Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 18:7

Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead.

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

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

1David reviewed his troops and appointed commanders of thousands and of hundreds over them. 2He then sent out the troops, a third under Joab, a third under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under Ittai of Gath. The king said to the troops, “I must also march out with you.” 3“You must not go!” the people pleaded. “If we have to flee, they will not pay any attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not pay any attention to us because you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore, it is better if you support us from the city.” 4“I will do whatever you think is best,” the king replied to them. So he stood beside the city gate while all the troops marched out by hundreds and thousands. 5The king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake.” All the people heard the king’s orders to all the commanders about Absalom. 6Then David’s forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7Israel’s army was defeated by David’s soldiers, and the slaughter there was vast that day—twenty thousand dead. 8The battle spread over the entire area, and that day the forest claimed more people than 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 denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.
Genesis 18:16
The men got up from there and looked out over Sodom, and Abraham was walking with them to see them off.
Genesis 19:3
But he urged them so strongly that they followed him and went into his house. He prepared a feast and baked unleavened bread for them, and they ate.
Amos 6:4
They lie on beds inlaid with ivory,sprawled out on their couches,and dine on lambs from the flockand calves from the stall.
Malachi 1:14
“The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.
Matthew 22:4
Again, he sent out other servants and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
Luke 15:23
Then bring the fattened calf
Luke 15:27
‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
Luke 15:30
But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets

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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