How do trees kill people? 2 Samuel 18:8

[books]

I'm having a difficult time understanding how the forest killed these people during the battle. How do trees kill people? 

 

6 Then the people went out into the field against Israel, and the battle took place in the forest of Ephraim. 7 The people of Israel were defeated there before the servants of David, and the slaughter there that day was great, 20,000 men. 8 For the battle there was spread over the whole countryside, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 2 Samuel 18:6-8 NASB

 

[MorningGlory]

The forest could devour people by making them become lost, never to find their way again, by opening inescapable pits in the ground, by allowing them to be killed by animals or by letting trees fall on them.  It's hard to know but we CAN know it did happen.

[kwikphilly]

Quote

6So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; 7Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousandmen. 8For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.       2 Samuel 18:6

"The forest devoured more people that day than the sword" (2 Samuel 18:8). It is difficult to know how this verse should be understood. It may mean that another twenty thousand men were destroyed by the forest in addition to the twenty thousand men destroyed by the sword. Another possible understanding of it is that the forest destroyed so many because of the advantages it gave to David's men. "Because of the pits, precipices, and unevenness of the ground, more were slain in the pursuit through the forest than were slain in the battle itself."[10] Bennett understood the passage as meaning that, "Many fugitives lost their lives by falling headlong in the broken rocky country; and some, perhaps many of the wounded, died of hunger, thirst, and exhaustion."[11] Matthew Henry placed the total number of deaths at "More than 40,000; as the Chaldee paraphrast understands it, `the wild beasts of the forest were probably the death of multitudes of the dispersed and distracted Israelites.'"[12] However, one reads the place, the slaughter that day was indeed great.

                                                                                                                             https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/2-samuel-18.html

It does not say "trees":       The "wood" of Ephraim is only referenced to in this particular place,we understand the wood to mean the"wooded" area or (as in the translation you posted) "the forest",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,                                                                                With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Guest Robert]

The area they were fighting in was near a place called "Mahanaim", which means "two camps" in Hebrew. The battle most likely took place in the Ephraim forest, a wooded area to the south of Mahanaim that was not so much an "ordely" planting of trees as much as it was rough, hilly country with scrub-brush, trees, rocks and whatnot. It would indeed be dangerous territory for a battle, making it perilous at best, and deadly at worst. David's army, with it's professionalism and experience, would have known that area a lot better than Abaslom's conscripted militia, who had no knowledge of the region, probably were more limited in their combat and tactical eperience and were most likely led by tribal chieftains.  (taken from The Military History of Ancient Israel, Richard A. Gabriel, pge 273). Keep in mind that Absalom was entangled in a "great oak", so there must have been some fairly large trees there as well as other obstacles.

Overall, Absalom's forces would have been at a major disadvantage against David's troops there. The "forest" would indeed have provided them with assistance, seeing as they knew it better than Absalom's forces.

Edited July 4, 2016 by RobertS

[Guest Robert]

8 minutes ago, Davida said:

I think this had a supernatural element to it, I love the fact that the LORD God in heaven can use HIS creation for HIS purposes that this forest landscape became hostile towards the enemy that was pursuing David and His men. Praise the LORD God in heaven & give Him Glory.  amen

I don't doubt that, but let's not forget that the Lord designed the area in the first place. He would have also reminded David of it and that he should use it. Not all of God's miracles are blatant; He works on all levels.

Edited July 4, 2016 by RobertS

[Guest Robert]

3 minutes ago, Davida said:

Ya, don't misunderstand me, I don't mean the trees were grabbing the enemy or that crevices were opening it up.   But it was not a hostile place for David and his men, the LORD lead them. God was supporting and guiding them, but it was a deadly  place to the enemy.  It would make a good movie scene.

Agreed Davida; I wasn't trying to disagree with you. David and his men definitely had the advantage, and I do think the Lord helped them even moreso when they were there. God is well-known for confusing the enemy and aiding His chosen, so it would have been interesting indeed. My intent was to examine the area a bit more and answer how a forest could do that. I think a lot of Abaslom's men got confused by God, disoriented even more by unfamiliar landscape, tripped and fell just in time for David's men to happen upon them and take them out.

[Guest Robert]

No worries; it's all good.

[Guest shiloh357]

It reminds me of what happened to the Roman army when they went up against the Barbarians in the German forests.   The Romans were used to fighting in a phalanx.  But when they travelled through the forests, they had to march single file and this made them vulnerable to ambush by the Barbarians and Romans were not prepared to  fight like that were easy pickings. 

[ayin jade]

Years ago, someone in the phoenix area crashed his glider into a saguaro. (For those who do not know what they are, they are giant cactus often 30 feet tall, multiple large limbs and weighing 2 tons or so.) He survived the glider crash but when he was checking out the damage to his glider, the saguaro fell on him, crushing him. 

If there was a supernatural element to the biblical event, perhaps the Lord caused trees or tree limbs to fall on the people. 

[Guest shiloh357]

The woods are a dangerous place, especially for people not accustomed to the hazards.  The Lord may have caused those hazards to be multiplied against them.