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 Living Translation (NLT)The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.

Context of 2 Samuel 18:8

6So the people went out into the field of battle against Israel. And the battle was in the woods of Ephraim. 7The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day. 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. 9Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on. 10Now a certain man saw it and told Joab, and said, “I just saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth 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 15:10You blew with Your wind, The sea covered them; They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
• Joshua 10:11And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.
• Judges 5:20They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera.
• 1 Kings 20:30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.
• Psalms 3:7Arise, O Lord; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
• Psalms 43:1Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

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