The Meaning of 2 Samuel 18:8 Explained

2 Samuel 18:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: 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.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Samuel 18:8 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 18:1-15 - The End Of An Unfilial Son
Absalom's army was soon across the river under Amasa, David's nephew, 2 Samuel 17:25-26. Though political reasons constrained David to flight, his heart bled for his wrong-headed and evil-hearted son, and he gave urgent directions for his safety. Let us here learn something of God's own heart of love. We may have been heartless and thoughtless, have defied His authority and refused to give Him His rightful place; but He gives charge concerning us, desires that we may be spared the full results of our actions, and yearns for our return.
The eastern tribes had rallied so enthusiastically around David's standard, that he soon found himself at the head of a great army, which, to judge from 2 Samuel 18:12, was absolutely loyal to him. But Joab saw farther than the ordinary soldiers and knew that there could be no peace while Absalom lived. He had forfeited his life, according to Deuteronomy 21:18; Deuteronomy 21:21; Deuteronomy 21:23. See also 2 Samuel 17:2; 2 Samuel 17:4. His head being caught in the fork of a tree, it seemed, indeed, as if he were cursed according to the law, Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 18

1  David viewing the armies in their march gives them charge of Absalom
6  The Israelites are sorely smitten in the wood of ephraim
9  Absalom, hanging in an oak is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit
18  Absalom's place
19  Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David
33  David mourns for Absalom

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 18:8 mean?

For was there the battle - scattered over the face of whole the countryside and more the woods devoured people than devoured The sword day that
וַתְּהִי־ שָׁ֧ם הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה [נפצית] (נָפֹ֖צֶת‪‬) עַל־ פְּנֵ֣י כָל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיֶּ֤רֶב הַיַּ֙עַר֙ לֶאֱכֹ֣ל בָּעָ֔ם מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָכְלָ֛ה הַחֶ֖רֶב בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא

וַתְּהִי־  For  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה  the  battle 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
[נפצית]  - 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural
(נָפֹ֖צֶת‪‬)  scattered 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: פּוּץ 
Sense: to scatter, be dispersed, be scattered.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵ֣י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כָל־  of  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  countryside 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיֶּ֤רֶב  and  more 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
הַיַּ֙עַר֙  the  woods 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעַר 
Sense: forest, wood, thicket, wooded height.
לֶאֱכֹ֣ל  devoured 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
בָּעָ֔ם  people 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
מֵאֲשֶׁ֥ר  than 
Parse: Preposition-m, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָכְלָ֛ה  devoured 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
הַחֶ֖רֶב  The  sword 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
בַּיּ֥וֹם  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַהֽוּא  that 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.