2 Samuel 18:8

2 Samuel 18:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
• New International Version (NIV)The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:8

6David's army marched out to fight Israel's army. They fought the battle in the forest of Ephraim. 7David's soldiers won the fight against Israel's soldiers. Many soldiers died in the battle that day. There were 20,000 dead men. They fought the battle everywhere in the forest and around it. The forest itself caused the death of more men than the battle did. 9During the battle, Absalom was riding on his mule and he met some of David's soldiers. His mule carried him under a big oak tree. The tree's branches caught Absalom's hair so that he hung there above the ground. His mule ran off and left him there. 10One of David's men saw what had happened. He told Joab, ‘I have seen Absalom. He is hanging from an oak tree.’

2 Samuel 18:8 word by word

וַתְּהִי־שָׁ֧ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה נָפֹ֖צֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיֶּ֤רֶב הַיַּ֙עַר֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל בָּעָ֔ם מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָכְלָ֛ה הַחֶ֖רֶב בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• was there scatteredפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
• over the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• of all the countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and the woodיַ֫עַרya‛ar · woodH3293
• devouredאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• moreרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• than the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:8

• Exodus 15:10But Lord, you blew on the waters so that the sea covered your enemies. They went down like heavy metal in the great waters.
• Joshua 10:11As the Amorites ran down the hill from Beth Horon, the Lord sent large stones of hail down from the sky. The hail killed them all the way to Azekah. More of the Amorite soldiers died because of the heavy stones of hail, than because the Israelite soldiers killed them.
• Judges 5:20Even the stars fought against Sisera! They travelled across the sky to attack him.
• 1 Kings 20:30The other soldiers ran back to Aphek. When they went into the city, the city wall fell on 27,000 of them. King Ben-Hadad also ran into the city. He hid in a room at the back of a house.
• Psalms 3:7Lord, stand up! My God, save me from my enemies! Hit all my enemies in the face. Break the teeth of those bad people.
• Psalms 43:1My God, show that I am not guilty. Make the people who do not respect you know that I am right. Rescue me from the evil people who tell lies about me.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 18:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The wood devoured more people - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, etc., and, being entangled, were hewn down by David's men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The battle was scattered - Probably Absalom‘s forces were far more numerous than David‘s; but, most likely by Joab‘s skillful generalship, the field of battle was such that numbers did not tell, and David‘s veteran troops were able to destroy Absalom‘s rabble in detail. The wood entangled them, and was perhaps full of pits, precipices, and morasses 2 Samuel 18:17.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8the forest devoured more people: The land in the forest (its rough ground and thick growth) removed the numerical advantage of Absalom’s army.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. the wood devoured more people than the sword--The thick forest of oaks and terebinths, by obstructing the flight, greatly aided the victors in the pursuit.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 18:8

• Ephraim

In the dictionaries

• That Day
• Charge
• David
• Ephraim, Wood of
• Forest
• Lift
• Pillar
• Rise
• Thrust
• Armor; Arms

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