2 Samuel 11 23

2 Samuel 11:23 kjv

And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

2 Samuel 11:23 nkjv

And the messenger said to David, "Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.

2 Samuel 11:23 niv

The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate.

2 Samuel 11:23 esv

The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.

2 Samuel 11:23 nlt

"The enemy came out against us in the open fields," he said. "And as we chased them back to the city gate,

2 Samuel 11 verses

2 Samuel 11 23 Meaning

2 Samuel 11:23 is a specific detail from the messenger's report to King David regarding the battle against the Ammonites at Rabbah. The messenger conveys that the enemy forces aggressively sallied out from the city and initially pressed the Israelite siege lines in the open field. However, the Israelites countered, engaging them fiercely and pushing them back right to the very entrance of the city gate. This account serves as the careful setup, fulfilling Joab's command to the messenger to highlight that fighting took place perilously close to the fortified city walls, thus justifying the loss of Uriah and other Israelite soldiers at that vulnerable spot, as per David's own critical assumption in a previous warning (2 Sam 11:20-21).

2 Samuel 11 23 Context

2 Samuel chapter 11 narrates the infamous account of King David's adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and his subsequent plot to murder Uriah to conceal his sin. Uriah was a loyal soldier fighting David's battles against the Ammonites at Rabbah. After failed attempts to have Uriah return home and sleep with Bathsheba, David commanded his military commander Joab to place Uriah in the fiercest part of the battle, effectively ensuring his death. This verse, 2 Samuel 11:23, is part of Joab's calculated message delivered to David through a messenger. Joab, aware that David might react critically to the loss of troops in a reckless assault (2 Sam 11:19-21), deliberately structured the report. The messenger's details in this verse are specifically chosen to pre-empt David's expected scolding by presenting the enemy's aggressive sally as the reason for the close-quarters fighting near the city walls where Uriah was killed, thus making the casualty seem a natural outcome of fierce, unavoidable combat rather than a direct military blunder or a planned execution. The broader historical context is siege warfare in ancient Israel, where city gates were vital, yet dangerous, points of engagement due to their fortifications and the defenders above.

2 Samuel 11 23 Word analysis

• Then the messenger (וַיֹּאמֶר הַמַּלְאָךְ, vayyō'mer hammal'āḵ):
  • וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyō'mer): Common narrative connective "and he said," marking direct speech.
  • הַמַּלְאָךְ (hammal'āḵ): "The messenger," from מַלְאָךְ (mal'akh) meaning "messenger" or "angel." In this human context, it's Joab's envoy tasked with a sensitive and strategically crafted report. The messenger's role is critical here; he is a carrier of concealed truth.
• said to David (אֶל־דָּוִד, ʾel-dāwīd): Direct address to the king, emphasizing the recipient of the controlled information.
• "Indeed, the men prevailed against us" (כִּי־גָבְרוּ עָלֵינוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים, kî-gāḇrû ʿālênû hāʾănāšîm):
  • כִּי (kî): "Indeed," "for," or "because." Here, it gives emphasis or confirms a prior thought.
  • גָּבְרוּ (gāḇrû): "They prevailed," "they were stronger," "they overcame." This verb indicates an initial advantage or upper hand taken by the Ammonites, setting the stage for a dangerous confrontation.
  • עָלֵינוּ (ʿālênû): "Against us" or "over us."
  • הָאֲנָשִׁים (hāʾănāšîm): "The men," referring to the Ammonite warriors. This phrasing presents the enemy's strength as the primary instigator of the danger.
• and came out against us in the field (וַיֵּצְאוּ אֵלֵינוּ הַשָּׂדֶה, wayyēṣʾû ʾēlênû haśśāde):
  • וַיֵּצְאוּ (wayyēṣʾû): "And they came out," referring to a "sally" or aggressive charge from the city walls, indicating offensive action by the Ammonites.
  • הַשָּׂדֶה (haśśāde): "The field," meaning the open ground outside the city fortifications, where siege battles typically took place. This shows a direct engagement, not just passive defense.
• but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate" (וַנָּס גַּם־אָנוּ עַד־פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר, wannas gam-ʾānnû ʿaḏ-petaḥ haššaʿar): This phrase is critical and nuanced.
  • וַנָּס (wannas): From נוּס (nus), meaning "to flee" or "to retreat." Some translations, like NKJV ("drove them back"), interpret this as pushing them back after an initial retreat or in a counter-charge. Others (e.g., NIV, ESV) render it closer to "we chased them" or "we drove them back," indicating a successful repulsion of the sally. The ambiguity allows Joab to present it as a hard-fought encounter that necessitated getting close to the gate, implying that the danger came from the counter-attack on an aggressive enemy, not solely from reckless Israeli offense.
  • גַּם־אָנוּ (gam-ʾānnû): "Also we." Emphasizes Israel's active part in the engagement.
  • עַד־פֶּתַח הַשַּׁעַר (ʿaḏ-petaḥ haššaʿar): "To the entrance of the gate." This specific detail is the most crucial part of the message. The gate was a formidable defensive point; attacking it directly or engaging forces pushed back to it was exceptionally dangerous. This explains the high casualties and directly addresses the potential criticism David was expected to make regarding troops approaching too close to the wall (2 Sam 11:20-21). Joab is saying, "We ended up at the dangerous gate because we were vigorously pushing back the enemy, not merely because of a foolhardy direct assault."

2 Samuel 11 23 Bonus section

The precise wording of the messenger's report in 2 Samuel 11:23 and the surrounding verses exemplifies a classic example of "controlled information" or "spin." Joab's masterful manipulation of the narrative is intended to pre-empt criticism and deflect blame. The entire scenario subtly underscores how even powerful leaders and those around them can conspire in the face of sin, distorting reality to maintain power or reputation. However, the subsequent chapters will powerfully demonstrate that despite such human efforts, God's divine knowledge and justice will always bring hidden deeds to light, as evidenced by Nathan the prophet's confrontation with David. This episode thus becomes a profound warning against attempting to hide sin and a testament to God's ultimate sovereignty over truth and judgment.

2 Samuel 11 23 Commentary

2 Samuel 11:23 stands as a linchpin in the narrative of David's sin, intricately crafted by Joab to manipulate David's perception and divert his potential wrath regarding Uriah's death. This verse is not a simple battle report but a carefully constructed account designed to justify a specific outcome: the high casualties incurred by Uriah and others. Joab anticipated David's likely scolding about the military folly of fighting too close to the city walls. Therefore, this message provides an immediate, seemingly logical, and militarily understandable reason for Uriah's perilous position and death. By stating that "the men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field," Joab frames the situation as a necessary defensive maneuver turned counter-offensive. The detail "we drove them back to the entrance of the gate" highlights the ferocity of the combat at the most dangerous point of a siege, thereby making the death of men like Uriah seem unavoidable and heroic rather than the outcome of David's cruel and calculated instruction. The implicit polemic is against the abuse of authority and the manipulative use of truth, a stark contrast to divine righteousness. This verse, though brief, exposes the human attempt to cover up wickedness and reveals the sophisticated layers of deception and control at play in David's court, foreshadowing the divine judgment that would inevitably expose all.