2 Samuel 11:21

2 Samuel 11:21 Meaning and Explanation

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.

King James Version (KJV)

Read this verse in context with translation switching:

Read Full Chapter →

Joab recalls Abimelech's death at a wall and tells the messenger to add that Uriah is dead.

What Does 2 Samuel 11:21 Mean?

Joab invokes an old cautionary tale: Abimelech, killed when a woman dropped a millstone on him from a wall at Thebez. If David recalls that lesson and grows angry, the messenger is simply to add, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

The death of a loyal man is reduced to a closing line, a fact slipped in to soothe a king's temper. So sin treats persons as problems to be solved and lives as details to be managed. Yet in God's sight Uriah is no afterthought; the faithful soldier whom the world adds at the end of a sentence is held first in the heart of the Lord, who numbers the innocent and forgets none of them.

Frequently Asked Questions About 2 Samuel 11:21

What does 2 Samuel 11:21 mean?

Joab recalls Abimelech's death at a wall and tells the messenger to add that Uriah is dead.

Keep Studying 2 Samuel 11

Read the whole chapter in KJV, ASV, or WEB, or go deeper with the chapter study guide and key themes.