Berean Standard Bible
2 Samuel 18:3
3But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us.1 It is better now if you support us from the city.”
2 Samuel 18:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
- New International Version (NIV)But the men said, “You must not go out; if we are forced to flee, they won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better now for you to give us support from the city.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore it is better that you send us help from the city."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the people answered, “You shall not go out! For if we flee away, they will not care about us; nor if half of us die, will they care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us now. For you are now more help to us in the city.”
Context of 2 Samuel 18:3
1Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds. 2He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.” But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.” 4“I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
Read all of 2 Samuel 182 Samuel 18:3 word by word
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֗א כִּי֩ אִם־נֹ֨ס נָנ֜וּס לֹא־יָשִׂ֧ימוּ אֵלֵ֣ינוּ לֵ֗ב וְאִם־יָמֻ֤תוּ חֶצְיֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־יָשִׂ֤ימוּ אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵ֔ב כִּֽי־עַתָּ֥ה כָמֹ֖נוּ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה אֲלָפִ֑ים וְעַתָּ֣ה ט֔וֹב כִּי־תִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ מֵעִ֖יר לַעְזֽוֹר׃ סRead the interlinear
- But the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
- pleadedאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- You must notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- go outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
- Forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- ifאִם'im · ifH518
- we have to fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
- they will not careשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: considerH7760
- they will not careלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- about usאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- half of usחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
- dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- ·עַתָּ֫ה‛attâh · nowH6258
- worthכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644
- tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
- thousand of usאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- It is betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- youהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- supportעָזַר‛âzar · to helpH5826
- from the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:3
- 2 Samuel 21:17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
- 2 Samuel 17:2I will attack him while he is weak and weary; I will throw him into a panic, and all the people with him will flee; I will strike down only the king
- 1 Kings 22:31Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
- Zechariah 13:7Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
- Lamentations 4:20The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
- 2 Samuel 10:11“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
- Exodus 17:10Joshua did as Moses had instructed him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3But now thou art worth ten thousand of us - The particle יתה attah, now, is doubtless a mistake for the pronoun אתה attah, thou; and so it appears to have been read by the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Chaldee, and by two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Succour us out of the city - David, with a reserve, would hold the city, and either support the bands in case of need, or receive them within the walls should they be compelled to flee.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3you are worth ten thousand of us: David's men praised him, but their request for him to stay behind might actually suggest that David was becoming weaker (see 2 Samuel 21:15–17).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-42Sa 18:1-4. David Reviewing the Armies. 1-2. David numbered the people that were with him--The hardy mountaineers of Gilead came in great numbers at the call of their chieftains, so that, although without money to pay any troops, David soon found himself at the head of a considerable army. A pitched battle was now inevitable. But so much depending on the life of the king, he was not allowed to take the field in person; and he therefore divided his forces…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 2 Samuel 18:3 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us ↩
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
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