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.

2 SAMUEL 11:21KJV
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2 Samuel 11:21 (KJV)

What does 2 Samuel 11:21 mean?

2 Samuel 11:21 recalls a story from Israel’s history where Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth, was killed when a woman threw a piece of a millstone from a city wall, warning against approaching too close to enemy walls in battle. The verse ends with the messenger being told to report that Uriah the Hittite is also dead, linking this warning to the recent death of Uriah.

This verse is part of a message Joab sends to David after Uriah’s death in battle. Joab anticipates that David might be angry about the risky tactics used, so he reminds the messenger of Abimelech’s fate as a cautionary example. The mention of Uriah’s death is meant to soften David’s reaction, since Uriah’s death was David’s hidden objective.

The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 11:21

  • "smote" (נָכָה, nakhah): This word means to strike or kill. Here, it refers to the fatal blow Abimelech received, emphasizing the unexpected way he died.
  • "cast" (שָׁלַךְ, shalak): This word means to throw or hurl. The verse highlights that it was a woman who threw the millstone, underlining the shame and unexpectedness of Abimelech’s death.
  • "millstone" (רֵכֶב, rekhev): This refers to a heavy stone used for grinding grain. The detail adds to the humiliation of Abimelech’s death, as he was killed not by a warrior, but by a household object wielded by a woman.
  • "Uriah" (אוּרִיָּה, Uriyyah): Naming Uriah the Hittite specifically connects the historical warning to the current event, showing that his death was not accidental but orchestrated.

Why 2 Samuel 11:21 matters

  • This verse clarifies that approaching city walls in ancient warfare was extremely dangerous, as defenders could easily attack from above, sometimes in unexpected ways.
  • The reference to Abimelech’s death serves as a historical lesson, showing that even great warriors can fall due to carelessness or underestimating their enemy.
  • The verse reveals Joab’s awareness of David’s intentions regarding Uriah, exposing the manipulation and moral compromise behind the military report.

Where else these words appear

“Thebez” Hebrew H8405 · used in 2 verses

  • Judges 9:50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it.

“piece” Hebrew H6400 · used in 6 verses

  • Judges 9:53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull.
  • 1 Samuel 30:12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
  • Song of Solomon 4:3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

“Uriah” Hebrew H223 · used in 33 verses

  • 2 Samuel 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
  • 2 Samuel 11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
  • 2 Kings 16:15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

“Hittite” Hebrew H2850 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
  • Numbers 13:29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.
  • 2 Samuel 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.