2 Samuel 18:6
4 “I will do whatever seems best to you,” the king replied. So he stood beside the gate, while all the troops marched out by hundreds and by thousands.
5 Now the king had commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” And all the people heard the king’s orders to each of the commanders regarding Absalom.
So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
7 There the people of Israel were defeated by David’s servants, and the slaughter was great that day—twenty thousand men.
8 The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
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
- So David’s army marched into the field to engage Israel in the battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.
- KJV
- So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
- WEB
- So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
- ASV
- So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
- DARBY
- And the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
- BLB
- And the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
- ÅB
- Så dro folket ut i marken mot Israel, og det kom til slag i Efra'imskogen.
- OTB
- Så gikk folket ut i marken for å møte Israel, og slaget ble utkjempet i Efraimskogen.
- B1930
- Så drog folket ut i marken mot Israel, og det kom til slag i Efra'imskogen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Joshua 17:18
because the hill country will be yours as well. It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours. Although the Canaanites have iron chariots and although they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Read in contextJoshua 17:15
Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”
Read in contextJudges 12:4–6
Jephthah then gathered all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are fugitives in Ephraim, living in the territories of Ephraim and Manasseh.”
Read in context