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Read the Bible

King James Version

2 Samuel 11:20

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?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Joab;   Lasciviousness;   Uriah;   Walls, of the Cities;   Thompson Chain Reference - David;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Sieges;   Walls;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Uriah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lie, Lying;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ammon, Ammonites;   Joab;   Marriage;   Samuel, Books of;   Uriah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Uriah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Bathsheba;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Nimrod;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Joab;   Samuel, Books of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
if the king’s anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall?
Hebrew Names Version
it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he tells you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?
Lexham English Bible
if the anger of the king rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you go near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from atop the wall?
English Standard Version
then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
New Century Version
After you finish, the king may be angry and ask, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the city wall?
New English Translation
if the king becomes angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn't you realize they would shoot from the wall?
Amplified Bible
then if the king becomes angry and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot [arrows] from the wall?
New American Standard Bible
then it shall be that if the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you move against the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
Geneva Bible (1587)
And if the kings anger arise, so that he say vnto thee, Wherefore approched ye vnto the citie to fight? knewe ye not that they would hurle from the wall?
Legacy Standard Bible
and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you approach the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
Contemporary English Version
he may get angry and ask, "Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?
Complete Jewish Bible
he may become angry and ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?
Darby Translation
and if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say to thee, Why did ye go so near to the city to fight? did ye not know that they would shoot from the wall?
Easy-to-Read Version
"The king might get upset and ask, ‘Why did Joab's army go that close to the city to fight? Surely he knows that there are men on the city walls who can shoot arrows down at his men?
George Lamsa Translation
And if the kings wrath rise and he say to you, Why did you approach so near to the city to fight against it? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
Good News Translation
he may get angry and ask you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight them? Didn't you realize that they would shoot arrows from the walls?
Literal Translation
then it shall be, if the king's fury rises, and he says to you, Why did you draw near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from off the wall?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and seist that he is wroth, and yf the kynge saye vnto the: Wherfore came ye so nye the cite with the batayll? Knowe ye not how they vse to shute from the wall?
American Standard Version
it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
Bible in Basic English
If the king is angry and says, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
If the kinges anger aryse, and he say vnto thee, wherfore approched ye so nye vnto the citie when ye did fight? wyst ye not that they would hurle and shoote from the wall?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee: Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
King James Version (1611)
And if so be that the kings wrath arise, and hee say vnto thee, Wherefore approched ye so nigh vnto the city when yee did fight? Knew yee not that they would shoot from the wall?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall?
English Revised Version
it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
Berean Standard Bible
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?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
if thou seest, that he is wrooth, and seith, Whi neiyiden ye to the wal to fiyte? whether ye wisten not, that many dartis ben sent `fro aboue fro the wal?
Young's Literal Translation
then, it hath been, if the king's fury ascend, and he hath said to thee, Wherefore did ye draw nigh unto the city to fight? did ye not know that they shoot from off the wall?
Update Bible Version
it shall be that, if the king's wrath arises, and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?
Webster's Bible Translation
And if the king's wrath shall rise, and he shall say to thee, Why approached ye so nigh to the city for the fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
World English Bible
it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he tells you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?
New King James Version
if it happens that the king's wrath rises, and he says to you: "Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
New Living Translation
But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls?
New Life Bible
the king might become angry. He might say to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
New Revised Standard
then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
then shall it be, if the king's anger arise, and he say unto thee, Why came ye near unto the city, to fight? Knew ye not, that they would shoot from off the wall?
Douay-Rheims Bible
If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above off the wall?
Revised Standard Version
then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

Contextual Overview

14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 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. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 17 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. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, 20 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? 21 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. 22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. 23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Luke 3:35
Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if so be that the king's wrath arise,.... Which might be seen in his countenance, or expressed in his words:

and he say, wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? as to expose the king's troops to the enemy on the wall, who by stones or darts greatly annoyed them, or sallied out on them, and killed many of them:

knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? they must have known that, and therefore should have kept out of the reach of their shot.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 11:20. If - the king's wrath arise — It is likely that Joab had by some indiscretion suffered loss about this time; and he contrived to get rid of the odium by connecting the transaction with the death of Uriah, which he knew would be so pleasing to the king.


 
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