2 Samuel 18:3

Det Norsk Bibelselskap

Men folket sa: Du skal ikke dra ut; for om vi flykter, bryr ingen sig om oss, og om halvdelen av oss faller, bryr heller ingen sig om oss; men du er så god som ti tusen av oss, og nu er det bedre at du er rede til å komme oss til hjelp fra byen.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou shalt: 2 Samuel 21:17

if we flee: 2 Samuel 17:2, 1 Kings 22:31, Zechariah 13:7

care for us: Heb. set their heart on us

but now: The particle attah, Now, is doubtless a mistake for the pronoun attah, Thou, and so it appears to have been read by the LXX, Vulgate, and Chaldee, and by two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's manuscripts.

worth: etc. Heb. as ten thousand of us, Lamentations 4:20

succour: Heb. be to succour, 2 Samuel 10:11, Exodus 17:10-12

Reciprocal: Exodus 18:23 - and all this 1 Samuel 14:38 - chief Jeremiah 40:15 - wherefore Acts 19:30 - the disciples Romans 5:7 - some

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But the people answered, thou shalt not go forth,.... They were as resolute as David:

for if we flee away, they will not care for us; to pursue after us;

neither if half of us die, will they care for us; they will make no account of the victory; but if they could slay David, or get him into their hands, it would be more to them than if the whole army was routed:

but now [thou art] worth ten thousand of us; not only in our own esteem, but in the account of the enemy, who had rather thou shouldest fall into their hands than ten thousand of us; and as the advantage to them, so the loss to us would be more than ten thousand men:

therefore now [it is] better that thou succour us out of the city; either by sending them provisions or recruits, that might be there in reserve, if necessary; or by being ready to receive them into it should they be repulsed; or rather by his prayers to God for them; so the Targum,

"now it is better that thou pray for us out of the city;''

that is, that the Lord would help us; and so most of the Jewish commentators understand it of helping them by his prayers and counsels.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Succour us out of the city - David, with a reserve, would hold the city, and either support the bands in case of need, or receive them within the walls should they be compelled to flee.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 18:3. But now thou art worth ten thousand of us — The particle יתה attah, now, is doubtless a mistake for the pronoun אתה attah, thou; and so it appears to have been read by the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Chaldee, and by two of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS.