2 Samuel 11:25
New International Version
David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

New Living Translation
“Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”

English Standard Version
David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

King James Bible
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

New King James Version
Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”

New American Standard Bible
Then David said to the messenger, “This is what you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; fight with determination against the city and overthrow it’; and thereby encourage him.”

NASB 1995
Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it’ and so encourage him.”

NASB 1977
Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it’; and so encourage him.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing be evil in your sight, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and tear it down’; and so strengthen him.”

Amplified Bible
Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab this, ‘Do not let this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one [side] as well as another. Strengthen your battle against the city and overthrow it’; and so encourage Joab.”

Christian Standard Bible
David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”

American Standard Version
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to the Messenger: “Say to Yuab, “Do not let it be evil in your eyes concerning this or that, just so it happens in battle. Strengthen the battle against the city and take it and overthrow it!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.

Contemporary English Version
David replied, "Tell Joab to cheer up and not to be upset about what happened. You never know who will be killed in a war. Tell him to strengthen his attack against the city and break through its walls."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against The city, and exhort them that thou mayest overthrow it.

English Revised Version
Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David said to the messenger, "This is what you are to say to Joab, 'Don't let this thing trouble you, because a sword can kill one person as easily as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and destroy it.' Say this to encourage him."

Good News Translation
David said to the messenger, "Encourage Joab and tell him not to be upset, since you never can tell who will die in battle. Tell him to launch a stronger attack on the city and capture it."

International Standard Version
David responded to the messenger, "Here's what you're to tell Joab: 'Don't be troubled by this incident, because the battle sword consumes one or another from time to time. Consolidate your attack against the city and conquer it.' Be sure to encourage him."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Then David said unto the messenger: 'Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth in one manner or another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage thou him.'

Literal Standard Version
And David says to the messenger, “Thus you say to Joab, Do not let this thing be evil in your eyes; for thus and thus the sword devours; strengthen your warfare against the city, and throw it down; so you strengthen him.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

New American Bible
David said to the messenger: “This is what you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this be a great evil in your sight, for the sword devours now here and now there. Strengthen your attack on the city and destroy it.’ Encourage him.”

NET Bible
David said to the messenger, "Tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.' Encourage him with these words."

New Revised Standard Version
David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; press your attack on the city, and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

New Heart English Bible
Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall tell Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.' Encourage him."

Webster's Bible Translation
Then David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

World English Bible
Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto the messenger, 'Thus dost thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing be evil in thine eyes; for thus and thus doth the sword devour; strengthen thy warfare against the city, and throw it down -- and strengthen thou him.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
David Arranges Uriah's Death
24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.” 25Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

Cross References
2 Samuel 11:24
Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well."

2 Samuel 11:26
When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.


Treasury of Scripture

Then David said to the messenger, Thus shall you say to Joab, Let not this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another: make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage you him.

Joshua 7:8,9
O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! …

1 Samuel 6:9
And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

Ecclesiastes 9:1-3,11,12
For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them…

one [heb] so and such

make

2 Samuel 12:26
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

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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














(25) One as well as another.--While David's reply to Joab is ostensibly to encourage him, on the ground that the mishap was a mere accident of war, it is yet couched in such language as to imply a special regret for the loss of Uriah. "One as well as another," i.e., "though Uriah was a brave hero whom we could ill spare, yet in the fortune of war we cannot choose who shall fall. Notwithstanding this loss, let Joab go on with a good heart."

Verse 25. - Let not this thing displease thee. David professes to be satisfied with Joab's apology, and bids him, if the war is in the main going on prosperously, not to be too much distressed at a temporary reverse. As for Uriah's death, of course it is to be regretted, but such is the fortune of war, and the sword devours now one and now another. The last words, encourage thou him, have provoked comment, as though the messenger was to aid and abet Joab. They simply mean "Give him a message of encouragement from me," the exact form of which is left to the messenger, but of which his report would be that the king wished Joab to take courage.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

told
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

the messenger,
הַמַּלְאָ֗ךְ (ham·mal·’āḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

“Say
תֹאמַ֤ר (ṯō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

this
כֹּֽה־ (kōh-)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

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

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

‘Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

let this
הַזֶּ֔ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

matter
הַדָּבָ֣ר (had·dā·ḇār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

upset
יֵרַ֤ע (yê·ra‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

you,
בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ (bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

for
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the sword
הֶחָ֑רֶב (he·ḥā·reḇ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

devours
תֹּאכַ֣ל (tō·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

one
וְכָזֶ֖ה (wə·ḵā·zeh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

as well as another.
כָזֹ֥ה (ḵā·zōh)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2090: This, that

Strengthen
הַחֲזֵ֨ק (ha·ḥă·zêq)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer

your attack
מִלְחַמְתְּךָ֧ (mil·ḥam·tə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

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

the city
הָעִ֛יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

and demolish it.�
וְהָרְסָ֖הּ (wə·hā·rə·sāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2040: To pull down, in pieces, break, & destroy

Encourage him [with these words].�
וְחַזְּקֵֽהוּ׃ (wə·ḥaz·zə·qê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2388: To fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer


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OT History: 2 Samuel 11:25 Then David said to the messenger Thus (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 11:24
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