The Meaning of 2 Samuel 18:3 Explained

2 Samuel 18:3

KJV: 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.

YLT: And the people say, 'Thou dost not go out, for if we utterly flee, they do not set their heart upon us; and if half of us die, they do not set their heart unto us -- for now like us are ten thousand; and now, better that thou be to us from the city for an helper.'

Darby: But the people said, Thou shalt not go forth, for if we should in any case flee, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; for thou art worth ten thousand of us; and now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

ASV: But the people said, 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 thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succor us out of the city.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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  {08675;05826:08687} us out of the city. 

What does 2 Samuel 18:3 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 18:1-15 - The End Of An Unfilial Son
Absalom's army was soon across the river under Amasa, David's nephew, 2 Samuel 17:25-26. Though political reasons constrained David to flight, his heart bled for his wrong-headed and evil-hearted son, and he gave urgent directions for his safety. Let us here learn something of God's own heart of love. We may have been heartless and thoughtless, have defied His authority and refused to give Him His rightful place; but He gives charge concerning us, desires that we may be spared the full results of our actions, and yearns for our return.
The eastern tribes had rallied so enthusiastically around David's standard, that he soon found himself at the head of a great army, which, to judge from 2 Samuel 18:12, was absolutely loyal to him. But Joab saw farther than the ordinary soldiers and knew that there could be no peace while Absalom lived. He had forfeited his life, according to Deuteronomy 21:18; Deuteronomy 21:21; Deuteronomy 21:23. See also 2 Samuel 17:2; 2 Samuel 17:4. His head being caught in the fork of a tree, it seemed, indeed, as if he were cursed according to the law, Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 21:23. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 18

1  David viewing the armies in their march gives them charge of Absalom
6  The Israelites are sorely smitten in the wood of ephraim
9  Absalom, hanging in an oak is slain by Joab, and cast into a pit
18  Absalom's place
19  Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tidings to David
33  David mourns for Absalom

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 18:3 mean?

But answered the people not You shall go out for if away we flee not they will care about us care nor if die half of us neither will they care about us will they care but now [you are] worth ten thousand of us for now more that you are to us in the city - Help -
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר הָעָ֜ם לֹ֣א תֵצֵ֗א כִּי֩ אִם־ נֹ֨ס נָנ֜וּס לֹא־ יָשִׂ֧ימוּ אֵלֵ֣ינוּ לֵ֗ב וְאִם־ יָמֻ֤תוּ חֶצְיֵ֙נוּ֙ לֹֽא־ יָשִׂ֤ימוּ אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙ לֵ֔ב כִּֽי־ עַתָּ֥ה כָמֹ֖נוּ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה אֲלָפִ֑ים וְעַתָּ֣ה ט֔וֹב כִּי־ תִֽהְיֶה־ לָּ֥נוּ מֵעִ֖יר [לעזיר] (לַעְזֽוֹר) ס

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  But  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָעָ֜ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
תֵצֵ֗א  You  shall  go  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
נֹ֨ס  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
נָנ֜וּס  we  flee 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
יָשִׂ֧ימוּ  they  will  care 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֵלֵ֣ינוּ  about  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵ֗ב  care 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וְאִם־  nor  if 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
יָמֻ֤תוּ  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
חֶצְיֵ֙נוּ֙  half  of  us 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: חֲצִי 
Sense: half.
לֹֽא־  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָשִׂ֤ימוּ  will  they  care 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֵלֵ֙ינוּ֙  about  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
לֵ֔ב  will  they  care 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
עַתָּ֥ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
כָמֹ֖נוּ  [you  are]  worth 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
עֲשָׂרָ֣ה  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲלָפִ֑ים  thousand  of  us 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
וְעַתָּ֣ה  for  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
ט֔וֹב  more 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
תִֽהְיֶה־  you  are 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָּ֥נוּ  to  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מֵעִ֖יר  in  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
[לעזיר]  - 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
(לַעְזֽוֹר)  Help 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָזַר  
Sense: to help, succour, support.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation