2 Samuel 17:2

2 Samuel 17:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
• New International Version (NIV)I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king
• English Standard Version (ESV)I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king,
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will come upon him while he is weary and weak, and make him afraid. And all the people who are with him will flee, and I will strike only the king.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:2

1Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Please let me choose 12,000 men so that I can go and attack David tonight. Now he will be very tired and weak. So when we attack him, he will be frightened. All his soldiers will run away. But I will kill only the king. 3Then I will bring all his army back to you. If we kill this one man that you want to destroy, then all the people will return safely.’ 4This seemed a good idea to Absalom and to all the leaders of Israel.

2 Samuel 17:2 word by word

וְאָב֣וֹא עָלָ֗יו וְה֤וּא יָגֵ֙עַ֙ וּרְפֵ֣ה יָדַ֔יִם וְהַֽחֲרַדְתִּ֣י אֹת֔וֹ וְנָ֖ס כָּל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֑וֹ וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י אֶת־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְבַדּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And I will comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• wearyיָגֵעַyâgêa‛ · wearyH3023
• and weakרָפֶהrâpheh · weakH7504
• handedיָדyâd · handH3027
• and will make him afraidחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• with him shall fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• and I will smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:2

• 2 Samuel 16:14When King David and all the people who were with him reached the Jordan River, they were tired and weak. So they rested there.
• Deuteronomy 25:18They attacked you when you were tired and weak. They killed all the people who were walking slowly at the back of your group. They were not afraid of God.
• 1 Kings 22:31The king of Syria had said to his 32 chariot officers, ‘Only fight the king of Israel. Do not fight against anyone else, whoever they are.’
• Zechariah 13:7‘Attack my shepherd with a sharp knife. Attack the man that is next to me,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘Kill the shepherd and then the sheep will run away. Then I will attack the young sheep.
• Matthew 21:38The farmers saw the master's son coming. They said to each other, “This is the master's own son. The garden will belong to him when his father dies. So we should kill the son and then the garden will be ours.”
• Matthew 26:31Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Tonight, all of you will turn away from me. It will happen in the way that the Bible says: God says, “I will kill the shepherd who leads the sheep. Then all the sheep will run away in different directions.” ’
• John 11:50It is better that one man should die on behalf of our people. That is better than if all Israel's people should die.’
• John 18:4Jesus knew everything that would soon happen to him. He went towards them and he asked them, ‘Who are you looking for?’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:2

• 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. 1-142Sa 17:1-14. Ahithophel's Counsel Overthrown by Hushai. 1-11. Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom--The recommendation to take prompt and decisive measures before the royalist forces could be collected and arranged, evinced the deep political sagacity of this councillor. The adoption of his advice would have extinguished the cause of David; and it affords a dreadful proof of the extremities to which the heartless prince was, to secure his ambitious…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:2

• Ahithophel
• Citizens
• Council
• Diplomacy
• Friendship
• Malice
• Spies
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ahithophel
• Instead
• Bible, the
• David
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Joab
• Samuel, Books of
• Solomon
• Cheese

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