Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom.
Look, he is probably hiding right now in some cave or other place. When some of your men are defeated in the first attack, anyone who hears about it will say, 'Absalom's followers are being slaughtered.'
The speaker is warning that David is likely in hiding and that early losses will create fear and rumors that Absalom's army is being defeated.
📚 Historical Context
This is part of Hushai's advice during Absalom's rebellion against his father King David. Hushai was secretly loyal to David and was deliberately giving bad military counsel to Absalom to help David escape and regroup. The context involves the civil war between David and his son Absalom, who had seized the throne.
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