2Sa 18:1 | Clarke | STEP | David reviews and arranges the people, and gives the command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, , . On his expressing a desire to accompany them to the battle, they will not permit him, . He reviews them as they go out of the city, and gives commandment to the captains to save Absalom, , . They join battle with Absalom and his army, who are discomfited with the loss of twenty thousand men, . Absalom, fleeing away, is caught by his head in an oak; Joab finds him, and transfixes him with three darts, . The servants of David are recalled, and Absalom buried, . Ahimaaz and Cushi bring the tidings to David, who is greatly distressed at hearing of the death of Absalom, and makes bitter lamentation for him, . Verse 1 And set captains of thousands - By this time David's small company was greatly recruited; but what its number was we cannot tell. Josephus says it amounted to four thousand men. Others have supposed that they amounted to ten thousand; for thus they understand a clause in , which they think should be read, We are now ten thousand strong.

2 Samuel 18:1

Introduction

David reviews and arranges the people, and gives the command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, 2Sam 18:1, 2Sam 18:2. On his expressing a desire to accompany them to the battle, they will not permit him, 2Sam 18:3. He reviews them as they go out of the city, and gives commandment to the captains to save Absalom, 2Sam 18:4, 2Sam 18:5. They join battle with Absalom and his army, who are discomfited with the loss of twenty thousand men, 2Sam 18:6-8. Absalom, fleeing away, is caught by his head in an oak; Joab finds him, and transfixes him with three darts, 2Sam 18:9-15. The servants of David are recalled, and Absalom buried, 2Sam 18:16-18. Ahimaaz and Cushi bring the tidings to David, who is greatly distressed at hearing of the death of Absalom, and makes bitter lamentation for him, 2Sam 18:19-33.

Verse 1

And set captains of thousands - By this time David's small company was greatly recruited; but what its number was we cannot tell. Josephus says it amounted to four thousand men. Others have supposed that they amounted to ten thousand; for thus they understand a clause in 2Sam 18:3, which they think should be read, We are now ten thousand strong.