Bible Strands

2 Samuel 18:3

But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will not care about us. Even if half of us die, they will not care. But you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better now if you support us from the city.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The troops address King David at the city gate, pleading with him not to march out with them into battle against Absalom’s forces. They argue that his presence makes him a primary target whose loss would be catastrophic.

The words — The Hebrew לֹא תֵצֵא (lo te.Tze) literally commands “you must not go out,” while אִם נָנוּס (im na.Nus) pairs the conditional אִם (if) with נָנוּס (we will flee) to frame the stakes of retreat.

The thread — This tactical plea aligns with 2 Samuel 10:11, where Joab warns that the king must come to his rescue if the battle turns, and reflects the same protective principle regarding leadership presence found in Exodus 17:10.

Why it lands — The passage states that a commander’s survival outweighs the army’s immediate safety, requiring the reader to recognize how leadership vulnerability can dictate collective survival without romanticizing the risk.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֹּ֨אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ it saidהָעָ֜םha./'Amthe/ peopleלֹ֣אlo'notתֵצֵ֗אte.Tze'you must go outכִּי֩kiforאִם־'im-ifנֹ֨סnoscertainly [if] <to flee>נָנ֜וּסna.Nuswe will fleeלֹא־lo'-notיָשִׂ֧ימוּya.Si.muthey will setאֵלֵ֣ינוּ'e.Lei./nuto/ usלֵ֗בLevheartוְאִם־ve./'im-and/ ifיָמֻ֤תוּya.Mu.tuthey will dieחֶצְיֵ֙נוּ֙chetz.Ye./nuhalf of/ usלֹֽא־lo'-notיָשִׂ֤ימוּya.Si.muthey will setאֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙'e.Lei./nuto/ usלֵ֔בLevheartכִּֽי־ki-forעַתָּ֥ה'a.Tahnowכָמֹ֖נוּkha.Mo./nulike/ usעֲשָׂרָ֣ה'a.sa.Rahtenאֲלָפִ֑ים'a.la.Fimthousand<s>וְעַתָּ֣הve./'a.Tahand/ thereforeט֔וֹבTov[is] goodכִּי־ki-thatתִֽהְיֶה־tih.yeh-you will beלָּ֥נוּLa./nu<to> <the>/ usמֵעִ֖ירme./'Irfrom/ [the] cityלַעְזֽוֹר׃ סla/'.zirto/ help

King James Version

But the people answered, 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 now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

Cross-references