In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
Parallel translations
- WEB In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
- KJV And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
- BSB The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
- NASB So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
- NLT So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David writes Joab a letter and sends it by Uriah's own hand. The victim unknowingly carries his own death sentence.
Overview
Unable to hide the sin, David resolves to remove Uriah by arranging his death. The chilling detail that Uriah delivers his own death warrant underscores his innocence and David's treachery. Adultery has now hardened into premeditated murder.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?
- 1 Kgs 21:8–10So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, who lived with Naboth.
- Jer 9:1–4Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Ps 52:2Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- Ps 19:13Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.
- Mic 7:3–5Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
- Ps 62:9Surely men of low degree are just a breath, and men of high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up. They are together lighter than a breath.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 11:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.