Lectionary Calendar
Monday, November 24th, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 18:7

David's army defeated the Israelites. It was a great defeat because 20,000 men were killed that day.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Absalom (1);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead.
Hebrew Names Version
The people of Yisra'el were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
The army of Israel was defeated there before the servants of David, and the defeat there was great on that day: twenty thousand.
English Standard Version
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
New Century Version
There David's army defeated the Israelites. Many died that day—twenty thousand men.
New English Translation
The army of Israel was defeated there by David's men. The slaughter there was great that day—20,000 soldiers were killed.
Amplified Bible
The 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.
New American Standard Bible
The people of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, twenty thousand men.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruants of Dauid: so there was a great slaughter that day, euen of twentie thousande.
Legacy Standard Bible
And the people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men.
Contemporary English Version
Battles 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.
Complete Jewish Bible
The people of Isra'el were defeated there by David's servants; there was a terrible slaughter that day of 20,000 men.
Darby Translation
And the people of Israel were routed before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day: twenty thousand men.
George Lamsa Translation
And there was a battle, and the people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter on that day of twenty thousand men.
Good News Translation
The Israelites were defeated by David's men; it was a terrible defeat, with twenty thousand men killed that day.
Literal Translation
And the people of Israel were stricken before David's servants. And there was a great destruction on that day of twenty thousand.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the people of Israel were smitten there before Dauids seruauntes, so that there was a greate slaughter the same daye, of twentye thousande men.
American Standard Version
And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
Bible in Basic English
And the people of Israel were overcome there by the servants of David, and there was a great destruction that day, and twenty thousand men were put to the sword.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruauntes of Dauid: & there was a great slaughter that day, euen of twentie thousande men.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
King James Version (1611)
Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruants of Dauid, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the people of Israel fell down there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter in that day, even twenty thousand men.
English Revised Version
And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
Berean Standard Bible
There the people of Israel were defeated by David's servants, and the slaughter was great that day-twenty thousand men.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the puple of Israel was slayn there of the oost of Dauid, and a greet sleyng of twenti thousynde was maad in that dai.
Young's Literal Translation
and smitten there are the people of Israel before the servants of David, and the smiting there is great on that day -- twenty thousand;
Update Bible Version
And the people of Israel were smitten there before the slaves of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
Webster's Bible Translation
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].
World English Bible
The people of Israel were struck there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
New King James Version
The people of Israel were overthrown there before the servants of David, and a great slaughter of twenty thousand took place there that day.
New Living Translation
and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David's men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.
New Life Bible
The people of Israel lost the fight there to the servants of David. Twenty thousand men were killed there that day.
New Revised Standard
The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then were the people of Israel defeated there, before he servants of David, - and the slaughter there was great, on that day - twenty thousand.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the people of Israel were defeated there by David’s army, and a great slaughter was made that day of twenty thousand men.
Revised Standard Version
And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men.

Contextual Overview

1 David counted his men and chose captains over 1000 and captains over 100 to lead them. 2 He separated the people into three groups and sent them out. Joab led a third of the men. Joab's brother, Abishai son of Zeruiah, led another third. And Ittai from Gath led the last third. King David said to the people, "I will also go with you." 3 But they said, "No! You must not go with us. If we run away in the battle, Absalom's men will not care. No, even if only half of us are killed, Absalom's men will not care. But you are worth 10,000 of us! It is better for you to stay in the city. Then, if we need help, you can come to help us." 4 The king said to them, "I will do what you think is best." Then the king stood by the gate as the army went out in groups of 100 and 1000. 5 The king gave a command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. He said, "Do this for me: Be gentle with young Absalom!" Everyone heard the king's orders about Absalom to the captains. 6 David's army went out into the field against Absalom's Israelites. They fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7 David's army defeated the Israelites. It was a great defeat because 20,000 men were killed that day. 8 The battle spread throughout the country, but more men died in the forest than by the sword.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the people: 2 Samuel 2:17, 2 Samuel 15:6, 2 Samuel 19:41-43

a great: Proverbs 11:21, Proverbs 24:21

twenty thousand men: 2 Samuel 2:26, 2 Samuel 2:31, 2 Chronicles 13:16, 2 Chronicles 13:17, 2 Chronicles 28:6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 4:10 - a very great Psalms 3:6 - ten Psalms 18:38 - General Proverbs 24:22 - their Ecclesiastes 4:16 - they also

Cross-References

Genesis 18:15
Sarah said, "I didn't laugh!" (She said this because she was afraid.) Then the Lord said, "No, I know that is not true. You did laugh!"
Genesis 18:16
Then the men got up to leave. They looked toward Sodom and began walking in that direction. Abraham walked with them to send them on their way.
Genesis 19:3
But Lot continued to ask them to come to his house, so they agreed and went with him. Lot gave them something to drink. He baked some bread for them, and they ate it.
Amos 6:4
But now you lie on ivory beds and stretch out on your couches. You eat tender young lambs from the flock and young calves from the stable.
Malachi 1:14
"Some people have good, male animals that they could give as sacrifices, but don't. Some people bring good animals and promise to give those healthy animals to me. But then they secretly exchange those good animals and give me sick animals instead. Bad things will happen to those people. I am the Great King and people all around the world respect me!" This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
Matthew 22:4
"Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, ‘I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'
Luke 15:23
And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat.
Luke 15:27
The boy said, ‘Your brother has come back, and your father killed the best calf to eat. He is happy because he has his son back safe and sound.'
Luke 15:30
But then this son of yours comes home after wasting your money on prostitutes, and you kill the best calf for him!'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David,.... That is, the people of Israel that were under Absalom, these were beaten by David's army:

and there was a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand [men]; including both those that fell in the field of battle, and that were slain in the pursuit; and this is to be understood only of Absalom's party.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:7. Twenty thousand men. — Whether these were slain on the field of battle, or whether they were reckoned with those slain in the wood of Ephraim, we know not.


 
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