2 Samuel 18:3

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

But the people said, 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 thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֗א כִּי֩ אִם־נֹ֨ס נָנ֜וּס לֹא־יָשִׂ֧ימוּ אֵלֵ֣ינוּ לֵ֗ב וְאִם־יָמֻ֤תוּ חֶצְיֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־יָשִׂ֤ימוּ אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵ֔ב כִּֽי־עַתָּ֥ה כָמֹ֖נוּ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה אֲלָפִ֑ים וְעַתָּ֣ה ט֔וֹב כִּי־תִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֥נוּ מֵעִ֖יר לַעְזֽוֹר׃ ס

Transliteration

wa-yōʾmer ha-ʿām not you-shall-go-out because if-fleeing we-flee not-they-will-set to-us heart and-if-they-die half-of-us not-they-will-set to-us heart because-now like-us ten thousands and-now good that-you-will-be-to-us from-city laʿăzôr.

Grammar Details

*wa-yōʾmer*: waw-consecutive + qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and said
*ha-ʿām*: definite article + common noun, masculine singular - the people/troops
*lōʾ tēṣēʾ*: negative particle + qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular - you shall not go out
*nōs nānûs*: qal infinitive absolute + qal imperfect 1st common plural - if we surely flee
*yāśîmû*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they will set/place
*lēb*: common noun, masculine singular - heart/mind/attention
*yāmutû*: qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural - they die
*ḥeṣyênû*: common noun + 1st common plural suffix - half of us
*ʿattāh*: adverb - now
*kāmônû*: preposition + 1st common plural suffix - like us
*ʿăśārāh ʾălāp̄îm*: numeral + common noun, masculine plural - ten thousand
*ṭôb*: adjective, masculine singular - good
*tihyeh-lānû*: qal imperfect 2nd masculine singular + preposition + 1st common plural suffix - you will be for us
*mēʿîr*: preposition + common noun, feminine singular - from the city
*laʿăzôr*: preposition + qal infinitive construct - to help

Word Meanings

*nûs*: to flee/escape
*śîm lēb*: to pay attention/set heart/care about
*ʿîr*: city/town
*ʿāzar*: to help/assist/aid

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

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Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

2 Sam 21:17 : 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
1 Kgs 22:31 : 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty and two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
Lam 4:20 : 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; Of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.
Zech 13:7 : 7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones.
Exod 17:10-12 : 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
2 Sam 10:11 : 11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
2 Sam 17:2 : 2 and I will come upon him while he is weary and weak-handed, {H3027} and will make him afraid; and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only;

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

2 Sam 18:1-2
2 verses
83%
1And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
2And David sent forth the people, a third part 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.
2 Sam 18:4
78%
4And the king said unto them, What seemeth you best I will do. And the king stood by the gate-side, {H3027} and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
2 Sam 15:14-15
2 verses
75%
14And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall choose.
2 Sam 19:7
73%
7Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants; for I swear by Jehovah, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry a man with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.
1 Sam 30:21-24
4 verses
73%
21And David came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to abide at the brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
22Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.
23Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which Jehovah hath given unto us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.
24And who will hearken unto you in this matter? for as his share is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his share be that tarrieth by the baggage: they shall share alike.
Josh 8:5-6
2 verses
72%
5and I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them;
6and they will come out after us, till we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: so we will flee before them;
1 Sam 23:3
72%
3And David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
1 Sam 14:9
72%
9If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
2 Chr 10:16
72%
16And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So all Israel departed unto their tents.
2 Sam 15:17-20
4 verses
72%
17And the king went forth, and all the people after him; and they tarried in Beth-merhak.
18And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return, and abide with the king: for thou art a foreigner, and also an exile; [return] to thine own place.
20Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I may? return thou, and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth be with thee.
1 Sam 23:12-13
2 verses
72%
12Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
1 Chr 19:12-13
2 verses
72%
12And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
13Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good.
2 Sam 19:9
71%
9And all the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from Absalom.
2 Sam 10:11-12
2 verses
71%
11And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
12Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good.
2 Sam 19:43
71%
43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more [right] in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
1 Chr 21:3
71%
3And Joab said, Jehovah make his people a hundred times as many as they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt unto Israel?
2 Sam 20:6
71%
6And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord's servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.
1 Sam 17:32
71%
32And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
1 Sam 25:12-13
2 verses
71%
12So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.
13And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.
2 Sam 15:33
71%
33And David said unto him, If thou passest on with me, then thou wilt be a burden unto me:
1 Kgs 12:16
70%
16And when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
1 Sam 24:9
70%
9And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
1 Sam 26:6
70%
6Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
1 Sam 27:1
70%
1And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
Judg 7:10
70%
10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp:
Judg 20:8
70%
8And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn unto his house.
Judg 20:10
69%
10and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
1 Chr 12:17
69%
17And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if [ye be come] to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
1 Sam 30:15
69%
15And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this troop.
Ps 108:11
69%
11Hast not thou cast us off, O God? And thou goest not forth, O God, with our hosts.
Ps 3:6
69%
6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people That have set themselves against me round about.
1 Chr 12:19
69%
19Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not; for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads.
2 Sam 17:11
69%
11But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.
1 Sam 28:1
69%
1And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men.
2 Sam 18:7
69%
7And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
2 Sam 15:22
69%
22And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
2 Sam 21:17
69%
17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.