Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, April 29th, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
For 10¢ a day you can enjoy StudyLight.org ads
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

2 Samuel 18:8

This verse is not available in the CEV!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ephraim;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Forests;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ahimaaz;   Ephraim;   Joab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Ephraim;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Ephraim, Wood of;   Forest;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Fox;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Betah;   Ephraim, Forest of;   Forest;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abishai;   Amasa;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Forest;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   David;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Tree;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Armor;   Forest;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than the sword.
Hebrew Names Version
For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
The battle there was spreading over the surface of all the land, and the forest devoured more among the army than the sword did on that day.
English Standard Version
The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
New Century Version
The battle spread through all the country, but that day more men died in the forest than in the fighting.
New English Translation
The battle there was spread out over the whole area, and the forest consumed more soldiers than the sword devoured that day.
Amplified Bible
For 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.
New American Standard Bible
For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For the battel was skattered ouer all the countrey: and the wood deuoured much more people that day, then did the sworde.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the battle there was scattered over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Complete Jewish Bible
For the battle there was spread all over the countryside; the forest devoured more people that day than did the sword.
Darby Translation
And the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Easy-to-Read Version
The battle spread throughout the country, but more men died in the forest than by the sword.
George Lamsa Translation
For there was a great battle which spread over the face of the country; and the wild beasts of the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Good News Translation
The fighting spread over the countryside, and more men died in the forest than were killed in battle.
Literal Translation
And the battle was scattered over the face of all the land, and the forest devoured among the people more than the sword had devoured in that day.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the battaill was scatred abrode there in the londe. And the wod consumed moch more people the same daye, then the swerde consumed.
American Standard Version
For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Bible in Basic English
And the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For the battell was scattered ouer al the countrey: And the wood deuoured mo people that day, then dyd the sword.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
King James Version (1611)
For the battell was there scattered ouer the face of all the countrey: and the wood deuoured more people that day, then the sword deuoured.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the land: and the wood consumed more of the people than the sword consumed among the people in that day.
English Revised Version
For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country: and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Berean Standard Bible
The battle spread over the whole countryside, and that day the forest devoured more people than the sword.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe the batel was scaterid there on the face of al erthe, and many mo weren of the puple whiche the forest wastide, than thei whiche the swerd deuourid in that dai.
Young's Literal Translation
and 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.
Update Bible Version
For the battle was spread there over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
New King James Version
For the battle there was scattered over the face of the whole countryside, and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
New Living Translation
The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.
New Life Bible
The battle was spread over the whole country. Dangers from the trees destroyed more people that day than the sword.
New Revised Standard
The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the battle there was spread out over the face of all the land, - and the forest devoured more of the people than the sword devoured on that day.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country, and there were many more of the people whom the forest consumed, than whom the sword devoured that day.
Revised Standard Version
The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 He sent out one-third of his army under the command of Joab, another third under the command of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, and the rest under the command of Ittai from Gath. He told the soldiers, "I'm going into battle with you." 3 But the soldiers said, "No, don't go into battle with us! It won't matter to our enemies if they make us all run away, or even if they kill half of us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It would be better for you to stay in town and send help if we need it." 4David said, "All right, if you think I should." Then in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he said, "Joab! Abishai! Ittai! For my sake, be sure that Absalom comes back unharmed." David stood beside the town gate as his army marched past in groups of a hundred and in groups of a thousand. The war with Israel took place in Ephraim Forest. 7Battles were being fought all over the forest, and David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day, and more of them died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting itself.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure 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. Exodus 15:10, Joshua 10:11, Judges 5:20, Judges 5:21, 1 Kings 20:30, Psalms 3:7, Psalms 43:1

devoured more: Heb. multiplied to devour

Reciprocal: Psalms 18:38 - General Proverbs 24:22 - their Ecclesiastes 4:16 - they also

Cross-References

Genesis 19:3
But Lot kept insisting, until they finally agreed and went home with him. He baked some bread, cooked a meal, and they ate.
Deuteronomy 32:14
Your flocks and herds produced milk and yogurt, and you got choice meat from your sheep and goats that grazed in Bashan. Your wheat was the finest, and you drank the best wine.
Judges 5:25
Sisera asked for water, but Jael gave him milk— cream in a fancy cup.
Judges 13:15
"Please," Manoah said, "stay here with us for just a little while, and we'll fix a young goat for you to eat."
Nehemiah 12:44
On that same day, some leaders were appointed to be responsible for the safekeeping of gifts for the temple and to be in charge of receiving the first part of the harvest and the ten percent of the crops and livestock that was offered to God. These same leaders also collected the part of crops that the Law of Moses taught was to be given to the Levites. Everyone was pleased with the work of the priests and Levites,
Luke 12:37
Servants are fortunate if their master finds them awake and ready when he comes! I promise you that he will get ready and have his servants sit down so he can serve them.
Luke 17:8
No, you wouldn't say that. You would say, "Fix me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink."
Luke 24:30
After Jesus sat down to eat, he took some bread. He blessed it and broke it. Then he gave it to them.
Luke 24:43
He took it and ate it as they watched.
John 12:2
A meal had been prepared for Jesus. Martha was doing the serving, and Lazarus himself was there.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country,.... Or the warriors were scattered, as the Targum; Absalom's soldiers, their ranks were broken, and they were thrown into the utmost confusion, and ran about here and there all over the field or plain in which the battle was fought, and into the neighbouring wood:

and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured; there were more slain in it the in the field of battle, what by one thing or another; as by falling into pits and on stumps of trees, and being entangled in the bushes, and could make but little haste, and so were overtaken by David's men, and slain; insomuch that, as Josephus h observes, there were more slain fleeing than fighting, and perhaps some might perish by wild beasts; so the Targum,

"and the beasts of the wood slew more of the people than were slain by the sword;''

and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words to the same purpose.

h Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10. sect. 2.)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The battle was scattered - Probably Absalom’s forces were far more numerous than David’s; but, most likely by Joab’s skillful generalship, the field of battle was such that numbers did not tell, and David’s veteran troops were able to destroy Absalom’s rabble in detail. The wood entangled them, and was perhaps full of pits, precipices, and morasses 2 Samuel 18:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:8. 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, c., 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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile