2 Samuel 18 · Verse 8

2 Samuel 18:8

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
2 Samuel 18:8, King James Version

2 Samuel 18:8 in other translations

BSBThe battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
WEBFor the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
ASVFor the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
YLTand the battle is there scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest multiplieth to devour among the people more than those whom the sword hath devoured in that day.
DARBYAnd the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
BBEAnd the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.
WebsterFor the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

What does 2 Samuel 18:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. the wood devoured more people than the sword--The thick forest of oaks and terebinths, by obstructing the flight, greatly aided the victors in the pursuit.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 The wood devoured more people - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, etc., and, being entangled, were hewn down by David's men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.

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.

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

2 Samuel 18:8 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.

וַתְּהִי\־va.te.hi-and it wasH1961
שָׁ֧םshamthereH8033
הַמִּלְחָמָ֛הha.mil.cha.Mahthe battleH4421
נָפֹ֖צֶתna.fo.tzeitscatteredH6327
עַל\־'al-overH5921
פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[the] face ofH6440
כָל\־khol-allH3605
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וַיֶּ֤רֶבvai.Ye.revand it increasedH7235
הַיַּ֙עַר֙hai.Ya.'arthe forestH3293
לֶאֱכֹ֣לle.'e.Kholto consumeH398
בָּעָ֔םba.'Amamong the peopleH5971
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥רme.'a.Shermore than [those] whomH834
אָכְלָ֛ה'a.khe.Lahit consumedH398
הַחֶ֖רֶבha.Che.revthe swordH2719
בַּיּ֥וֹםbai.Yomon the dayH3117
הַהֽוּא\׃ha.Hu'<the> thatH1931

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

Cross references for 2 Samuel 18:8

  • Exodus 15:10

    Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

  • Joshua 10:11

    And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth–horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

  • Psalms 3:7

    Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

  • Judges 5:20-21

    They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.

  • 1 Kings 20:30

    But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben–hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

  • Psalms 43:1

    Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
in the wood.That is, probably, many more were slain in pursuit through the wood than in the battle, by falling into swamps, pits, etc., and being entangled and cut down by David's men. Such is the relation of Josephus; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic state, that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.
Ex 15:10; Jos 10:11; Jud 5:20,21; 1Ki 20:30; Ps 3:7; 43:1
devoured more. Heb. multiplied to devour.

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

Context

  • 2 Samuel 18:7

    Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

  • 2 Samuel 18:8

    For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

  • 2 Samuel 18:9

    And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away.

Read all of 2 Samuel 18

2 Samuel 18:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y derramándose allí el ejército por la haz de toda la tierra, fueron más los que consumió el bosque de los del pueblo, que los que consumió el cuchillo aquel día.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la bataille s’étendit là sur toute la surface du pays, et la forêt dévora en ce jour plus de peuple que n’en dévora l’épée.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Schlacht breitete sich daselbst aus über das ganze Land; und der Wald fraß mehr unter dem Volke, als das Schwert an jenem Tage fraß.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Fuit autem ibi prælium dispersum super faciem omnis terræ, et multo plures erant quos saltus consumpserat de populo, quam hi quos voraverat gladius in die illa.