Bible Strands
2 Samuel 11:1
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the opening of the campaign season when kings normally lead armies, noting that David delegated command to Joab and the Israelite forces while he stayed in Jerusalem.
The words — The phrase לִ/תְשׁוּבַ֨ת הַ/שָּׁנָ֜ה (li/t.shu.Vat ha./sha.Nah) literally means "the return of the year," marking the agricultural cycle. This temporal marker is coupled with לְ/עֵ֣ת צֵ֣את (le./'Et tzet), "to the time of going out," which denotes the established season for royal military mobilization.
The thread — The identical seasonal warfare formula appears in 1 Chronicles 20:1 and 1 Kings 20:26. These passages use the same chronological marker to frame the beginning of distinct royal campaigns.
Why it lands — The text states a factual contrast between the expected royal duty of leading troops and David's choice to remain in the capital. This setup requires the reader to recognize the departure from standard kingship protocol before the narrative records David's subsequent actions.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 20:1 In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.
- 1 Kings 20:26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
- 1 Kings 20:22 Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
- 2 Chronicles 36:10 In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned Jehoiachin and brought him to Babylon, along with the articles of value from the house of the LORD. And he made Jehoiachin’s relative Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
- Ecclesiastes 3:8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
- Deuteronomy 3:11 (For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
- Ezekiel 21:20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 12:26 Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
- Zechariah 14:3 Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle.