2 Samuel 17:2

2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;

2 Samuel 17:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:2

And I will come upon him while he [is] weary
With travelling, and with grief, and when endeavouring to get some rest by sleep, and so surprise him unawares, when not on his guard, and in no posture of defence:

and weak handed;
while the number of men with him is small, and before the people from different parts can come to his assistance:

and will make him afraid;
strike terror into him and his then, by surprising them suddenly in the night with such a number of men:

and all the people that [are] with him shall flee;
one one way, and another another, for their own security, and leave David alone:

and I will smite the king only;
dispatch him, and let the people flee without pursuing them.

2 Samuel 17:2 In-Context

1 And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Let me, I pray, choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David to-night;

2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;

3 and I will bring back all the people to thee. The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: all the people shall be in peace.

4 And the saying was right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.

5 And Absalom said, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and we will hear also what he says.