2 Samuel 11:21

“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.”

Context:2 Samuel 11:21 is part of the narrative describing the events surrounding King David’s sin with Bathsheba and his subsequent attempt to cover it up by arranging the death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, who became pregnant. To conceal the affair, David called Uriah back from battle in the hope that Uriah would sleep with his wife and cover up the pregnancy. However, Uriah’s integrity prevented him from enjoying such privileges while his fellow soldiers were in the field. Frustrated by Uriah’s devotion to duty, David devised a plan to have Uriah killed in battle.

The incident at Thebez:In this verse, Joab, David’s general, confronts one of David’s messengers, asking why he had approached the wall of the city during the battle against the Ammonites. Joab mentions the story of Abimelech, who was killed by a woman dropping a millstone on him from the wall of Thebez. The purpose of this analogy is to highlight the potential danger and unnecessary risk the messenger took by approaching the wall, putting himself in harm’s way.