Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Samuel 11:25

"Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him." — 2 Samuel 11:25 (ASV)

One as well as another. — While David’s reply to Joab is ostensibly to encourage him, on the ground that the mishap was a mere accident of war, it is yet couched in such language as to imply a special regret for the loss of Uriah. “One as well as another,” i.e., “though Uriah was a brave hero whom we could hardly spare, yet in the fortune of war we cannot choose who will fall. Despite this loss, let Joab continue with a good heart.”