2 Samuel 18:6

6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

2 Samuel 18:6 in Other Translations

6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;

6 So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim.

6 So the battle began in the forest of Ephraim,

6 The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle was joined in the Forest of Ephraim.

6 So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.

6 So the troops went out to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim.

6 Then David's forces marched into the field to engage Israel in battle, which took place in the forest of Ephraim.

6 David's army marched into the field to fight against Israel. The battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

2 Samuel 18:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 18:6

So the people went out into the field against Israel
Josephus ^F5 calls it a great field, with a wood behind it:

and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim;
or near it ^F6 rather; not in a wood in the tribe of Ephraim, which lay on this side Jordan; whereas this battle was fought on the other side Jordan, in the land of Gilead, not far from Mahanaim, where was this wood; and which was so called, either from the slaughter of the Ephraimites here in the times of Jephthah, ( Judges 12:4-6 ) ; or from the Ephraimites feeding their cattle here and near it; for the Jews say ^F7, that Joshua gave them a grant to feed their cattle in any wood in any of the tribes of Israel; and lying near Jordan, they used to drive their cattle over to this place, from whence it had its name.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F5 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 10.) sect. 2.
F6 (reyb) "ad sylvam", Junius & Tremellius; "prope sylvam", Piscator.
F7 In Jarchi, Kimchi, & Abarbinel, in loc.

2 Samuel 18:6 In-Context

4 The king answered, “I will do whatever seems best to you.” So the king stood beside the gate while all his men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands.

5 The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders.

6 David’s army marched out of the city to fight Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim.

7 There Israel’s troops were routed by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great—twenty thousand men.

8 The battle spread out over the whole countryside, and the forest swallowed up more men that day than the sword.

Cross References

• 1. S Joshua 17:15; Joshua 17:18