Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

2 Samuel 18:1

David numbered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Captain;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Armies of Israel, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mahanaim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abishai;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Samuel, Books of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Absalom (1);   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;   Army;   Captain;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of thousands and of hundreds over them.
Hebrew Names Version
David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
King James Version
And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds over them.
Lexham English Bible
Then David mustered the people who were with him, and he appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
English Standard Version
Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
New Century Version
David counted his men and placed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
New English Translation
David assembled the army that was with him. He appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds.
New American Standard Bible
Then David took a count of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Dauid nombred the people that were with him, & set ouer them captaines of thousands and captaines of hundreths.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
Contemporary English Version
David divided his soldiers into groups of a hundred and groups of a thousand. Then he chose officers to be in command of each group.
Complete Jewish Bible
David took a census of the people who were with him and appointed over them commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
Darby Translation
And David marshalled the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Easy-to-Read Version
David counted his men and chose captains over 1000 and captains over 100 to lead them.
George Lamsa Translation
AND David numbered the people who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and captains of hundreds.
Good News Translation
King David brought all his men together, divided them into units of a thousand and of a hundred, and placed officers in command of them.
Literal Translation
And David mustered the people who were with him, and he set over them commanders of hundreds.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid mustred the people yt was with him, and set captaynes ouer the, ouer thousandes and ouer hundreds.
American Standard Version
And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Bible in Basic English
And David had the people who were with him numbered, and he put over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid numbred the people that were with him, and set captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid numbred the people that were with him, and set captaines of thousands, and captaines of hundreds ouer them.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David numbered the people with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
English Revised Version
And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Berean Standard Bible
Then David reviewed his troops and appointed over them commanders of hundreds and of thousands.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Dauid, whanne the puple `was biholdun, ordeynede tribunes and centuriouns on hem.
Young's Literal Translation
And David inspecteth the people who [are] with him, and setteth over them heads of thousands and heads of hundreds,
Update Bible Version
And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David numbered the people that [were] with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds.
World English Bible
David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
New King James Version
And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
New Living Translation
David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them.
New Life Bible
Then David numbered the people who were with him. He set over them leaders of thousands and of hundreds.
New Revised Standard
Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then David mustered the people that were with him, - and set over them, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David, having reviewed his people, appointed over them captains of thousands and of hundreds,
Revised Standard Version
Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
THE MESSAGE
David organized his forces. He appointed captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. Then David deployed his troops, a third under Joab, a third under Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under Ittai the Gittite. The king then announced, "I'm marching with you."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David numbered the people who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.

Contextual Overview

1David numbered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.2Then David sent the army out, a third under the command of Joab, a third under Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will certainly go out [to fight] with you." 3But the men said, "You should not go out [to battle with us]. For if in fact we retreat, they will not care about us; even if half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. So now it is better that you be ready to help us from the city [of Mahanaim]." 4Then the king said to them, "I will do whatever seems best to you." So the king stood beside the gate [of Mahanaim], and all the army went out in groups of hundreds and of thousands. 5The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently with the young man Absalom for my sake." And all the men heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. 6So the men went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7The men of Israel [who supported Absalom] were defeated there by the men of David, and a great slaughter took place there that day, 20,000 men. 8For the battle there was spread out over the surface of the entire countryside, and the [hazards of the] forest devoured more men that day than did the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

numbered: Exodus 17:9, Joshua 8:10

captains of thousands: 1 Samuel 8:12

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 18:4 - by hundreds

Cross-References

Genesis 12:7
Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your descendants." So Abram built an altar there to [honor] the LORD who had appeared to him.
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; Your reward [for obedience] shall be very great."
Genesis 17:22
And God finished speaking with him and went up from Abraham.
Genesis 18:1
Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre [in Hebron], while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
Genesis 18:3
and Abraham said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass by your servant [without stopping to visit].
Genesis 26:2
The LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I will tell you.
Genesis 48:3
Then Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz (Bethel) in the land of Canaan and blessed me,
Exodus 4:1
Then Moses answered [the LORD] and said, "What if they will not believe me or take seriously what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"
2 Chronicles 1:7
That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask what I shall give to you."
Acts 7:2
And he answered, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David numbered the people that [were] with him,.... Which Josephus says d were four thousand; but one would think there should be more by what follows:

and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them; he divided his army into companies, which consisted some of a thousand and others of a hundred; over each of which he set captains, to lead them on, direct, and command them in battle.

d Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XVIII

David reviews and arranges the people, and gives the command

to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, 1, 2.

On his expressing a desire to accompany them to the battle,

they will not permit him, 3.

He reviews them as they go out of the city, and gives

commandment to the captains to save Absalom, 4, 5.

They join battle with Absalom and his army, who are discomfited

with the loss of twenty thousand men, 6-8.

Absalom, fleeing away, is caught by his head in an oak; Joab

finds him, and transfixes him with three darts, 9-15.

The servants of David are recalled, and Absalom buried, 16-18.

Ahimaaz and Cushi bring the tidings to David, who is greatly

distressed at hearing of the death of Absalom, and makes

bitter lamentation for him, 19-33.

NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII

Verse 2 Samuel 18:1. And set captains of thousands — By this time David's small company was greatly recruited; but what its number was we cannot tell. Josephus says it amounted to four thousand men. Others have supposed that they amounted to ten thousand; for thus they understand a clause in 2 Samuel 18:3, which they think should be read, We are now ten thousand strong.


 
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