2 Samuel 18:2

_AND DAVID SENT FORTH A THIRD PART OF THE PEOPLE UNDER THE HAND OF JOAB, AND A THIRD PART UNDER THE HAND OF ABISHAI THE SON OF ZERUIAH, JOAB'S BROTHER, AND A THIRD PART UNDER THE HAND OF ITTAI THE GITTITE. AND THE KING SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, I WILL SURELY GO FORTH WITH YOU MYSELF ALSO._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-8 How does David render good for evil! Absalom would have only David smitten; David would have only Absalom spared. This seems to be a resemblance of man's wickedness towards God, and God's mercy to man, of which it is hard to say which is most amazing. Now the Israelites see what it is to take counsel against the Lord and his anointed....

A THIRD PART - This seems to have been a favorite division with the Hebrew commanders (see Judges 7:16; Judges 9:43; 1 Samuel 11:11; 2 Kings 11:5) and with the Philistines also 1 Samuel 13:17....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 18:1 AND DAVID NUMBERED. The verb really means that he organized his army, and arranged it in companies and divisions. As Absalom gathered all Israel to him, there would be some delay; and David, like a wise general, made use of it for training the brave but undisciplined men who had joined him, chiefly from Gilead. Besides these, he had with him numerous veterans, whose skill and experience would be invaluable in such service. The result was that when the rebels came to close quarters, they had a vast body of men, but David a disciplined force, which, under skilful generalship, scattered Absalom's raw levies with ease. The arrangement into thousands and hundreds was in accordance with the civil divisions (Exodus 18:25), both being,

AND DAVID SENT FORTH A THIRD PART OF THE PEOPLE UNDER THE HAND OF JOAB,.... Very likely that which made the centre of the army, since Joab was the general of the army; though this distribution was made when David thought to have headed the army himself, and so made with respect to that: AND A THIRD PART UNDER THE HAND OF ABISHAI THE SON OF ZERUIAH, JOAB'S BROTHER; who was next to Joab in the army, and fought with him against the Syrians and Ammonites, 2 Samuel 10:10; AND A THIRD PART UNDER THE HAND OF ITTAI THE GITTITE; of whom see 2 Samuel 15:19; of these two parts consisted the right and left wings of the army: AND THE KING SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE; the soldiers, and particularly the officers: I will surely go for

8. THE CIVIL WAR AND ABSALOM'S DEATH CHAPTER 18 _ 1. The battle in the forest of Ephraim (2 Samuel 18:1)_ 2. The death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18:9) 3. The tidings of his death and David's grief (2 Samuel 18:19) And now everything is ready for the battle and the victory. The army of David consisted of three divisions, Joab, Abishai and the faithful Ittai had the command. David was ready to go forth with his warriors, but the people refused to let him go. What a testimony they gave concerning him! “Thou art worth ten thousand of us. But of Him, who according to the flesh is the Son of David, we say, “He alone is worthy.” The king then stood by the gate of Mahanaim to see the d

1 SAMUEL 18:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 19:8. DEFEAT AND DEATH OF ABSALOM. DAVID'S GRIEF (J). 2 SAMUEL 18:1. Absalom's followers are defeated with great slaughter. Nothing is known as to the battle-field, the Forest of Ephraim, beyond what may be gathered from this story. Many fugitives lost their lives by falling headlong in the broken, rocky country; some perhaps, especially the wounded died of hunger and exhaustion in these inhospitable tracts, with which they were not familiar. Forest here, as often in England, _e.g._ Ashdown Forest, denotes the kind of country described above, and not a continuous mass of trees (_cf._ Budde)....

_sent forth … under the hand of Joab_ Better, PUT … INTO THE HAND OF JOAB, i.e. under his command. The army does not take the field until 2 Samuel 18:6. The division of an army into three bodies seems to have been a common practice. See Judges 7:16; Jdg 9:43; 1 Samuel 11:11. David intended to take the chief command in person....

_David's Battle Plan._ 2 Samuel 18:1-8 And David numbered the people that _were_ with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. 3 But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now _thou art_ worth ten thousand of us: therefore now _it is_ better that thou succor us out of the city. 4 And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

THE DEFEAT AND DEATH OF ABSALOM 1. Numbered] rather, 'mustered.'...