2 Samuel 18 · Verse 4

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 18:4, King James Version

2 Samuel 18:4 in other translations

BSB“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.
WEBThe king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
ASVAnd the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
YLTAnd the king saith unto them, ‘That which is good in your eyes I do;' and the king standeth at the side of the gate, and all the people have gone out by hundreds and by thousands,
DARBYAnd the king said to them, I will do what is good in your sight. And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.
BBEAnd the king said to them, I will do whatever seems best to you. So the king took his place by the door of the town, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
WebsterAnd the king said to them, What seemeth to you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

What does 2 Samuel 18:4 mean?

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.

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 18:1-8 →

2 Samuel 18:4 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵיהֶם֙'a.lei.Hemto themH413
הַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[that] whichH834
יִיטַ֥בyi.Tavit will be goodH3190
בְּעֵינֵיכֶ֖םbe.'ei.nei.Khemin view yourH5869
אֶעֱשֶׂ֑ה'e.'e.SehI will doH6213
וַיַּעֲמֹ֤דvai.ya.'a.Modand he stoodH5975
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יַ֣דyad[the] side ofH3027
הַשַּׁ֔עַרha.Sha.'arthe gateH8179
וְכָל\־ve.kholand allH3605
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
יָֽצְא֔וּya.tze.'Uthey went outH3318
לְמֵא֖וֹתle.me.'otto hundredsH3967
וְלַאֲלָפִֽים\׃ve.la.'a.la.Fimand to thousandsH505

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 18:4

  • Isaiah 28:6

    And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

  • 2 Samuel 18:24

    And David sat between the two gates: and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone.

  • 2 Samuel 18:1

    And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.

  • 1 Samuel 29:2

    And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
by the gate.
24; Isa 28:6
by hundreds.David's small company, by this time, was greatly recruited; but what its number was we cannot tell. Josephus says it amounted only to 4,000 men.
1; 1Sa 29:2

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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 18:5

    And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom. And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

Read all of 2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 18:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces el rey les dijo: Yo haré lo que bien os pareciere. Y púsose el rey á la entrada de la puerta, mientras salía todo el pueblo de ciento en ciento y de mil en mil.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le roi leur dit: Je ferai ce qui est bon à vos yeux. Et le roi se tint à côté de la porte, et tout le peuple sortit par centaines et par milliers.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und der König sprach zu ihnen: Was gut ist in euren Augen, will ich tun. Und der König stellte sich an die Seite des Tores, und alles Volk zog aus zu Hunderten und zu Tausenden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ad quos rex ait: Quod vobis videtur rectum, hoc faciam. Stetit ergo rex juxta portam: egrediebaturque populus per turmas suas centeni et milleni.