American Standard Version
2 Samuel 18:8
8For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
2 Samuel 18:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
- New International Version (NIV)The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Context of 2 Samuel 18:8
6So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. 7And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 9And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between heaven and earth; and the mule that was under him went on. 10And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.
Read all of 2 Samuel 182 Samuel 18:8 word by word
וַתְּהִי־שָׁ֧ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה נָפֹ֖צֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיֶּ֤רֶב הַיַּ֙עַר֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל בָּעָ֔ם מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָכְלָ֛ה הַחֶ֖רֶב בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:8
- Exodus 15:10Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: They sank as lead in the mighty waters.
- Joshua 10:11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, that Jehovah cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
- Judges 5:20From heaven fought the stars, From their courses they fought against Sisera.
- 1 Kings 20:30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
- Psalms 3:7Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
- Psalms 43:1Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The wood devoured more people - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, etc., and, being entangled, were hewn down by David's men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The battle was scattered - Probably Absalom‘s forces were far more numerous than David‘s; but, most likely by Joab‘s skillful generalship, the field of battle was such that numbers did not tell, and David‘s veteran troops were able to destroy Absalom‘s rabble in detail. The wood entangled them, and was perhaps full of pits, precipices, and morasses 2 Samuel 18:17.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8the forest devoured more people: The land in the forest (its rough ground and thick growth) removed the numerical advantage of Absalom’s army.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. the wood devoured more people than the sword--The thick forest of oaks and terebinths, by obstructing the flight, greatly aided the victors in the pursuit.Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries