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2 Samuel 17:9

Absalom

7 Hushai replied, “This time the advice of Ahithophel is not sound.”

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.

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.’

10 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.

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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
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.’
KJV
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
WEB
Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’
ASV
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
DARBY
Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or some such place; and it will come to pass, when some of them fall at the first, whoever heareth it will say, There has been slaughter among the people that follow Absalom,
BLB
Behold now, he is hidden in one of the pits, or in one of the places. And it will come to pass, when some fall among them at the first, that the hearer will hear and say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.’
ÅB
Nå holder han seg sikkert skjult i en eller annen hule eller et annet sted; om han da straks i begynnelsen overfaller dine folk, så vil hver den som hører det, si: Det har vært et stort mannefall blant de folk som følger Absalom;
OTB
Se, allerede nå gjemmer han seg i en av gropene eller på et annet sted. Og når noen av dem faller ved det første angrepet, vil den som hører det si: 'Det har vært et blodbad blant Absaloms tilhengere.'
B1930
Nu holder han sig sikkert skjult i en eller annen hule eller et annet sted; om han da straks i begynnelsen overfaller dine folk, så vil hver den som hører det, si: Det har vært et stort mannefall blandt de folk som følger Absalom;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 14:14–15

    In that first assault, Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men over half an acre of land.

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  • 1 Samuel 22:1

    So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

    Read in context

  • Judges 20:32–33

    “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

    Read in context

  • 1 Samuel 24:3

    Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.

    Read in context

  • Joshua 8:6

    They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,

    Read in context

  • Joshua 7:5

    And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.

    Read in context