This verse, 2 Samuel 11:23, is part of the report a messenger is giving to King David about the battle against the Ammonites. Let's break down what it means:
"The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us...": The messenger is reporting that the Israelite army was initially losing the battle. "The men" refers to the Ammonite soldiers.
"...and came out to us into the field...": The Ammonites left their city walls (Rabbah) and engaged the Israelite army in open battle on the field.
"...and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.": The tide of the battle shifted. The Israelite army rallied and pushed the Ammonites back, pursuing them all the way to the gate of their city. This suggests a hard-fought battle where the Israelites managed to gain the upper hand and chase the enemy back to their city walls.
In essence, the verse is describing a back-and-forth battle:
1. The Ammonites initially had the upper hand, leaving their city and engaging the Israelites in the field.
2. The Israelites then managed to turn the tide and pushed the Ammonites back to the gates of their city.
This verse sets the scene for the subsequent events in the story, where David receives this seemingly successful (but ultimately deceptive) report while Uriah the Hittite is being strategically placed in harm's way.
This verse, 2 Samuel 11:23, is part of the report a messenger is giving to King David about the battle against the Ammonites. Let's break down what it means:
"The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us...": The messenger is reporting that the Israelite army was initially losing the battle. "The men" refers to the Ammonite soldiers.
"...and came out to us into the field...": The Ammonites left their city walls (Rabbah) and engaged the Israelite army in open battle on the field.
"...and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.": The tide of the battle shifted. The Israelite army rallied and pushed the Ammonites back, pursuing them all the way to the gate of their city. This suggests a hard-fought battle where the Israelites managed to gain the upper hand and chase the enemy back to their city walls.
In essence, the verse is describing a back-and-forth battle:
1. The Ammonites initially had the upper hand, leaving their city and engaging the Israelites in the field.
2. The Israelites then managed to turn the tide and pushed the Ammonites back to the gates of their city.
This verse sets the scene for the subsequent events in the story, where David receives this seemingly successful (but ultimately deceptive) report while Uriah the Hittite is being strategically placed in harm's way.
