest battle," and instructing retreat—reveals the chilling progression of sin, where one transgression begets another, leading to deeper moral depravity. The use of a formal letter under royal authority for such a nefarious purpose demonstrates the abuse of immense power. It exposes how David, the man after God's own heart, exploited his position and the loyalty of his subjects for selfish cover-up. The integrity and selflessness of Uriah, who refused comfort while his fellow soldiers fought, stands in stark contrast to David's Machiavellian actions, serving as a powerful indictment of the king's character at this point. This deliberate act of sending a loyal soldier to his death, concealed by official means, carries immense weight in God's eyes and foreshadows the severe consequences that would later fall upon David's house, as prophesied by Nathan (2 Sam 12).