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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)When we find David, we’ll fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. Then neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:12

10Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave. 11“So I advise you: Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba—as numerous as the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle. 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. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we will drag it down to the valley until not so much as a pebble is left.” 14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to 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 23:23Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”
• 1 Kings 20:10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”
• 2 Kings 18:23“ ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them!
• 2 Kings 19:24I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
• Isaiah 10:13For he says: “ ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings.
• Obadiah 1:3The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who 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