2 Samuel 18:6

2 Samuel 18:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
• New International Version (NIV)David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:6

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. So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men. 8The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.

2 Samuel 18:6 word by word

וַיֵּצֵ֥א הָעָ֛ם הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִקְרַ֣את יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בְּיַ֥עַר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

• So David’s armyעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• marchedיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• into the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• to engageקָרָאqârâ' · to encounter: towardH7122
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• took placeהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• in the forestיַ֫עַרya‛ar · (Ephraim) ForestH3293
• of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · (Forest of) EphraimH669

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:6

• Joshua 17:15Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”
• Judges 12:4Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:6

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Against Israel - Implying that the revolt was in a great measure that of the ten tribes, Saul‘s party, against the kingdom. The wood of Ephraim - This would naturally be sought in the west of Jordan (marginal reference). But on the other hand it seems certain that the scene of this battle was on the east of Jordan. It seems therefore inevitable to conclude that some portion of the thick wood of oaks and terebinths which still runs down to the Jordan on…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The forest of Ephraim was an area east of the Jordan settled by the tribe of Ephraim.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. wood of Ephraim--This wood, of course, was on the east of Jordan. Its name was derived, according to some, from the slaughter of the Ephraimites by Jephthah--according to others, from the connection of blood with the trans-jordanic Manasseh.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:6

• Ephraim

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Israel
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Wood of Ephraim
• Charge
• David
• Ephraim, Wood of
• Forest

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