2 Samuel 17:8

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Hushai	חוּשַׁ֗י chu.Shai	H2365	Chushai · proper noun, a man's name
knowest	יָ֠דַעְתָּ Ya.da'.ta	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal perfect, 2nd person masculine singular
father	אָבִ֨יךָ 'a.Vi.kha	H1	father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
men	אֲנָשָׁ֜יו 'a.na.Shav	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
men	גִבֹּרִ֣ים gi.bo.Rim	H1368	powerful · noun, common masculine plural absolute
chafed	וּמָרֵ֥י u.ma.Rei	H4751	bitter (literally or figuratively) · conjunction + adjective, masculine plural construct
minds	נֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ ne.fesh	H5315	properly · noun, common feminine singular absolute
bear	כְּדֹ֥ב ke.Do	H1677	the bear (as slow) · preposition + noun, common both genders singular absolute
robbed	שַׁכּ֖וּל sha.Kul	H7909	bereaved · adjective, masculine singular absolute
field	בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה ba.sa.Deh	H7704	a field (as flat) · preposition with the article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
father	וְאָבִ֙יךָ֙ ve.'a.Vi.kha	H1	father · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
man	אִ֣ישׁ 'ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular construct
war	מִלְחָמָ֔ה mil.cha.Mah	H4421	a battle (i.e. the engagement) · noun, common feminine singular absolute
lodge	יָלִ֖ין ya.Lin	H3885	to stop (usually over night) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
people	הָעָֽם ha.'Am	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Hosea 13:8 I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion:…
1 Samuel 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty…
Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.
Daniel 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between th…
Hebrews 11:32-34 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Sa…
Judges 18:25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with t…
1 Samuel 17:34-36 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1 Samuel 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 17:1-14

Absalom is now in peaceable possession of Jerusalem; the palace-royal is his own, as are the thrones of judgment, even the thrones of the house of David. His good father reigned in Hebron, and only over the tribe of Judah, above seven years, and was not hasty to destroy his rival; his government was built upon a divine promise, the performance of which he was sure of in due time, and therefore he waited patiently in the mean time. But the young man, Absalom, not only hastens from Hebron to Jerusalem, but is impatient there till he has destroyed his father, cannot be content with his throne till he has his life; for his government is founded in iniquity, and therefore feels itself tottering a…

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Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 17:8

As a bear robbed of her whelps - All wild beasts are very furious when robbed of their young; but we have some remarkable instances of the maternal affection of the bear in such circumstances; see one at the end of the chapter.

John Gill on 2 Samuel 17:8

For (said Hushai) thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men,.... Men of courage and valour, and not such weak-handed and weak-hearted men, and so easily intimidated, as Ahithophel suggests: and they be chafed in their minds; or "bitter in soul" (f); not merely filled with trouble and anguish, and depressed in their spirits, on account of that, as the phrase sometimes signifies; but enraged and full of wrath at the rebellion raised against their prince, which obliged them with him to leave their habitations; and now being desperate, their all lying at stake, their wives and children, their families and estates, they would fight furiously in the defence of the king and them…

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Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 17:6-9

In answer to Absalom's inquiry, "Shall we do his word (i.e., follow Ahithophel's advice) or not?" Hushai said, "The advice is not good that Ahithophel hath given this time;" and then still further explained (Sa2 17:8): "Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are heroes, and of a ferocious disposition (like Jdg 18:25), like a bear in the field robbed of her young; and thy father is a man of war, and will not pass the night with the people," sc., so that it would be possible to come upon him unawares and slay him (לין with את, as in Job 19:4). The idea that ילין is to be taken as a Hiphil, in the sense of "and does not let the people lodge for the night" (Bttcher), is quite untenable,…

Dictionary and topics

Ahithophel — Brother of insipidity or impiety, a man greatly renowned for his sagacity among the Jews. At the time of Absalom’s revolt he deserted David (Ps. 41:9; 55:12-14) and espoused the cause of Absalom (2…
Bear — A native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and…
Ahithophel · Joins Absalom — Joins Absalom
B · Unclean: Bear — Unclean: Bear
Bear · Ferocity of — Ferocity of
Bear, The · Particularly fierce when deprived of its young — Particularly fierce when deprived of its young
Council · Of War — Of War
Diplomacy · .David, in sending Hushai Absalom’s court — .David, in sending Hushai Absalom’s court
Friendship · .David and Hushai — .David and Hushai
Prudence · Exemplified: Abigail — Exemplified: Abigail
Spies · Used at the court of Absalom — Used at the court of Absalom
Strategy · In war — In war

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

2 Samuel 17:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 17:1-14

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 17:8

John Gill on 2 Samuel 17:8

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 17:6-9

Dictionary and topics

2 Samuel 17:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 17:1-14

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 17:8

John Gill on 2 Samuel 17:8

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 17:6-9

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Samuel 17:3

Rashi on 2 Samuel 17:8