2 Samuel 17:12

2 Samuel 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
• New International Version (NIV)Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:12

10And even the one who is brave, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will completely lose heart and melt away; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are brave men. 11But I advise that all [the men of] Israel be summoned to you, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], like the sand that is by the sea in abundance, and that you personally go into battle. So shall we come upon David in one of the places where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls [unseen and unheard] on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him, not even one will be left. 13If he retreats into a city, then all Israel shall bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the ravine until not even a pebble [of it] is found there.” 14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had ordained to thwart the good advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster upon Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:12 word by word

וּבָ֣אנוּ אֵלָ֗יו בְּאַחַ֤ד הַמְּקוֹמֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם וְנַ֣חְנוּ עָלָ֔יו כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִפֹּ֥ל הַטַּ֖ל עַל־הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־נ֥וֹתַר בּ֛וֹ וּבְכָל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֖וֹ גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So shall we comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• upon him in someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• where he shall be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• and we will lightנַ֫חְנוּnachnû · weH5168
• upon him as the dewטַלţal · dewH2919
• fallethנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• on the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• and of him and of all the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• with him there shall not be leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• so much asגַּםgam · alsoH1571

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:12

• 1 Samuel 23:23So look, and take note of all the places where he hides and come back to me with the established facts, then I will go with you. If he is [anywhere] in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
• 1 Kings 20:10Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me, and more also, if there is enough dust left of Samaria for handfuls for all the [armed] people who follow me.”
• 2 Kings 18:23Now then, make a bargain with my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if on your part you can put riders on them.
• 2 Kings 19:24I dug wells and drank foreign waters, And with the sole of my feet I dried up All the rivers of [the Lower Nile of] Egypt.”
• Isaiah 10:13For the Assyrian king has said, “I have done this by the power of my [own] hand and by my wisdom, For I have understanding and skill. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples And have plundered their treasures; Like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.
• Obadiah 1:3The pride and arrogance of your heart have deceived you, You who live in the clefts and lofty security of the rock (Sela), Whose dwelling place is high, Who say [boastfully] in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12As the dew - Like the drops of dew, in the vast number of our host, and in our irresistible and unavoidable descent upon our enemies.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-14Ahithophel advised a quick surprise attack against David with a small force of 12,000 men (2 Samuel 17:1). This plan would give David no time to prepare or organize a defense. David’s double agent, Hushai, gave different advice. He urged Absalom to wait and gather the entire army of Israel before attacking (2 Samuel 17:11). This plan promised a much larger force and would prevent David from using guerrilla tactics (small surprise attacks). Because the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground--No image could have symbolized the sudden onset of an enemy so graphically to an Oriental mind as the silent, irresistible, and rapid descent of this natural moisture on every field and blade of grass.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:12

• Ahithophel
• Armies
• Council
• Dew
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Spies
• Strategy
• Symbols and Similitudes
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ahithophel
• Dew
• Instead
• Bible, the
• Botany
• David
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Joab
• Samuel, Books of

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings