2 Samuel 18:4

2 Samuel 18:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
• New International Version (NIV)The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king said to them, “Whatever seems best to you I will do.” So the king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:4

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.’ 3But 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.’ The 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. 6David's army marched out to fight Israel's army. They fought the battle in the forest of Ephraim.

2 Samuel 18:4 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־יִיטַ֥ב בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֖ם אֶעֱשֶׂ֑ה וַיַּעֲמֹ֤ד הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ אֶל־יַ֣ד הַשַּׁ֔עַר וְכָל־הָעָם֙ יָֽצְא֔וּ לְמֵא֖וֹת וְלַאֲלָפִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto them, What seemethעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• you bestיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• I will doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• by the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
• sideיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
• and all the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• came outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• by hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• and by thousandsאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:4

• 2 Samuel 18:24David was sitting between the two gates of Mahanaim city. A man went up to the top of the wall, on the roof above the gate. He was watching the road. As he looked, he saw a man who was running towards the city. He was running alone.
• Isaiah 28:6He will help judges to decide what is right. He will give strength to the people who keep the city safe from those who attack it.
• 2 Samuel 18:1David 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.
• 1 Samuel 29:2The Philistine rulers marched out with their groups of soldiers. They were in groups of 100 soldiers and 1,000 soldiers. David and his men were marching with King Achish at the back of the army.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:4

• 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

In the dictionaries

• Charge
• David
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Bible, the
• Israel, History of
• Ittai
• 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