2 Samuel 11:19

Verse

and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,

American Standard Version (1901)

and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,

Bible in Basic English

And he gave orders to the man who took the news, saying, After you have given the king all the news about the war,

Douay-Rheims 1899

And he charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast told all the words of the battle to the king,

Free Bible Version

He ordered the messenger, saying, “When you've finished telling the king all about the battle,

Geneva Bible 1599

And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an ende of telling all the matters of the warre vnto the King,

King James (Authorized) Version

And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

Translation for Translators

He said to the messenger, “Tell David the news about the battle. After you finish telling that to him,

Unlocked Literal Bible

he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

Noah Webster Bible

And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king,

World English Bible

and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

Young's Literal Translation

and commandeth the messenger, saying, 'At thy finishing all the matters of the war to speak unto the king,

Context

David Arranges Uriah’s Death

¹⁸Joab sent to David a full account of the battle¹⁹and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,²⁰if 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?

Summary

In this verse, we see the tragic account of Uriah the Hittite, who displayed unwavering loyalty and integrity by refusing to enjoy the comforts of home while his fellow soldiers were in battle. His commitment to duty and honor stands in stark contrast to the deceitful and dishonorable actions of King David, who orchestrated Uriah's death to cover up his own sin. This passage serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of maintaining integrity and righteousness in all circumstances.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And charged the messenger,.... Gave him a particular direction and instruction what he should say at the close of his narrative, according as he should observe the king's countenance to be: saying, when thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king; giving an account of all the events that happened since the siege was begun to that time.