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’ll do what you think best,” the king responded. So the king stood by the gate while all the troops marched out by battalions and regiments. 5The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the troops heard him give all the commanders this order regarding Absalom. So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim. 7There David’s men defeated Israel’s army, and the massacre was sizable that day—20,000 men. 8The fighting spread over the whole country. That day the woods devoured more people than the battle.

2 Samuel 18:6 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• So the peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• into the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• againstקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• was in the woodיַ֫עַרya‛ar · (Ephraim) ForestH3293
• of Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · (Forest of) EphraimH669

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 18:6

• Joshua 17:15Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, go into the forest! Clear ground for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaim if the mountains of Ephraim are too confining for you.”
• Judges 12:4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought Ephraim. The men of Gilead defeated Ephraim. ⌞They did this because⌟ Ephraim had said, “You people from Gilead are nothing but fugitives from 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