2 Samuel 18:7

7 And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.

2 Samuel 18:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:7

Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of
David
That is, the people of Israel that were under Absalom, these were beaten by David's army:

and there was a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand [men];
including both those that fell in the field of battle, and that were slain in the pursuit; and this is to be understood only of Absalom's party.

2 Samuel 18:7 In-Context

5 And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom. ” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom.

6 So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

7 And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.

8 The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

9 And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.