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2 Samuel 17:9

in 2 Samuel 17

Surely by now he is hiding in a cave or some other location. If some of your troops fall first, whoever hears of it will say, ‘There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.’

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them are fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

KJV

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.

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This verse in 2 Samuel 17

Commentary

6 notes on this verse
Some pit, or in some other place - The Hebrew has “in one of the pits,” or “in one of the places.” Hence, “place” must have some defined meaning. It probably is used here, as elsewhere, for a “dwelling-house” or “village,” which might in that district be fortified houses 2Sa 17:12; 1Sa 26:25. Hushai’s argument is that there was no chance of seizing David by surprise as Ahithophel suggested.

This site's exposition

is not good at this time

on 2 Samuel 17:7-13

Hushai concedes what everyone in the room already knows, that Ahithophel's counsel has generally been sound, and stakes his objection only on this time, which gives his dissent the appearance of fairness rather than rivalry. His argument is picture and flattery together: David and his mighty men are a bear robbed of her whelps, too dangerous to be caught by surprise, so let Absalom instead gather all Israel from Dan to Beersheba and lead the host himself, as the sand of the sea for multitude. Every word plays to the young man's vanity and buys David the one thing Ahithophel's plan would have denied him, time.

This site's exposition

hiding in a cave

Hushai says David is surely hiding in a cave. Albert Barnes notes the Hebrew reads one of the pits or one of the places, and takes place to mean a small fortified village. Matthew Henry hears the real threat in the second half, where one early loss among the troops who follow Absalom would be called a slaughter and the revolt would lose heart.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

In short, he will not find it so easy a matter to deal with David and his men as he thinks it is; and, if he be foiled, we shall all be routed." (2.) He offered his own advice, and gave his reasons; and, [1.] He counselled that which he knew would gratify Absalom's proud vain-glorious humour, though it would not be really serviceable to his interest.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

But his dexterity was chiefly displayed in that part of his counsel which recommended a general levy throughout the country; and that Absalom should take command of it in person--thereby flattering at once the pride and ambition of the usurper. The bait was caught by the vainglorious and wicked prince.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

Even if he is a soldier. That person who hears [about the disaster] even if he is a soldier and his heart is like that of a lion his heart will surely melt in fear and trepidation.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on II Samuel 17:10:1, via Sefaria, The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

22 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • הִנֵּ֨הthere!

    hinehH2009 →843 times

  • עַתָּ֤הnow

    ʾatahH6258 →433 times

  • הֽוּא־he

    hu'-H1931 →1879 times

  • נֶחְבָּא֙[has] hidden himself

    nechba'H2244 →

  • בְּאַחַ֣תin one of

    beachatH259 →971 times

  • הַפְּחָתִ֔יםthe ravines

    hapechatimH6354 →

  • א֖וֹor

    ʾoH176 →321 times

  • בְּאַחַ֣דin one of

    beachadH259 →971 times

  • הַמְּקוֹמֹ֑תthe places

    hamekomotH4725 →401 times

  • וְהָיָ֗הand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • כִּנְפֹ֤לwhen falls

    kinfolH5307 →435 times

  • בָּהֶם֙among <the> them

    bahem

  • בַּתְּחִלָּ֔הat the first

    batechilahH8462 →22 times

  • וְשָׁמַ֤עand he will hear

    veshama'H8085 →1159 times

  • הַשֹּׁמֵ֙עַ֙the [one who] hears

    hashomea'H8085 →1159 times

  • וְאָמַ֔רand he will say

    veamarH559 →5305 times

  • הָֽיְתָה֙it has been

    hayetahH1961 →3559 times

  • מַגֵּפָ֔הa slaughter

    magefahH4046 →25 times

  • בָּעָ֕םamong the people

    baamH5971 →1873 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֖רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • אַחֲרֵ֥י[is] after

    ʾachareiH310 →715 times

  • אַבְשָׁלֹֽם׃Absalom

    ʾavshalomH53 →110 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

7 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Jeremiah 41:9Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.3 works1 Samuel 14:14–15In that first assault, Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men over half an acre of land.2 worksJudges 20:32–33“We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”2 works1 Samuel 24:3Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.2 works1 Samuel 22:1So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.2 worksJoshua 8:6They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,2 works
The other 1 cross-references, with their words ▾
Joshua 7:5And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    1 Samuel 22:1

    So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 57:1–11

      Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Psalms 142:1–7

      I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Psalms 34:1

      I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.

    • 1 Chronicles 11:15

      Three of the thirty chief men went down to David, to the rock at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

    • Joshua 12:15

      the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

  • Through

    1 Samuel 24:3

    Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.

    it leads to

    • Judges 3:24

      After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.

  • Through

    Joshua 8:6

    They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,

    it leads to

    • Exodus 14:3

      For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in.’

    • Ecclesiastes 9:12

      For surely no man knows his time: Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds trapped in a snare, so men are ensnared in an evil time that suddenly falls upon them.

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Mourns the Death of Absalom, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
2 Samuel: the study guide →Read 2 Samuel 17 →

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 2 Samuel 17 →