וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמַּלְאָךְ֙ אֶל־דָּוִ֔ד כִּֽי־גָבְר֤וּ עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיֵּצְא֥וּ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַנִּהְיֶ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם עַד־פֶּ֥תַח הַשָּֽׁעַר׃
And the messenger said unto David: ‘The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.
Read midrashic interpretation of II Samuel 11:23: and classical rabbinic exegesis.