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.