2 Samuel 17:3

3 and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.”

2 Samuel 17:3 in Other Translations

3 And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace.

3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."

3 and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people.”

3 Then I'll bring the army back to you - a bride brought back to her husband! You're only after one man, after all. Then everyone will be together in peace!"

3 and I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.

3 I'll return all the people to you as a bride is returned to her husband. Since you will be seeking the life of only one man, all the people will have peace."

3 and bring all the people back to you. When everyone returns [except] the man you're seeking, all the people will be at peace."

3 Bring all of the other people back. After the man you want to kill is dead, everyone else will return to you. And none of the people will be harmed."

2 Samuel 17:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:3

And I will bring back all the people unto thee
Meaning not the people only that were with David, that he would make them prisoners, and bring them with him; for he before proposed to let them make their escape; but to reduce all Israel to the obedience of Absalom at once, by executing this scheme which he had formed:

the man whom thou seekest [is] as if all returned;
meaning David, whom he speaks of contemptibly, and whose life it seems Absalom sought, as well as his crown; and he being dead, it would be all over at once with the people; they would immediately return to their own habitations, and yield obedience to Absalom as the rightful heir and successor; all depended on his death, he intimates: from whence it appears that Abarbinel is wrong in suggesting that Absalom did not design to take away the life of his father, only to secure the kingdom to himself in his father's lifetime, who he understood had disposed of it by his will to Solomon; but here Ahithophel plainly declares the intention of Absalom, nor would he have proposed in plain terms to take away the king's life, had Absalom been averse to it; and it is plain by what follows that the thing was pleasing to him:

[so] all the people shall be in peace;
both parties coalesce under the government of Absalom, and live peaceably under it, and so an entire end of the war.

2 Samuel 17:3 In-Context

1 Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David.

2 I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king

3 and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.”

4 This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.

5 But Absalom said, “Summon also Hushai the Arkite, so we can hear what he has to say as well.”