2 Samuel 18:3

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

1David brought together all the men who were with him. He chose some officers to lead groups of 1,000 soldiers, and some to lead groups of 100 soldiers. 2David sent his army out in three groups. Joab led one group. Joab's brother Abishai, Zeruiah's son, led another group. Ittai from Gath led the third group. The king said to them all, ‘I myself will go with you into battle.’ But the men replied, ‘No, you must not go with us. If we have to run away quickly, it will not matter to Absalom's men. Even if they kill half of our soldiers, it will not seem important to them. What they really want is to kill you. You are worth 10,000 of us. You must stay here in the city. Then you can send help to us if we need it.’ 4The king said to them, ‘I will do whatever you think is good.’ So he stood beside the gate of the city while his army marched out. They marched out in their groups of hundreds and of thousands. 5The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, ‘Because the young man Absalom is my son, do not hurt him.’ All the soldiers heard David give this command to the three officers.

2 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• answeredאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thou shalt not go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• for if we fleeנוּסnûs · to fleeH5127
• they will not careלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• they will not careשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: considerH7760
• for us; neither if halfחֲצִיchêtsîy · halfH2677
• of us dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• worthכְּמוֹkemô kâmô · likeH3644
• tenעֶשֶׂר‛eώer ‛ăώârâh · tenH6235
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• betterטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
• that thou succourעָזַר‛âzar · to helpH5826
• us out of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:3

• 2 Samuel 21:17But Zeruiah's son Abishai saved David. Abishai knocked down the Philistine and he killed him. So David's men said very strongly, ‘Our king, you must never again come out with us to fight a battle. You are like Israel's light. We do not want your life to finish.’
• 2 Samuel 17:2Now 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.
• 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.
• Lamentations 4:20The Lord had chosen a man to be our king. We thought that he would save us. ‘Under his shadow we will live among the other countries,’ we had always said. But the enemy caught him.
• 2 Samuel 10:11Joab said to Abishai, ‘If the Syrian soldiers are too strong for me, you must come to rescue me. But if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to rescue you.
• Exodus 17:10So Joshua fought against the Amalekites. He did what Moses had told him to do. 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

• Citizens
• Loyalty

In the dictionaries

• Charge
• David
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Bible, the
• Care; Carefulness; Careful
• Israel, History of
• Joab

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