2 Samuel 18:3
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
2 Samuel 18:3 in other translations
| BSB | But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.” |
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| WEB | But the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.” |
| ASV | But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city. |
| YLT | And the people say, ‘Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set their heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set their heart unto us--for now like us are ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.' |
| DARBY | But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. |
| BBE | But the people said, It is better for you not to go out: for if we are put to flight, they will not give a thought to us, and if death overtakes half of us, it will be nothing to them: but you are of more value than ten thousand of us: so it is better for you to be ready to come to our help from this town. |
| Webster | But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou shouldst succor us out of the city. |
What does 2 Samuel 18:3 mean?
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 18:1-8
David's over-sorrow. (19-33) Verses 1-8 How does David render good for evil! Absalom would have only David smitten; David would have only Absalom spared. This seems to be a resemblance of man's wickedness towards God, and God's mercy to man, of which it is hard to say which is most amazing. Now the Israelites see what it is to take counsel against the Lord and his anointed.
2 Samuel 18:3 in the original Hebrew
Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for 2 Samuel 18:3
- 2 Samuel 21:17
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
- Zechariah 13:7
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
- 2 Samuel 10:11
And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
- Lamentations 4:20
The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
- 2 Samuel 17:2
And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:
- 1 Kings 22:31
But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
- Exodus 17:10-12
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
21:17
if we flee.
17:2; 1Ki 22:31; Zec 13:7
care for us. Heb. set their heart on us. but now.The particle {âttah,} Now, is doubtless a mistake for the pronoun {attah,} Thou: and so it appears to have been read by the LXX., Vulgate, and Chaldee, and by two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.
worth, etc. Heb. as ten thousand of us.
La 4:20
succour. Heb. be to succour.
10:11; Ex 17:10-12
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- 2 Samuel 18:2
And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.
- 2 Samuel 18:3
But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.
- 2 Samuel 18:4
And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
2 Samuel 18:3 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Mas el pueblo dijo: No saldrás; porque si nosotros huyéremos, no harán caso de nosotros; y aunque la mitad de nosotros muera, no harán caso de nosotros: mas tú ahora vales tanto como diez mil de nosotros. Será pues mejor que tú nos des ayuda desde la ciudad. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Mais le peuple dit: Tu ne sortiras point; car quand nous viendrions à fuir, ils ne prendraient pas garde à nous, et quand la moitié d’entre nous mourrait, ils ne prendraient pas garde à nous; car toi, tu es comme 10 000 d’entre nous; et maintenant il est bon que, de la ville, tu nous sois en secours. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Aber das Volk sprach: Du sollst nicht ausziehen; denn wenn wir fliehen müßten, so würden sie nicht auf uns den Sinn richten; und wenn die Hälfte von uns stürbe, so würden sie nicht auf uns den Sinn richten; denn du bist wie unser zehntausend. So ist es nun besser, daß du uns von der Stadt aus zum Beistande bist. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Et respondit populus: Non exibis: sive enim fugerimus, non magnopere ad eos de nobis pertinebit: sive media pars ceciderit e nobis, non satis curabunt, quia tu unus pro decem millibus computaris: melius est igitur ut sis nobis in urbe præsidio. |