2 Samuel 17:8

2 Samuel 17:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.
• New International Version (NIV)You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For,” said Hushai, “you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people.

Context of 2 Samuel 17:8

6And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do after his saying? if not; speak thou. 7And Hushai said to Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time. For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 9Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom. 10And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they who are with him are valiant men.

2 Samuel 17:8 word by word

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חוּשַׁ֗י אַתָּ֣ה יָ֠דַעְתָּ אֶת־אָבִ֨יךָ וְאֶת־אֲנָשָׁ֜יו כִּ֧י גִבֹּרִ֣ים הֵ֗מָּה וּמָרֵ֥י נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הֵ֔מָּה כְּדֹ֥ב שַׁכּ֖וּל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְאָבִ֙יךָ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יָלִ֖ין אֶת־הָעָֽם׃Read the interlinear

• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Hushaiחוּשַׁיchûshay · HushaiH2365
• knowestיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
• menגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368
• chafedמַרmar mârâh · bitterH4751
• mindsנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• bearדֹּבdôb dôb · bearH1677
• robbedשַׁכּוּלshakkûl shakkûl · childlessH7909
• fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
• lodgeלוּןlûn lîyn · to lodgeH3885
• peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 17:8

• 2 Samuel 15:18And all his servants passed on by his side; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
• 2 Samuel 21:18And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.
• 2 Samuel 23:8These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
• 1 Samuel 16:18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a handsome person, and the LORD is with him.
• 1 Samuel 17:34And David said to Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
• 1 Chronicles 11:25Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.
• Hebrews 11:32And what more shall I say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
• Judges 18:25And the children of Dan said to him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows rush upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
• 2 Kings 2:24And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two youths of them.
• Proverbs 17:12Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
• Proverbs 28:15As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
• Daniel 7:5And behold another beast, a second, like a bear, and it raised itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus to it, Arise, devour much flesh.
• Hosea 13:8I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the fat of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
• 1 Samuel 23:23See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 17:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8As a bear robbed of her whelps - All wild beasts are very furious when robbed of their young; but we have some remarkable instances of the maternal affection of the bear in such circumstances; see one at the end of the chapter.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. 1-142Sa 17:1-14. Ahithophel's Counsel Overthrown by Hushai. 1-11. Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom--The recommendation to take prompt and decisive measures before the royalist forces could be collected and arranged, evinced the deep political sagacity of this councillor. The adoption of his advice would have extinguished the cause of David; and it affords a dreadful proof of the extremities to which the heartless prince was, to secure his ambitious…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 17:8

• Ahithophel
• Armies
• Bear
• Council
• Diplomacy
• Falsehood
• Friendship
• Spies
• Strategy
• War

In the dictionaries

• Man of War
• Ahithophel
• Bear
• Instead
• Bible, the
• Chafe
• David
• Hushai
• Israel, History of
• Joab

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