2 Samuel 17:12

2 Samuel 17:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one.
• New International Version (NIV)Then we will attack him wherever he may be found, and we will fall on him as dew settles on the ground. Neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So we will come upon him in some place where he may be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground. And of him and all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:12

10If that happens even the bravest soldier – one who is lion-hearted – will virtually melt away. For all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and that those who are with him are brave. 11My advice therefore is this: Let all Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba – in number like the sand by the sea! – be mustered to you, and you lead them personally into battle. We will come against him wherever he happens to be found. We will descend on him like the dew falls on the ground. Neither he nor any of the men who are with him will be spared alive – not one of them! 13If he regroups in a city, all Israel will take up ropes to that city and drag it down to the valley, so that not a single pebble will be left there!” 14Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite sounds better than the advice of Ahithophel.” Now the Lord had decided to frustrate the sound advice of Ahithophel, so that the Lord could bring disaster on Absalom.

2 Samuel 17:12 word by word

וּבָ֣אנוּ אֵלָ֗יו בְּאַחַ֤ד הַמְּקוֹמֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצָ֣א שָׁ֔ם וְנַ֣חְנוּ עָלָ֔יו כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יִפֹּ֥ל הַטַּ֖ל עַל־הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־נ֥וֹתַר בּ֛וֹ וּבְכָל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֖וֹ גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So shall we comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• upon him in someאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• where he shall be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• and we will lightנַ֫חְנוּnachnû · weH5168
• upon him as the dewטַלţal · dewH2919
• fallethנָפַלnâphal · to fall: fallH5307
• on the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• and of him and of all the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• with him there shall not be leftיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
• so much asגַּםgam · alsoH1571

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:12

• 1 Samuel 23:23Locate precisely all the places where he hides and return to me with dependable information. Then I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will find him among all the thousands of Judah.”
• 1 Kings 20:10Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.”
• 2 Kings 18:23Now make a deal with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, provided you can find enough riders for them.
• 2 Kings 19:24I dug wells and drank water in foreign lands. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers of Egypt.’
• Isaiah 10:13For he says: “By my strong hand I have accomplished this, by my strategy that I devised. I invaded the territory of nations, and looted their storehouses. Like a mighty conqueror, I brought down rulers.
• Obadiah 1:3Your presumptuous heart has deceived you – you who reside in the safety of the rocky cliffs, whose home is high in the mountains. You think to yourself, ‘No one can bring me down to the ground!’

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12As the dew - Like the drops of dew, in the vast number of our host, and in our irresistible and unavoidable descent upon our enemies.Read the comment
• 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. 1212. we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground--No image could have symbolized the sudden onset of an enemy so graphically to an Oriental mind as the silent, irresistible, and rapid descent of this natural moisture on every field and blade of grass.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:12

• Ahithophel
• Armies
• Council
• Dew
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Spies
• Strategy
• Symbols and Similitudes
• War

In the dictionaries

• Ahithophel
• Dew
• Instead
• Bible, the
• Botany
• David
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Joab
• Samuel, Books of

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