2 Samuel 17 8

2 Samuel 17:8 kjv

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.

2 Samuel 17:8 nkjv

For," said Hushai, "you know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field; and your father is a man of war, and will not camp with the people.

2 Samuel 17:8 niv

You know your father and his men; they are fighters, and as fierce as a wild bear robbed of her cubs. Besides, your father is an experienced fighter; he will not spend the night with the troops.

2 Samuel 17:8 esv

Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people.

2 Samuel 17:8 nlt

You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced man of war. He won't be spending the night among the troops.

2 Samuel 17 verses

2 Samuel 17 8 Meaning

2 Samuel 17:8 encapsulates Hushai's cunning rhetoric aimed at deterring Absalom from a hasty pursuit of David. He portrays David and his loyal men as extremely dangerous and highly motivated warriors. The verse highlights David's seasoned martial prowess ("a man of war") and describes his forces as being in a state of fierce, desperate rage, likened to a mother bear violently defending her lost cubs. This image emphasizes their capacity for ruthless fighting due to their dire circumstances, implying that confronting them head-on would lead to severe, unpredictable losses for Absalom's army. Hushai concludes by subtly suggesting David's strategic agility and elusiveness, indicating he would not be easily trapped or found with the main host, thus making a sudden assault risky and ineffective.

2 Samuel 17 8 Context

2 Samuel 17:8 is a pivotal part of the narrative surrounding Absalom's rebellion against his father, King David. Immediately following David's flight from Jerusalem, Absalom seeks counsel on how to best pursue and defeat David. Ahithophel, a renowned and respected advisor whose counsel was "as if one had inquired at the oracle of God" (2 Sam 16:23), advises Absalom to pursue David immediately with a select force, believing David would be tired and vulnerable. This plan was militarily sound and likely to succeed.

However, David, having prayed for Ahithophel's counsel to be turned into foolishness (2 Sam 15:31), had dispatched his loyal confidant, Hushai the Archite, to serve as a spy and counter-counselor to Absalom. In this verse, Hushai is delivering his alternative counsel to Absalom and his elders, designed specifically to negate Ahithophel's sound strategy. Hushai's words are part of an elaborate deception, portraying a picture of David and his men as terrifyingly fierce and elusive, despite their current state of apparent weakness. This fear-mongering tactic aimed to instill caution and delay among Absalom's followers, giving David crucial time to escape across the Jordan River and regroup. The narrative reveals that God Himself orchestrated this turn of events, "purposing to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring disaster upon Absalom" (2 Sam 17:14).

2 Samuel 17 8 Word analysis

• And Hushai said, “You know
  • You know: (Hebrew: וַאַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ - v'attah yada'ta) This opening serves as a rhetorical device, an appeal to common knowledge or a shared understanding. Hushai presents his points as self-evident truths that Absalom already acknowledges, lending weight and credibility to his argument without direct assertion. It subtly flatters Absalom by implying he is insightful enough to recognize David's prowess.
• your father and his men,
  • your father: Refers to King David. Using "father" maintains the personal and familial aspect of the conflict, despite the rebellion. It also carries the weight of David's established reputation.
  • his men: Refers to David's loyal followers, many of whom were veteran warriors (like the "mighty men" listed in 2 Sam 23). This group represented experienced, formidable fighters.
• that they are mighty men,
  • mighty men: (Hebrew: גִּבֹּרִים - gibborim). This term signifies powerful, valiant warriors or heroes. It's a well-known biblical designation for elite fighting men, often possessing extraordinary strength or skill in battle. David himself had many famous "mighty men." This description highlights their military excellence and formidable nature.
• and they are enraged,
  • enraged: (Hebrew: מָרֵי נֶפֶשׁ - marei nefesh). Literally "bitter of soul/spirit." This idiom conveys deep distress, anguish, frustration, and an ensuing fierce anger. It's not just annoyance, but a desperate, furious disposition resulting from their current suffering and sense of betrayal. This state makes them highly dangerous and unpredictable.
• like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field.
  • like a bear robbed of her cubs: (Hebrew: דֹּב שַׁכּוּל - dov shakkul). This is a vivid and potent simile, almost a proverbial expression (as seen in Prov 17:12 and Hos 13:8). A mother bear deprived of her young is famously and universally known for exhibiting extreme, uncontrollable, and ruthless ferocity in her desperate attempts to recover or avenge them. Hushai uses this imagery to depict David and his men as being in an equally desperate and therefore lethally dangerous state, driven by intense emotion and a perceived ultimate loss.
  • in the field: Implies an unconfined, wild setting where such rage can be fully unleashed without restraint. It contrasts with urban or fortified environments, suggesting a raw, primal ferocity.
• And your father is a man of war;
  • a man of war: (Hebrew: אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה - ish milchamah). This is a direct descriptor of David's core identity. From his youth, David was known for his martial prowess, having slain Goliath, campaigned against the Philistines, and endured Saul's persecutions through guerilla tactics. He wasn't merely a king; he was an experienced, hardened, and highly skilled military commander, whose life was intrinsically linked to battle. This reinforces Hushai's point about David's individual danger.
• he will not spend the night with the people.”
  • he will not spend the night with the people: This statement implies David's strategic cunning and elusiveness. It suggests he would not camp openly with his main body of men, making him difficult to track, surprise, or capture. David’s experience fleeing Saul taught him vigilance, secrecy, and guerrilla tactics, allowing him to evade encirclement and sudden attack. This adds a layer of unpredictability, further deterring an immediate pursuit.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are enraged”: This opening immediately establishes a terrifying picture by combining David's legendary personal valor and his followers' proven combat skills with their current emotional state of bitter desperation. It sets the stage for the powerful simile that follows.
• “like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field.”: This powerful, hyperbolic simile is the psychological linchpin of Hushai's argument. It effectively paints David's camp as a volatile and supremely dangerous entity. It suggests that any direct engagement would be met with an explosive, unrelenting counterattack from desperate men with nothing left to lose.
• “And your father is a man of war; he will not spend the night with the people.”: This final phrase brings the focus back to David himself, reinforcing his individual martial genius. It adds a crucial tactical insight: David’s personal history as a master of evasion and guerilla warfare means he won't be an easy target for a conventional ambush. This detail would particularly resonate with military commanders, creating uncertainty about an immediate strike's effectiveness.

2 Samuel 17 8 Bonus section

• Divine Overruling of Human Wisdom: The profound significance of this verse lies less in its military strategy and more in its demonstration of divine intervention. Ahithophel's counsel was "good" and "wise" (2 Sam 16:23; 17:7), militarily brilliant, and humanly irresistible. However, God had purposed to defeat it (2 Sam 17:14), and He did so through Hushai's rhetorically potent, yet strategically less sound, advice. This highlights the biblical principle that God can, and often does, frustrate the counsel of the wise to establish His own.
• Rhetorical Genius: Hushai's advice is a masterclass in persuasive rhetoric. He uses pathos (playing on fear and the destructive power of desperation), ethos (drawing on David's well-known reputation and formidable history), and an appeal to shared understanding ("you know your father") to construct an argument that appealed more to Absalom's ego and caution than pure military logic.
• Strategic Deception: Hushai's counsel successfully bought David precious time. David used this time to cross the Jordan and rally forces in Gilead. This strategic delay was essential for his eventual triumph over Absalom's rebellion.
• Biblical Pattern: The imagery of a fierce animal protecting its young (specifically the bear) appears elsewhere in Scripture to denote divine judgment and protective wrath (e.g., Hos 13:8). This universal understanding of a bereft mother bear's fury makes Hushai's chosen metaphor instantly recognizable and impactful to his audience.

2 Samuel 17 8 Commentary

2 Samuel 17:8 reveals Hushai's masterful psychological manipulation, divinely guided to thwart Ahithophel's superior counsel. Hushai deliberately painted David, though vulnerable and fleeing, as an overwhelmingly fearsome opponent. He combined David's well-established reputation as an ish milchamah (man of war) and his men's formidable status as gibborim (mighty warriors) with a dramatic portrayal of their current emotional state: marei nefesh, bitter and enraged. The potent simile of the "bear robbed of her cubs" served to evoke primal fear and caution, exaggerating their desperation into an unparalleled capacity for violence. This was not just descriptive; it was prescriptive – cautioning against direct confrontation. By adding that David "will not spend the night with the people," Hushai implied David's continued strategic cunning and evasiveness, making a swift, decisive strike nearly impossible. Hushai’s success was ultimately not due to the inherent military superiority of his advice (which was poor by human standards for capturing David) but through the sovereign hand of God, who answered David's prayer and destined Absalom's plan to fail for divine purposes, leading to Absalom's downfall. This verse showcases divine providence working through human agency and cunning to achieve God's overarching plan for David and his kingdom.