Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Samuel 18

Numbered the people. —The word means rather mustered. David was some time at Mahanaim, organising the forces which continually gathered to him there.

Ittai the Gittite. —Compare note on Judges 15:19. The arrangement of the army in three divisions was common both among the Israelites (Judges 7:16; Judges 11:43; 1 Samuel 11:11) and their enemies (1 Samuel 13:17). Compare also 2 Kings 11:5–6; David proposed to take the chief command in person.

Now thou art worth ten thousand of us. —The Hebrew text reads now, but without thou, and as it stands must be translated, now there are ten thousand like us; but the change of a single letter alters the word now into thou, and this change should unquestionably be made in accordance with the Septuagint and Vulgate, followed by the English. The people urge truly that David is the very centre of their whole cause, and suggest that, even while avoiding unnecessary exposure, he may yet be equally helpful by keeping a reserve in the city to help them in case of need.

What seemeth you best. — David was not at all reluctant to avoid the personal encounter with his son and readily yielded. He, however, encouraged the troops by reviewing them as they passed out and used the opportunity to give his generals special and public charge concerning Absalom. He speaks of him tenderly as the young man (2 Samuel 18:5; compare 2 Samuel 18:29 and 2 Samuel 18:32), to imply that his sin was a youthful indiscretion.

The wood of Ephraim. —No wood of Ephraim on the eastern side of the Jordan is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Yet it is clear that the battle must have been on that side of the river for the following reasons:

1. Both armies were on that side beforehand, and there is no mention of their crossing;
2. David remained in Mahanaim (2 Samuel 18:3–4) with the reserves, for the purpose of aiding the army if needed;
3. He there received the news of Absalom’s death (2 Samuel 18:24–33);
4. The army returned there after the battle (2 Samuel 19:3); and
5. David had to cross the Jordan on his final return to Jerusalem, and was met at the crossing by the tribes (2 Samuel 18:15 and following).

There is really no difficulty except for what arises from our ignorance of local names. The narrative clearly implies that there was a “wood of Ephraim,” otherwise unknown, on the east of the Jordan.