2 Samuel 11:1

Contextual Overview

¹ And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [to battle], that David sent Joab, and his slaves with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. ¹ In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. ¹ And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [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 at Jerusalem. ¹ In the spring, when the kings normally went out to war, David sent out Joab, his servants, and all the Israelites. They destroyed the Ammonites and attacked the city of Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. ¹ In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. ¹ And it came to pass, after the year had 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 destroyed Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. ¹ It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out [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 stayed at Jerusalem. ¹Then it happened in the spring, at the time when the kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all [the fighting men of] Israel, and they destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.¹ In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. ¹ Forsothe it was doon, whanne the yeer turnede ayen in that tyme wherynne kyngis ben wont to go forth to batels, Dauid sente Joab, and with hym hise seruauntis, and al Israel; and thei distrieden the sones of Amon, and bisegiden Rabath; forsothe Dauid dwellide in Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2969, bc 1035, An, Ex, Is, 456

after the year: etc. Heb. at the return of the year. 1 Kings 20:22, 1 Kings 20:26, 2 Chronicles 36:10, Ecclesiastes 3:8

at the time: The sacred historian seems to intimate that there was one particular time of the year to which military operations were limited; and Josephus informs us that this took place in the beginning of spring. In another part of his works he says, that as soon as spring was begun, Adad levied and led forth his army against the Hebrews. Antiochus also prepared to invade Judea at the first appearance of spring; and Vespasian marched to Antipatris at the commencement of the same season. The kings and armies of the East, says Chardin, do not march but when there is grass, and when they can encamp, which is in April. This rule, however, seems to be disregarded in modern times.

David sent: 1 Chronicles 20:1, Zechariah 14:3

Rabbah: 2 Samuel 12:26, Deuteronomy 3:11, 1 Chronicles 20:1, Ezekiel 21:20

Reciprocal: Joshua 13:25 - Rabbah 1 Samuel 18:30 - went forth 2 Samuel 12:27 - Rabbah Psalms 60:9 - strong city Jeremiah 49:2 - her daughters

Cross-References

Isaiah 19:18
At that time there will be five cities in Egypt where people speak Hebrew. One of these cities will be named "Destruction City." The people in these cities will promise to follow the Lord All-Powerful.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day five of Egypt's cities will follow the Lord of Heaven's Armies. They will even begin to speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan. One of these cities will be Heliopolis, the City of the Sun.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to Yahweh of hosts; one shall be called The City of the Sun.

Isaiah 19:18
At that time five cities in Egypt will speak Hebrew, the language of Canaan, and they will promise to be loyal to the Lord All-Powerful. One of these cities will be named the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
At that time five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord who commands armies. One will be called the City of the Sun.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan, and swear to Yahweh of hosts; one shall be called The city of destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of [the Hebrews of] Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One [of them] will be called the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts. One of these will be called the City of Destruction.

Isaiah 19:18
In that dai fyue citees schulen be in the lond of Egipt, and schulen speke with the tunge of Canaan, and schulen swere bi the Lord of oostis; the citee of the sunne schal be clepid oon.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, that after the year was expired,.... Or at the end of the year, as the Targum, which concluded with the month Adar or February, the spring of the year:

at the time when kings go forth [to battle]; in the month Nisan, as the Targum on 1 Chronicles 20:1; adds, the same with Abib, which was the first month of the year, Exodus 12:2, a fit time to go out to war; when, as the Jewish commentators observe, the rains were over, and there were grass in the fields, and fruit on the trees, and corn ripe, and so food for horse and men. This month was called Nisan, as some think d, from

נסים, the military banners then erected; so by the Romans it is called Martius, and by us March, from Mars, the god of war; though some e take this to be the month Tisri, answering to part of September, and part of October, when all the fruits of the earth were gathered in, and supposed to be a fit time for war, when the heat of the year was declining:

that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; his whole army under Joab as general; in 1 Chronicles 20:1; it is "the power of the army"; the whole body of it: and they destroyed the children of Ammon; burnt their cities, and slew the inhabitants of them, and laid their land waste wherever they came:

and besieged Rabbah; their chief city, called Rabathamana by Polybius f, that is, Rabbah of Ammon, and afterwards. Philadelphia, from Philadelphus, king of Egypt, as it was in the times of Jerom g:

but David tarried still at Jerusalem; which is observed for the sake of the following history; it would have been well for him if he had gone forth with the army himself, then the sin he fell into would have been prevented.

d Vid. Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 2. c. 50. col. 557. e Weemse of the Judicial Law, c. 28. p. 106. f Hist. l. 5. p. 414. g De loc. Heb. fol. 94. C.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

After the year was expired - The next spring after the escape of the Ammonites into their city 2 Samuel 10:14.

The children of Ammon - The marginal reference supplies the word “the land of,” which is obviously the right reading.

David tarried at Jerusalem - The Syrians being subdued, the war with Ammon was not of sufficient moment to require David’s personal presence. The whole section relating to David’s adultery and Uriah’s death, from this verse to 2 Samuel 12:26, is omitted in the Book of Chronicles.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XI

David sends Joab against the Ammonites, who besieges the city

of Rabbah, 1.

He sees Bath-sheba, the wife of Uriah, bathing; is enamoured of

her; sends for and takes her to his bed, 24.

She conceives, and informs David, 5.

David sends to Joab, and orders him to send to him Uriah, 6.

He arrives; and David having inquired the state of the army,

dismisses him, desiring him to go to his own house, 7, 8.

Uriah sleeps at the door of the king's house, 9.

The next day the king urges him to go to his house; but he

refuses to go, and gives the most pious and loyal reasons

for his refusal, 10-11.

David after two days sends him back to the army, with a letter

to Joab, desiring him to place Uriah in the front of the

battle, that he may be slain, 12-15.

He does so; and Uriah falls, 16, 17.

Joab communicates this news in an artful message to David,

18-25.

David sends for Bath-sheba and takes her to wife, and she bears

him a son, 26, 27.

NOTES ON CHAP. XI

Verse 2 Samuel 11:1. When kings go forth — This was about a year after the war with the Syrians spoken of before, and about the spring of the year, as the most proper season for military operations. Calmet thinks they made two campaigns, one in autumn and the other in spring; the winter being in many respects inconvenient, and the summer too hot.