The Meaning of 2 Samuel 11:23 Explained

2 Samuel 11:23

KJV: 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.

YLT: and the messenger saith unto David, 'Surely the men have been mighty against us, and come out unto us into the field, and we are upon them unto the opening of the gate,

Darby: And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out against us into the field, and we were upon them as far as the entrance of the gate.

ASV: And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 11:23 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 11:14-27 - Adding Blood-Guiltiness To Adultery
Joab must have smiled grimly to himself when he received his master's letter. "This king of ours can sing psalms with the best, but I have to do his dirty work. He wants to rid himself of Uriah-I wonder why? Well, I'll help him to it. At any rate, he will not be able to talk to me about Abner!" 2 Samuel 3:27. It is an awful thing when the servants of God give the enemy such occasion to blaspheme.
Uriah was set in the battle-line and left to die. The king was duly notified and, on hearing the news, must have given a sigh of relief. The child could be born under cover of lawful wedlock. There was, however, a fatal flaw in the whole arrangement: The thing that David had done displeased the Lord. David and the world would hear of it again. But, oh, the bitter sorrow, that he who had spoken of walking in his house with a perfect heart, who had so great a faculty for divine fellowship, should have fallen into this double sin! The psalmist, king, lover of God-all trampled in the mud by one passionate act of self-indulgence! [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 11:23 mean?

And said the messenger to David indeed prevailed against us the men and came out to us in the field then we drove back them as far as the entrance of the gate
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמַּלְאָךְ֙ אֶל־ דָּוִ֔ד כִּֽי־ גָבְר֤וּ עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיֵּצְא֥וּ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַנִּהְיֶ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עַד־ פֶּ֥תַח הַשָּֽׁעַר

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הַמַּלְאָךְ֙  the  messenger 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
דָּוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
כִּֽי־  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
גָבְר֤וּ  prevailed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: גָּבַר  
Sense: to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great.
עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙  against  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים  the  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וַיֵּצְא֥וּ  and  came  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אֵלֵ֖ינוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
וַנִּהְיֶ֥ה  then  we  drove  back 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
פֶּ֥תַח  the  entrance 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
הַשָּֽׁעַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.

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