2 Samuel 17:10

⁸ He continued, “You know your father and his men. They are mighty men, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Moreover, your father is a man of war who will not spend the night with the troops.

⁹ Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’

Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.

¹¹ Instead, I advise that all Israel from Dan to Beersheba—a multitude like the sand on the seashore—be gathered to you, and that you yourself lead them into battle.

¹² Then we will attack David wherever we find him, and we will descend on him like dew on the ground. And of all the men with him, not even one will remain.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then even the most valiant soldier with the heart of a lion will melt with fear, because all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man who has valiant men with him.
KJV: And 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 which be with him are valiant men.
WEB: Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
ASV: And even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
DARBY: and even the valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt; for all Israel knows that thy father is a mighty man, and they that are with him are valiant men.
BLB: And even he also, the son of valor whose heart [is] like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt. For all Israel knows that your father [is] a mighty man, and those who are with him [are] sons of valor.

ÅB: og om det så er en djerv mann som har et hjerte som en løve, så vil han dog bli motløs; for hele Israel vet at din far er en helt, og at de som er med ham, er djerve folk.
OTB: Da vil selv den som er modig og har et løvehjerte fullstendig smelte, for hele Israel vet at din far er en mektig mann og de som er med ham er tapre."
B1930: og om det så er en djerv mann som har et hjerte som en løve, så vil han dog bli motløs; for hele Israel vet at din far er en helt, og at de som er med ham, er djerve folk.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 2:9–11
and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that the fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who dwell in the land are melting in fear of you.
Read in context
1 Samuel 18:17
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
Read in context
Song of Solomon 3:7
Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.
Read in context
2 Samuel 23:20
And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.
Read in context
Isaiah 13:7
Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
Read in context
2 Samuel 1:23
Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in life, were not divided in death. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
Read in context
Genesis 49:9
Judah is a young lion— my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?
Read in context