The Meaning of 2 Samuel 11:1 Explained

2 Samuel 11:1

KJV: And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at the revolution of the year -- at the time of the going out of the messengers -- that David sendeth Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroy the Bene-Ammon, and lay siege against Rabbah. And David is dwelling in Jerusalem,

Darby: And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they laid waste the land of the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David abode at Jerusalem.

ASV: And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle , that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, after the year  was expired,  at the time  when kings  go forth  [to battle], that David  sent  Joab,  and his servants  with him, and all Israel;  and they destroyed  the children  of Ammon,  and besieged  Rabbah.  But David  tarried still  at Jerusalem. 

What does 2 Samuel 11:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 11:1-13 - Giving Rein To Self-Indulgence
This was not an isolated sin. For some time, backsliding had been eating out David's heart. The cankerworm takes its toll before the noble tree crashes to the ground. See Psalms 51:8. Joab and his brave soldiers were in the thick of a great conflict. Rabbah was being besieged and had not fallen. It was a time when kings went out to battle, but David tarried at home. It was a fatal lethargy. If the king had been in his place, this sin would never have besmirched his character.
A look, as in Eve's case, opened the door to the devil. "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity." However great our attainments and however high our standing, we are all liable to attack and failure; but when we abide in Christ, no weapon that hell can forge can hurt us. When we have sinned, our only safety is in instant confession. This David delayed for a year and till forced to it. He was more eager to evade the consequences than to deal with his transgression. Sober David was far worse, here, than drunken Uriah. The singular self-restraint of the soldier threw the sin of the king into terrible and disgraceful prominence. [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 11:1 mean?

And it happened in the spring of the year at the time when go out [to battle] kings that sent David - Joab and his servants with him all Israel and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged on Rabbah But David remained at Jerusalem -
וַיְהִי֩ לִתְשׁוּבַ֨ת הַשָּׁנָ֜ה לְעֵ֣ת ׀ צֵ֣את הַמַּלְאֿכִ֗ים‪‬ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח דָּוִ֡ד אֶת־ יוֹאָב֩ וְאֶת־ עֲבָדָ֨יו עִמּ֜וֹ כָּל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וַיַּשְׁחִ֙תוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיָּצֻ֖רוּ עַל־ רַבָּ֑ה וְדָוִ֖ד יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם ס

וַיְהִי֩  And  it  happened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִתְשׁוּבַ֨ת  in  the  spring 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּשׁוּבָה  
Sense: a recurrence, an answer, return.
הַשָּׁנָ֜ה  of  the  year 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
לְעֵ֣ת ׀  at  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
צֵ֣את  when  go  out  [to  battle] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
הַמַּלְאֿכִ֗ים‪‬  kings 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח  that  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
דָּוִ֡ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יוֹאָב֩  Joab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄואָב  
Sense: son of David’s sister Zeruiah and general of David’s army.
עֲבָדָ֨יו  his  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
עִמּ֜וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיַּשְׁחִ֙תוּ֙  and  they  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
בְּנֵ֣י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּ֔וֹן  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
וַיָּצֻ֖רוּ  and  besieged 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צוּר 
Sense: to bind, besiege, confine, cramp.
רַבָּ֑ה  Rabbah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: רַבָּה  
Sense: the capital city of the Ammonites located east of the Jordan.
וְדָוִ֖ד  But  David 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יוֹשֵׁ֥ב  remained 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם  at  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation