KJV ORIGINAL
And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
In the letter, David wrote: 'Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then pull back from him so he'll be struck down and killed.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse shows David deliberately arranging for Uriah's death in battle to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes after David committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, and she became pregnant. When David's attempts to get Uriah to sleep with his wife failed (so the child would appear to be Uriah's), David resorted to murder by proxy. He wrote this letter to Joab, his military commander, and had Uriah himself carry the sealed letter that contained his own death sentence.
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