2 Samuel 11 21

2 Samuel 11:21 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.

2 Samuel 11:21 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.' "

2 Samuel 11:21 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.'?"

2 Samuel 11:21 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.'"

2 Samuel 11:21 nlt

Wasn't Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?' Then tell him, 'Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.'"

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 21 Meaning

This verse reveals King David's calculated and deceptive reaction to the news of Uriah's death. Masquerading as a strategic reprimand of Joab for tactical recklessness, David draws an analogy to the ignominious death of Abimelech to rationalize Uriah's demise. This rhetorical questioning serves as a cunning diversion, diverting attention from David's orchestration of Uriah's death while maintaining his facade as a responsible military leader.

2 Samuel 11 21 Context

2 Samuel chapter 11 narrates King David's egregious sin, beginning with his adultery with Bathsheba while his army was engaged in battle at Rabbah of the Ammonites. To cover up the resulting pregnancy, David desperately tries to bring Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba's husband and one of his loyal warriors, home from the battlefield to make it seem as though Uriah was the father. When Uriah, due to his principled dedication, refuses to go home and enjoy comfort while his fellow soldiers were suffering, David orchestrates his death by ordering Joab to place Uriah in the deadliest part of the battle. Uriah dies, fulfilling David's wicked scheme. This specific verse, 2 Samuel 11:21, records David's rhetorical and manipulative reaction upon receiving Joab's battle report, which included the pre-arranged news of Uriah's death. David's feigned concern about military tactics, exemplified by his reference to Abimelech's demise, serves to divert suspicion from his true, dark intentions.

2 Samuel 11 21 Word analysis

• Why (לָמָּה - lamah): This interrogative adverb is used here rhetorically, conveying a feigned sense of bewilderment or displeasure rather than a genuine desire for explanation. It highlights David's deceptive nature.
• did you go so near (נִגַּשְׁתֶּם - niggash'tem): From the verb נגשׁ (nagash), meaning "to draw near" or "to approach." It implies a proximity that is deemed reckless or tactically unsound in siege warfare, providing David with a convenient pretext for criticism.
• city (הָעִיר - ha'ir): Refers to Rabbah of the Ammonites, the besieged capital where the fighting occurred. The danger was specifically from projectiles from the city walls.
• fought (לְהִלָּחֵם - lehillachem): From לחם (lacham), meaning "to fight" or "wage war." The context is open battle, specifically siege tactics.
• Did you not know (הֲלוֹא יְדַעְתֶּם - halo yeda'tem): A strong rhetorical question ("Did you not know?"). It suggests that the danger was common knowledge, making Joab's (apparent) tactical error seem even more grievous, reinforcing David's false pretense.
• shoot (יוֹרִין - yorin): From ירה (yarah), meaning "to throw," "to cast," or "to shoot." This refers to arrows, stones, or other projectiles launched by defenders from the fortifications.
• from the wall (מֵעַל הַחוֹמָה - me'al hachomah): Emphasizes the high ground advantage of the defenders and the extreme peril posed by approaching too closely.
• Who struck down (מִי הִכָּה - mi hikkah): Another rhetorical question, meant to prompt the messenger (and listener) to recall a specific, notorious incident. "Struck down" implies a fatal blow.
• Abimelech (אֲבִימֶלֶךְ - Avi-melech): Meaning "my father is king" or "father of the king." A cruel, usurper-king mentioned in Judges 9, known for slaughtering his seventy brothers (except Jotham) and ruling Shechem. His death was ignominious and a widely known cautionary tale.
• son of Jerub-Besheth (בֶּן יְרֻבֶּשֶׁת - ben Yerub-Besheth): In Judges 9, Abimelech is called the son of Jerubbaal, which was a nickname for Gideon (Judges 6:32), meaning "let Baal contend." However, here the name is given as Jerub-Besheth, where "Besheth" (בֹּשֶׁת) means "shame" or "disgrace." This textual alteration, substituting "Baal" with "Besheth," reflects a later scribal tendency in Israel to replace the name of the pagan god Baal with a term of reproach, particularly where Baal worship was condemned (e.g., Ish-Bosheth for Esh-Baal, Mephi-Bosheth for Meri-Baal). It adds to the infamous nature of Abimelech's lineage and death.
• woman (אִשָּׁה - ishshah): A crucial detail from the account in Judges 9:53. For a warrior of that time, to be killed by a woman was considered a supreme disgrace and humiliation. This intensifies the ignominy of Abimelech's end, and by extension, Uriah's supposedly similar fate.
• drop (הִשְׁלִיכָה - hishlikha): From השליך (hishlikh), meaning "to throw down" or "to cast."
• upper millstone (פֶּלַח רֶכֶב - pelach rekhev): Literally "a slice (or piece) of the riding (or upper) stone." A heavy, circular stone used as the top part of a hand mill for grinding grain. Its use by a woman from a domestic setting to deliver a fatal blow underscored the profound shame of Abimelech's death. It highlights a common, everyday object transformed into a deadly weapon.
• died (וַיָּמֹת - vayyamot): The unambiguous and final outcome.
• Thebez (תֵּבֵץ - Tevetz): The specific location (modern Tubas, east of Shechem) where Abimelech met his end, grounding the reference in historical fact.
• Why then (לָמָּה אֵפוֹא - lamah efo): The concluding rhetorical question, reinforcing the false accusation of strategic imprudence, bringing the discourse back to the surface level of military planning while cleverly avoiding the real issue of Uriah's deliberate demise.

• "Why did you go so near the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?": This group of phrases reveals David's immediate tactical inquisition, which is a pretense. His questions are loaded with feigned astonishment and concern for military common sense, strategically designed to suggest a standard military miscalculation by Joab, rather than David's own premeditated sin. It establishes a cover story.
• "Who struck down Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Did not a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez?": This segment forms the core of David's deflection. By referencing the well-known and profoundly shameful death of Abimelech, David provides a parallel that explains death at the wall. The specific details of the "woman" and the "upper millstone" further emphasize the ignominious nature of such a death, offering a publicly acceptable (though misleading) explanation for Uriah's tragic but ordinary battle casualty. It suggests Joab risked a similarly disgraceful outcome.
• "Why then did you go so near the wall?": This concluding question cycles back to David's initial false criticism. It underscores the manipulative aspect of David's dialogue, solidifying his cover story by repeatedly focusing on Joab's perceived tactical error, thereby steering attention away from his own guilt in Uriah's murder.

2 Samuel 11 21 Bonus section

The subtle change from "Jerub-Baal" (in Judges 9, as Gideon's name) to "Jerub-Besheth" in this verse highlights a deliberate theological polemic by the biblical writer or redactors. Replacing "Baal" (meaning "lord" or a Canaanite deity) with "Besheth" (meaning "shame") reflects the Israelite condemnation of Baal worship, reframing a potentially neutral name with negative theological connotation to avoid linking Gideon to pagan practices. This is a subtle yet significant detail in the literary and theological development of the biblical narrative. David's choice of Abimelech as a comparison is also profoundly ironic, as Abimelech, like David in this chapter, orchestrated a massacre for his own gain, ultimately receiving divine judgment, subtly foreshadowing the judgment that awaits David. The dialogue also reveals Joab's shrewdness; he had already anticipated David's likely questions (2 Sam 11:19-20), confirming his awareness of David's capacity for dissimulation.

2 Samuel 11 21 Commentary

2 Samuel 11:21 is a masterclass in David's calculated deception following his egregious sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Rather than expressing remorse or guilt for Uriah's death—which he orchestrated—David plays the role of the shrewd, concerned monarch. By referencing Abimelech's humiliating death at Thebez (Jg 9), David skillfully constructs a facade of righteous indignation over Joab's battle tactics. The mention of Abimelech, a figure of infamous pride and violent retribution who met a inglorious end from a woman and a millstone, serves two cynical purposes: it provides a historical "precedent" for a man dying unexpectedly near a city wall, and it cleverly distracts from David's true role in Uriah's demise. David's feigned concern is a stark indicator of the moral decline brought on by his unconfessed sin, setting the stage for divine confrontation.