2 Samuel 18:3

_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....

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....

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....

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,

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...

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)....

SUCCOUR US OUT OF THE CITY. come to us out of the city with succour by prayer and counsel....

_Thou shalt not go forth_ Compare the protest of David's followers on an earlier occasion (ch. 2 Samuel 21:17). _but now_thou art _worth ten thousand of us_ As the Heb. text stands it must be rendered, _and now there are ten thousand like us_; but, it is implied, none besides like thee. But if we follow the Sept. and Vulg. in reading _thou_for _now_, the sense will be that given by the E. V., which seems best. _that thou succour us out of the city_ By sending reinforcements, and securing their retreat in case of a defeat....