2 Samuel 18:1-8

Absalom Killed

1 Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.

2 He sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the troops, “I will surely march out with you as well.”

3 But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. ^[a] It is better now if you support us from the city.”

4 “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.

5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.

6 So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

7 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.

8 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.

2 Samuel 18:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 18

In this chapter is an account of David's review of his army, preparing it for battle with Absalom, and those with him, 2Sa 18:1-5; and of the defeat and flight of the rebels, 2Sa 18:6-8; and of the death of Absalom, and the manner of it, and of his burial, 2Sa 18:9-18; and of the news of it brought to David by different persons, 2Sa 18:19-32; and of his great grief and sorrow on that account, 2Sa 18:33.

Footnotes

• [a] Two Hebrew manuscripts, some LXX manuscripts, and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us