And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
The verse stands in the account of David's murder of Uriah by the hand of Joab. David made Uriah the bearer of his own death-warrant, sending by his hand a letter commanding Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him so that he would be smitten and die. Joab, already stained with the guilt of one wanton murder, obeyed without hesitation, and Uriah fell by the sword of the children of Ammon.
At this time David had departed from God and yielded himself to the wicked one, becoming for the time the agent of Satan while still holding the position and authority God had given him. His power as ruler was given by God to be exercised only in harmony with divine law, but he used it to command what was contrary to God's law and to claim an obedience that would imperil the soul of him who yielded it, so that it became sin to obey. Joab obeyed because his allegiance was given to the king rather than to God, and so he transgressed God's law because the king had commanded it.
Joab then sent a report in words carefully chosen not to implicate himself or the king. The messenger told David all that Joab had sent him, including that Uriah the Hittite was dead also. David answered that the sword devours one as well as another, and commanded that Joab be told to make the battle stronger against the city and overthrow it, and to be encouraged.
The verse stands in the account of David's murder of Uriah by the hand of Joab. David made Uriah the bearer of his own death-warrant, sending by his hand a letter commanding Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him so that he would be smitten and die. Joab, already stained with the guilt of one wanton murder, obeyed without hesitation, and Uriah fell by the sword of the children of Ammon.
At this time David had departed from God and yielded himself to the wicked one, becoming for the time the agent of Satan while still holding the position and authority God had given him. His power as ruler was given by God to be exercised only in harmony with divine law, but he used it to command what was contrary to God's law and to claim an obedience that would imperil the soul of him who yielded it, so that it became sin to obey. Joab obeyed because his allegiance was given to the king rather than to God, and so he transgressed God's law because the king had commanded it.
Joab then sent a report in words carefully chosen not to implicate himself or the king. The messenger told David all that Joab had sent him, including that Uriah the Hittite was dead also. David answered that the sword devours one as well as another, and commanded that Joab be told to make the battle stronger against the city and overthrow it, and to be encouraged.