And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men [were].
Ver. 16. He assigned Uriah, &c.] He thrust him into the jaws of death, and basely betrayed him: as holding that unsound principle, Whatsoever pleaseth the king shall please me, be it right or wrong. How much better he in the tragedian, a Obediemus Atridis honesta mandantibus; sin vero inhonesta mandabunt, non obediemus; We will obey the prince if he command things honest; and not, if otherwise. But Joab haply hoped hereby to ingratiate, and to come off the better, for the murder of Abner, which he had not yet answered, since David was now no less guilty than himself.
a Euripid., in Iphigen.