2 Samuel 17:8

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Hushai continued, 'You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors and bitter in spirit, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is an experienced fighter, and he will not spend the night with the troops.'

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חוּשַׁ֗י אַתָּ֣ה יָ֠דַעְתָּ אֶת־אָבִ֨יךָ וְאֶת־אֲנָשָׁ֜יו כִּ֧י גִבֹּרִ֣ים הֵ֗מָּה וּמָרֵ֥י נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הֵ֔מָּה כְּדֹ֥ב שַׁכּ֖וּל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְאָבִ֙יךָ֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וְלֹ֥א יָלִ֖ין אֶת־הָעָֽם׃

Transliteration

And wayyōʾmer Ḥûšay, You yāḏaʿtā your ʾāḇîḵā and his ʾănāšāyw that gibbōrîm they [are] and mārê of nep̄eš they [are], like a kəḏōḇ šakkûl in the baśśāḏeh; and your wəʾāḇîḵā [is] an ʾîš of milḥāmāh, and not yālîn with the hāʿām.

Grammar Details

• *wayyōʾmer*: waw consecutive + imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *Ḥûšay*: proper noun, masculine - Hushai
• *yāḏaʿtā*: perfect, 2nd masculine singular, qal - you know
• *ʾāḇîḵā*: noun, masculine singular construct + 2nd masculine singular suffix - your father
• *ʾănāšāyw*: noun, masculine plural construct + 3rd masculine singular suffix - his men
• *gibbōrîm*: adjective, masculine plural - mighty men
• *mārê*: adjective, masculine plural construct - bitter of
• *nep̄eš*: noun, feminine singular - soul
• *kəḏōḇ*: preposition + noun, masculine singular - like a bear
• *šakkûl*: passive participle, masculine singular, qal - bereaved
• *baśśāḏeh*: preposition + definite article + noun, masculine singular - in the field
• *wəʾāḇîḵā*: waw conjunction + noun, masculine singular construct + 2nd masculine singular suffix - and your father
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular construct - man of
• *milḥāmāh*: noun, feminine singular - war
• *yālîn*: imperfect, 3rd masculine singular, qal - he will spend the night

Word Meanings

• *gibbōrîm*: mighty men/warriors/heroes
• *mārê* *nep̄eš*: bitter of soul/fierce in spirit/desperate
• *kəḏōḇ* *šakkûl*: like a bear bereaved of cubs/like a bear robbed of her young
• *ʾîš* *milḥāmāh*: man of war/warrior/experienced fighter
• *yālîn*: will spend the night/lodge/stay

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  For, said Hushai, you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and are angry in their minds, as a bear robbed of her cubs in the field: and your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And Chusai sayde morouer: Thou knowest thy father well and his men, that they are stronge and of a wrothfull stomack, euen as a Beer that is robbed of hir yonge ones in the felde, Thy father also is a man of warre, and wyl not be necliget with the people.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father, and his men, that they be strong men, and are chafed in minde as a beare robbed of her whelps in the fielde: also thy father is a valiant warrier, and will not lodge with the people.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  For sayde Husai, thou knowest thy father & his men howe that they be strong men, and they be chased in their mindes, and are euen as a Beare robbed of her whelpes in the fielde: Thy father is a man also practised in warre, and wil not lodge with the people.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  For, said Hushai, thou knowest thy father and his men, that they [be] mighty men, and they [be] chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father [is] a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Hushai said moreover, You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, as a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Hushai saith, `Thou hast known thy father and his men, that they `are' heroes, and they are bitter in soul as a bereaved bear in a field, and thy father `is' a man of war, and doth not lodge with the people;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Hushai said further, You have knowledge of your father and his men, that they are men of war, and that their feelings are bitter, like those of a bear in the field whose young ones have been taken from her: and your father is a man of war, and will not take his night's rest with the people;

• World English Bible (2000)

  Hushai said moreover, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Hushai went on to say,“You know your father and his men– they are soldiers and are as dangerous as a bear out in the wild that has been robbed of her cubs. Your father is an experienced soldier; he will not stay overnight with the army.

Referenced Verses

• Hos 13:8 : 8 I will attack them like a bear robbed of her cubs; I will tear their hearts open. There I will devour them like a lion; a wild beast will rip them apart.
• 1 Sam 16:18 : 18 One of the young men answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a valiant warrior, eloquent, and handsome, and the LORD is with him."
• Heb 11:32-34 : 32 And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength out of weakness, became mighty in battle, and routed foreign armies.
• Prov 17:12 : 12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
• Dan 7:5 : 5 Then I saw a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said to it, 'Arise, devour much flesh!'
• Judg 18:25 : 25 The Danites said to him, 'Don’t raise your voice with us, or some bitter-tempered men might attack you, and you and your family could lose your lives.'
• Prov 28:15 : 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
• 1 Sam 17:34-36 : 34 David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock,' 35 'I went after it, struck it, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its mane, struck it, and killed it.' 36 'Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.'
• 1 Sam 17:50 : 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone. Without a sword in his hand, he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
• 1 Sam 23:23 : 23 Carefully identify all the hiding places where he could be staying and return to me with reliable information. Then I will come with you, and if he is indeed in the land, I will search for him among all the clans of Judah.
• 2 Sam 15:18 : 18 All his servants passed by him, along with all the Kerethites, Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had come with him from Gath, marching past in front of the king.
• 2 Sam 21:18-22 : 18 After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. At that time, Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, a descendant of Rapha. 19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite struck down Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod. 20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in total. He too was descended from Rapha. 21 He taunted Israel, but Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, struck him down. 22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and his men.
• 2 Sam 23:8-9 : 8 These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the captains. He wielded his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter. 9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines who had gathered there for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated,
• 2 Sam 23:16 : 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine camp, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out to the LORD.
• 2 Sam 23:18 : 18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and he became as famous as the Three.
• 2 Sam 23:20-22 : 20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian, although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained a name among the three mighty warriors.
• 2 Kgs 2:24 : 24 He turned around, saw them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the forest and mauled forty-two of the boys.
• 1 Chr 11:25-47 : 25 He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. 26 The mighty warriors were: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem, 27 Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite, 28 Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, Heled son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah of the Benjaminites, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 Hurai from the valleys of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan son of Shageh the Hararite, 35 Ahiam son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal son of Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah, 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, Zabad son of Ahlai, 42 Adina son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and the leader over thirty men. 43 Hanan son of Maacah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael son of Shimri, and Joha his brother the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.