2nd Samuel Chapter 11 verse 14 Holy Bible
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
read chapter 11 in ASV
Now in the morning, David gave Uriah a letter to take to Joab.
read chapter 11 in BBE
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Urijah.
read chapter 11 in DARBY
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
read chapter 11 in KJV
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
read chapter 11 in WBT
It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
read chapter 11 in WEB
And it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah;
read chapter 11 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 14. - David wrote a letter. David now uses the knowledge he had acquired in the schools of the prophets for vicious purposes. For it to be a blessing, knowledge must be sanctified to holy use. The letter would conceal from Joab the truth, and only let him know that Uriah, during his visit to Jerusalem, had incurred the king's serious displeasure; and we may be quite sure that Joab would be very indignant when he learned, as he certainly soon would, that David had made him his tool, and caused him to murder one of "the mighties" in order to cover the shame of his adultery. The only fair side of the picture is that it shews the high state of morality among the people. The crimes of kings and great men are usually lightly pardoned, and especially that of adultery. Even in our own and other Christian countries this is the case; but David has to resort to extreme measures rather than face the indignation of his subjects. Unfortunately, the shedding of blood was not looked upon with equal horror. Possibly the leaving it to the relatives to requite it made the suppression of murder the business, not of the state, but of "the avenger of blood." At all events, Joab without much compunction carries out David's orders, caring to know no more than that Uriah was out of favour. And what is more extraordinary, David remains utterly callous for a whole twelvemonth (see 2 Samuel 12:15), and his conscience does not even smite him for the additional meanness of sending the order for Uriah's murder by the hand of the injured man himself.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(14) Sent it by the hand of Uriah.--The brave soldier is made the bearer of his own death-warrant, and his well-known valour for his king is to be the means of accomplishing his destruction, to relieve that king of the consequences of his crime, which also involved a great wrong to himself. No reason is given to Joab for this order, but as a loyal and somewhat unscrupulous general he obeys without question.
