2 Samuel 11:20

if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Joab speaks to his messenger during the siege of Rabbah, anticipating King David’s reaction to the report of Uriah’s death. The words — חֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ (cha.Mat ha.Melekh) translates to “anger of the king,” while נִגַּשְׁתֶּם (ni.gash.Tem) means “did you draw near,” framing the king’s potential wrath around tactical recklessness. The thread — The narrative thread of royal anger and siege survival runs through 2 Samuel 11:19–21 and mirrors the pattern of David’s later household violence in 2 Samuel 13:21. Why it lands — The text demands recognition that Joab’s instructions treat the messenger as a tool to deflect blame, forcing the reader to confront how authority manipulates truth to survive accountability.

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

וְהָיָ֗הve./ha.Yahand/ it will be אִֽם־'im-if תַּעֲלֶה֙ta.'a.Lehit will rise חֲמַ֣תcha.Mat[the] anger of הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king וְאָמַ֣רve./'a.Marand/ he will sayלְךָ֔le./Khato <the>/ youמַדּ֛וּעַma.Du.a'why?נִגַּשְׁתֶּ֥םni.gash.Temdid you draw near אֶל־'el-to הָעִ֖ירha./'Irthe/ city לְהִלָּחֵ֑םle./hi.la.Chemto/ fight הֲל֣וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not יְדַעְתֶּ֔םye.da'.Temdid you know אֵ֥ת'et<obj.>אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-this:יֹר֖וּyo.Ruthey will shoot מֵעַ֥לme./'Alfrom/ on הַחוֹמָֽה׃ha./cho.Mahthe/ wall

King James Version

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?