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Saturday, August 16th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

2 Samuel 18:8

The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

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.
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 Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 And David sent forth the army, one third under the command of Jo'ab, one third under the command of Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, Jo'ab's brother, and one third under the command of It'tai the Gittite. And the king said to the men, "I myself will also go out with you." 3 But the men said, "You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us; therefore it is better that you send us help from the city." 4 The king said to them, "Whatever seems best to you I will do." So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king ordered Jo'ab and Abi'shai and It'tai, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Ab'salom." And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Ab'salom. 6 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of E'phraim. 7 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. 8 The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

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 he urged them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
Deuteronomy 32:14
Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs and rams, herds of Bashan and goats, with the finest of the wheat--and of the blood of the grape you drank wine.
Judges 5:25
He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
Judges 13:15
Mano'ah said to the angel of the LORD, "Pray, let us detain you, and prepare a kid for you."
Nehemiah 12:44
On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.
Luke 12:37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.
Luke 17:8
Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'?
Luke 24:30
When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.
Luke 24:43
and he took it and ate before them.
John 12:2
There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Laz'arus was one of those at table with him.

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.


 
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