2 Samuel 11 17

2 Samuel 11:17 kjv

And 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 11:17 nkjv

Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

2 Samuel 11:17 niv

When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

2 Samuel 11:17 esv

And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.

2 Samuel 11:17 nlt

And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 17 Meaning

This verse describes the grim outcome of the engineered battle outside Rabbah, where Joab, following David's deceptive instructions, positioned Uriah the Hittite in the deadliest part of the fight. The direct result was that a sortie from the city gates led to the deaths of several Israelite soldiers, including Uriah, thereby achieving David's sinful aim to eliminate Uriah and conceal his adultery with Bathsheba. It marks the culmination of David's egregious sin, progressing from lust to adultery to premeditated murder, and foreshadows the devastating consequences that would follow.

2 Samuel 11 17 Context

This verse is the climax of one of the darkest narratives in King David's life. Chapter 11 begins with David, usually a warrior king, remaining in Jerusalem while his army goes to war against the Ammonites in Rabbah. This idleness leads to his illicit encounter with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. After impregnating her, David's attempts to cover up the sin—first by bringing Uriah home and urging him to sleep with his wife, and then by making him drunk—fail due to Uriah's unwavering loyalty and adherence to military principles. Frustrated, David escalates his sin from adultery and deceit to calculated murder. He sends a letter via Uriah himself to Joab, the commander, instructing him to place Uriah in a highly vulnerable position during battle, ensuring his death. This verse confirms the success of that murderous plan, reporting the deaths of "some of the people among David's servants" and specifically naming "Uriah the Hittite," the intended victim. It sets the stage for God's prophetic judgment delivered by Nathan in Chapter 12 and marks a turning point in David's kingdom, bringing internal strife and tragedy upon his house.

2 Samuel 11 17 Word analysis

• And the men of the city:

  • Indicates the inhabitants/soldiers of Rabbah.
  • They acted according to their military objectives, unaware they were instruments in David's scheme.

• came out and fought with Joab:

  • This "sortie" was crucial to David's plan.
  • Joab's placement of Uriah near the wall meant they were exposed to enemy action.
  • Joab ensured the men would be left alone in a deadly position.

• and some of the people among David’s servants were killed;

  • Hebrew: ûmiśśʿar hāʿām mimminneʿbdê Dāwiḏ niqdaššeh (וּמִשַּׂעַר הָעָם מִמִּנְעַבְדֵי דָוִד נִקְדַּשֶּׁה)
  • "Some of the people" (śʿar hāʿām) highlights that Uriah's death was not isolated.
  • Innocent soldiers, loyal "David’s servants" (ʿabde Dawid), also perished as collateral damage for David’s sin.
  • This amplifies the scale of David's depravity and its broader consequences.

• and Uriah the Hittite:

  • Ûrîyāh (אוּרִיָּה): "Yah (the LORD) is my light." A tragically ironic name, as his light was extinguished by betrayal.
  • ha-Ḥittî (הַחִתִּי): The Hittite. His ethnicity is emphasized.
  • As a non-Israelite, his profound loyalty and honor stood in stark contrast to David's deceit and wickedness.
  • He was one of David's "Mighty Men," signifying his prowess and trusted position.

• also died.

  • Hebrew: wāyyaqātēl (וַיֵּקָטֵל): "and he was killed," or "and he died."
  • The simple statement confirms the "successful" execution of David's wicked command.
  • It highlights the finality of David's sin, culminating in murder.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab,": This describes the engagement in battle as set up by Joab's command. It points to a planned, calculated expose, where Uriah and his group were isolated and made vulnerable.
  • "and some of the people among David’s servants were killed; and Uriah the Hittite also died.": This phrasing deliberately names Uriah specifically after mentioning generic casualties, underscoring that Uriah was the primary target. It stresses the grave nature of the King's transgression and the devastating human cost. The loyal "servants" were sacrificed due to their king's evil design.

2 Samuel 11 17 Bonus section

• The deliberate placement of Uriah near "the wall" (as detailed in previous verses, 2 Sam 11:20-21) indicates an understanding by Joab of how a strong city's defenses would respond to an advance, often involving projectiles or sorties from close quarters, maximizing vulnerability. This makes the engineered death appear like a legitimate combat casualty.
• The entire account of David's sin against Uriah is one of the most powerful biblical examples of how even "a man after God's own heart" can fall into profound depravity and the tragic ripple effect his actions have.
• Uriah's faithful commitment, even to death, to David despite his foreign origin (Hittite) served to highlight David's own failure in covenant loyalty and personal integrity.

2 Samuel 11 17 Commentary

2 Samuel 11:17 marks the horrifying zenith of David's fall from grace. What began as a moment of idle temptation led rapidly to adultery, then to deceit, and ultimately, through this verse, to the premeditated murder of a loyal servant. The verse starkly presents the result of Joab's orchestration—the deaths of loyal Israelite soldiers, chief among them Uriah the Hittite, whose honorable character stands as a stark indictment of David’s treachery. Uriah's specific naming after the general casualty count underscores that he was the targeted victim, not merely a casualty of war. This murder not only demonstrates the corrupting power of unconfessed sin, which escalates in severity, but also reveals how one man's transgression can spill innocent blood and inflict harm upon many others. It is the action that solidifies David's guilt in God's eyes, preparing the way for Nathan's prophetic confrontation and the subsequent bitter consequences for David's household.