2 Samuel 11:14
New International Version
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

New Living Translation
So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.

English Standard Version
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Berean Standard Bible
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

King James Bible
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

New King James Version
In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

New American Standard Bible
So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

NASB 1995
Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

NASB 1977
Now it came about in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Amplified Bible
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

Christian Standard Bible
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

American Standard Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Contemporary English Version
Early the next morning, David wrote a letter and told Uriah to deliver it to Joab.

English Revised Version
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

Good News Translation
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.

International Standard Version
The next morning, David sent a message to Joab that Uriah took with him in his hand.

Majority Standard Bible
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

NET Bible
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

New Heart English Bible
It happened in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

World English Bible
In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass in the morning that David writes a letter to Joab and sends [it] by the hand of Uriah;

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah;

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be in the morning, and David will write a letter to Joab, and send by the hand of Uriah.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, when morning arrived, David wrote a letter to Joab. And he sent it by the hand of Uriah,

New American Bible
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah.

New Revised Standard Version
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And in the morning. David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And at dawn David wrote a letter to Yuab, and he sent it by the hand of Uriah
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Arranges Uriah's Death
14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”…

Cross References
2 Samuel 12:9
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 21:8-10
Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. / In the letters she wrote: “Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people. / But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

Psalm 51:1-4
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. / Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. / For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ...

Genesis 4:8
Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Jeremiah 36:23-25
And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire. / Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments. / Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

Matthew 27:3-5
When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. / “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” / So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

Acts 5:1-10
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. / With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. / Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ...

James 1:14-15
But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. / Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: / haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, / a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, ...

Isaiah 59:7
Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.

Matthew 5:21-22
You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ / But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.

Mark 7:21-23
For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, / greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. / All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”


Treasury of Scripture

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

1 Kings 21:8-10
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth…

Psalm 19:13
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Psalm 52:2
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

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David Hand Joab Jo'ab Letter Morning Uriah Uri'ah Urijah Writeth Wrote
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2 Samuel 11
1. While Joab besieges Rabbah, David commits adultery with Bathsheba
6. Uriah, sent for by David to cover the adultery, would not go home.
14. He carries to Joab the letter of his death
18. Joab sends the news thereof to David
26. David takes Bathsheba as his wife














The next morning
This phrase indicates a sense of immediacy and urgency in David's actions. The Hebrew root for "morning" is "בֹּקֶר" (boqer), which often signifies a new beginning or a fresh start. However, in this context, it is laden with irony, as David's actions are not leading to a righteous new beginning but rather to a deeper entanglement in sin. Historically, mornings were times for kings to make decisions and judgments, yet here David uses it to further his deceit.

David wrote a letter
The act of writing a letter in ancient times was significant, as it was a formal and deliberate action. The Hebrew word for "wrote" is "כָּתַב" (katav), which implies a permanent record. This letter was not just a casual note but a calculated directive. David, a man after God's own heart, is now using his God-given wisdom and authority to orchestrate a plan that is contrary to God's will. This highlights the tragic misuse of power and the moral decline that can occur when one turns away from God's guidance.

to Joab
Joab, the commander of David's army, is a complex figure in the biblical narrative. His name in Hebrew, "יוֹאָב" (Yoav), means "Yahweh is father," which is ironic given his involvement in this plot. Joab's loyalty to David is unquestionable, yet his moral compass is often swayed by the king's commands. This relationship underscores the theme of loyalty versus righteousness, as Joab becomes complicit in David's sin.

and sent it with Uriah
The choice to send the letter with Uriah himself is a poignant detail. Uriah, whose name means "Yahweh is my light," is unknowingly carrying his own death warrant. This act of betrayal is profound, as Uriah is one of David's mighty men, a trusted warrior. The historical context of honor and loyalty among soldiers makes David's actions even more reprehensible. Uriah's unwitting role in this scheme highlights the tragic consequences of sin, not only for the sinner but also for the innocent.

(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.

Verse 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.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The next morning
בַבֹּ֔קֶר (ḇab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

David
דָּוִ֛ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

wrote
וַיִּכְתֹּ֥ב (way·yiḵ·tōḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3789: To grave, to write

a letter
סֵ֖פֶר (sê·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5612: A missive, document, writing, book

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Joab
יוֹאָ֑ב (yō·w·’āḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3097: Joab -- 'the LORD is father', three Israelites

and sent
וַיִּשְׁלַ֖ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

it with Uriah.
אוּרִיָּֽה׃ (’ū·rî·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 223: Uriah -- 'flame of Yah', the name of a Hittite and of two Israelites


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OT History: 2 Samuel 11:14 It happened in the morning that David (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 11:13
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