2 Samuel 11:21

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?

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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth ? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
KJV: 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.
WEB: Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
ASV: who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
DARBY: Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why did ye go near the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also.
BLB: Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast on him a piece of a millstone from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you⁺ go near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”

ÅB: Hvem var det som drepte Abimelek, Jerubbesets sønn? Var det ikke en kvinne som kastet en kvernsten ned på ham fra muren i Tebes, så han døde? Hvorfor gikk dere så nær inn til muren? - så skal du si: Også din tjener hetitten Uria er død.
OTB: Hvem slo Abimelek, sønn av Jerubbeset? Kastet ikke en kvinne en øvre kvernstein på ham fra muren så han døde i Tebes? Hvorfor gikk dere så nær muren?' — da skal du si, 'Din tjener Uria hetitten er også død.'"
B1930: Hvem var det som drepte Abimelek, Jerubbesets sønn? Var det ikke en kvinne som kastet en kvernsten ned på ham fra muren i Tebes, så han døde? Hvorfor gikk I så nær inn til muren? - så skal du si: Også din tjener hetitten Uria er død.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Judges 9:50–54
Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.
Read in context
Judges 7:1
Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:27
And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
Read in context
Judges 6:32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Read in context
2 Samuel 3:34
Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the people wept again over him.
Read in context
Isaiah 14:10
All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
Read in context
Ezekiel 16:51–52
Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.
Read in context
Psalms 39:8
Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
Read in context