Read the Bible
KING JAMES BIBLE · PCE

2 Samuel 11:15–21

TEXT EDITION
Pure Cambridge Edition selected
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.
And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
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.
¶ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
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?
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.
Share
Email linkOpen a new message in your email app
Read chapter
More
Report an issueTell us about a text or study problem

PASSAGE SELECTION

Build from either side

7 selected · 3 available

Choose up to 10 verses in this chapter. The study tools update with the selected passage.

SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE

Cross References

17 Essential passages are open for comparison.

Reference depth

From verse 15

  1. 2 Samuel 12:9Rank 1 from verse 15
    Open

    9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

  2. Psalms 51:4Rank 2 from verse 15
    Open

    4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

  3. 1 Samuel 18:17Rank 3 from verse 15
    Open

    17¶ And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab, her will I give thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord’s battles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him.

  4. 1 Samuel 18:21Rank 4 from verse 15
    Open

    21And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain.

  5. 1 Samuel 18:25Rank 5 from verse 15
    Open

    25And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

From verse 16

  1. 1 Kings 2:31–34Rank 1 from verse 16
    Open

    31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.

    32And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

    33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord.

    34So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

  2. 1 Kings 2:5Rank 2 from verse 16
    Open

    5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.

  3. 1 Kings 21:12–14Rank 3 from verse 16
    Open

    12They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

    13And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

    14Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

  4. 1 Samuel 22:17–19Rank 4 from verse 16
    Open

    17¶ And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.

    18And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

    19And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

  5. 2 Kings 10:6Rank 5 from verse 16
    Open

    6Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, If ye be mine, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master’s sons, and come to me to Jezreel by to morrow this time. Now the king’s sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, which brought them up.

From verse 17

  1. 2 Samuel 12:9Rank 1 from verse 17
    Open

    9Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

  2. Psalms 51:14Rank 2 from verse 17
    Open

    14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

From verse 21

  1. Judges 7:1Rank 1 from verse 21
    Open

    1THEN Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

  2. Judges 9:50–54Rank 2 from verse 21
    Open

    50¶ Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

    51But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower.

    52And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

    53And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull.

    54Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

  3. 2 Samuel 3:27Rank 3 from verse 21
    Open

    27And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

  4. 2 Samuel 3:34Rank 4 from verse 21
    Open

    34Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.

  5. Judges 6:32Rank 5 from verse 21
    Open

    32Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE

Definitions

Open a word for its full definition and concordance.

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:15

COMBINED MEANING

wrote

↗

Set down, recorded, composed, or communicated in writing; the past tense of write.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

set

↗

1. To put or place a person or thing in a position, relation, or condition; when passive, to be so placed, fixed, or adorned. 2. To establish, fix, appoint, assign, prescribe, or determine. 3. To arrange, prepare, present, display, or put in order or array. 4. To direct, turn, or firmly apply the face, heart, eyes, mind, affection, or action toward something. 5. To start, advance, send out, proceed on a course or work, or make an attack, as in set forward, set forth, or set upon where those meanings apply. 6. To value or esteem; or, in set at nought or set light by, to despise. 7. Of the sun, to go down.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

forefront

↗

The front, foremost part, leading position, or side facing forward or toward the stated direction.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

battle

↗

1. Armed fighting or conflict between opposing forces; an engagement or warfare. 2. A battle line, array, or body of forces prepared or engaged for combat.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

smitten

↗

Struck, beaten, wounded, afflicted, plagued, defeated, killed, judged, or forcefully affected by a blow, weapon, disease, enemy, word, or divine act.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:16

COMBINED MEANING

pass

↗

To go by, through, over, or beyond; to happen, cease, or be transferred.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

observed

↗

Past-tense, participial, or adjectival form of observe. Sense 1: To watch, notice, behold, or take heed of. Sense 2: To keep, carefully perform, or comply with.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

place

↗

Sense 1: A physical location or room. Sense 2: A position or office. Sense 3: An occasion, circumstance, or passage. Sense 4: To set, fix, locate, or establish.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

knew

↗

Perceived, understood, recognized, or was acquainted with.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:17

COMBINED MEANING

out

↗

Outside, away from within, forth, absent, or no longer in a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

fell

↗

1. Came or went down; dropped, bowed, lay flat, collapsed, or lost an upright or raised place. 2. Was slain, died, was overthrown, or came under another's hand or power. 3. Came upon, seized, or affected someone or something, or entered a stated condition such as sickness, sleep, fear, lusting, or a trance. 4. Attacked or set upon. 5. Happened or came to pass. 6. Joined, yielded, went over, or departed from a person, side, office, or former standing. 7. Was assigned or determined by lot or portion. 8. As the present verb fell, to cut or bring down a tree or other standing thing.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

people

↗

Persons collectively; a nation, community, or group considered as a body.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:18

COMBINED MEANING

told

↗

Past-tense or past-participial form of tell (to say, relate, inform, count, or make known).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

war

↗

Sense 1: Armed conflict. Sense 2: As a verb, to fight or contend.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:19

COMBINED MEANING

charged

↗

Past-tense, past-participial, or adjectival form of charge. Sense 1: Commanded, enjoined, or solemnly required. Sense 2: Imputed, accused, or charged with a fault. Sense 3: Burdened with a payment, obligation, or liability. Sense 4: Entrusted or made responsible for a person, duty, or burden.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

hast

↗

Sense 1: Have: possess, hold, receive, or experience. Sense 2: Used as an auxiliary verb.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

made

↗

Formed, caused, prepared, appointed, or brought into a stated condition.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

end

↗

Sense 1: The last or concluding part, termination, or limit. Sense 2: A purpose or intended result. Sense 3: As a verb, to cease or bring to a close.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

telling

↗

Present-participial or verbal-noun form of tell (to speak, relate, count, declare, inform, or make known).

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

war

↗

Sense 1: Armed conflict. Sense 2: As a verb, to fight or contend.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

king

↗

A sovereign ruler; one exercising royal authority over a kingdom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:20

COMBINED MEANING

king

↗

A sovereign ruler; one exercising royal authority over a kingdom.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wrath

↗

Fierce anger, indignation, displeasure, rage, or the punitive judgment and destructive action that proceed from it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

arise

↗

1. To rise, stand, get up, or move upward from a lower, lying, seated, fallen, or inactive position. 2. To begin, emerge, appear, come into being, or come forward. 3. To take action, intervene, or undertake the stated work. 4. To rise from death; to return to life.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

say

↗

Sense 1: To speak, declare, tell, or express. Sense 2: What is said.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wherefore

↗

1. For that reason, or as a conclusion from what precedes; therefore or consequently. 2. For what reason or purpose; why.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

nigh

↗

Near or close in place, time, relationship, kinship, condition, access, or degree; approaching, drawing close, at hand, or almost.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

fight

↗

Sense 1: A battle, struggle, or contest. Sense 2: As a verb, to contend.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

knew

↗

Perceived, understood, recognized, or was acquainted with.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

shoot

↗

To send out; to push forth. To push out; to emit; to dart; to thrust forth.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wall

↗

Sense 1: A structure raised to enclose, divide, or defend a place. Sense 2: Figuratively, a defense or protection.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

DEFINED WORDS

2 Samuel 11:21

COMBINED MEANING

smote

↗

1. Struck or dealt a blow to a person or thing with a hand, weapon, instrument, object, or force. 2. Attacked, defeated, slew, destroyed, or devastated a person, army, city, people, or land. 3. Afflicted, injured, or visited with disease, plague, blindness, calamity, or judgment. 4. Of the heart, convicted, troubled, or reproved inwardly.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

son

↗

1. A male child or descendant. 2. One belonging to, related to, or characterized by the person, people, place, condition, or quality named.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

cast

↗

1. To throw, send, put, lay, or direct a person or thing into, upon, around, toward, or away from a place, or into a stated condition. 2. To put away, reject, expel, remove, overthrow, or bring down. 3. To put forth or use a lot for choosing, dividing, or assigning. 4. To form an object by pouring molten material into a mould. 5. To shed, drop, or bring forth young, fruit, leaves, or flowers. 6. To raise, form, or prepare a bank, mount, trench, or way. 7. In "cast ... in his teeth," to reproach or charge something against him. 8. As a noun, the distance something may be thrown.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

upon

↗

1. Marks the person, place, thing, or basis to which something is related: on or onto; above or over; toward or against as the target of action, speech, thought, attention, or force; resting on, assigned to, or affecting as a state, gift, burden, duty, guilt, or judgment; supported by or based on; or one placed, added, or repeated on or after another. 2. With a stated time or occasion, or a preceding event, at that time or point, or at or after that event: on, at, when, then, or following it.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

wall

↗

Sense 1: A structure raised to enclose, divide, or defend a place. Sense 2: Figuratively, a defense or protection.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

in

↗

1. A preposition marking position, presence, state, circumstance, manner, means, sphere, reference, relation, association, or participation. 2. As an adverb, inward, inside, or into the place or position referred to.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

ye

↗

The second-person plural subject pronoun, referring to the persons being addressed as those who are, do, or receive the stated predicate.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

nigh

↗

Near or close in place, time, relationship, kinship, condition, access, or degree; approaching, drawing close, at hand, or almost.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

say

↗

Sense 1: To speak, declare, tell, or express. Sense 2: What is said.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

thou

↗

The singular second-person subject pronoun, meaning you when directly addressing one person, being, or individually treated addressee.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references · Webster 1828

COMBINED MEANING

servant

↗

One who serves another; a worker, attendant, subject, bondservant, or appointed minister.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

COMBINED MEANING

dead

↗

Sense 1: Without life; deprived of life. Sense 2: Lifeless, inactive, insensible, or separated from a former state by figure.

Meaning drawn from: KJV context and cross-references

FOLLOW THE THEME

Related Concepts

Choose a connected KJV word or phrase to find where it appears in scripture.

READ BEFORE AND AFTER

Surrounding Verses

Nearby Scripture remains separate from the selected passage until you add it.

14¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15And 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.

Selected passage

16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

Selected passage

17And 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.

Selected passage

18¶ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

Selected passage

19And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

Selected passage

20And 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?

Selected passage

21Who 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.

Selected passage

22¶ So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

LOCAL PASTOR DIRECTORY

Find a Pastor Near You

Enter a U.S. ZIP code to find nearby pastors committed to holding fast the faithful word.

Your ZIP is processed in this browser from local data. It is not sent to a ZIP lookup service or to a church. ZIP coordinates from GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.