2 Samuel 17:10Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
The setting
Jerusalem palace, ~1000 BC. Hushai describes David's legendary fighting skills to psychologically manipulate Absalom's war council.
The emotion here: manipulative cunning disguised as helpful counsel
The original word
gibbowr (גִּבּוֹר) — mighty warrior, champion fighter, proven in battle
Why it matters
David's reputation was so fearsome that entire armies fled at his name
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Samuel 17:10
This is reverse psychology - Hushai is making David sound so terrifying that Absalom will choose the wrong battle strategy
Common misconceptionThis sounds like Hushai respects David's strength, but he's actually using fear tactics to make Absalom overestimate the threat and choose a losing strategy.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Samuel 17:10
Bible Genome reading
2 Samuel 17:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Samuel 17:10 comes from the book of 2 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Hushai. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the dialogue genre of biblical literature. Key themes include courage, fear, reputation. Notable phrases: heart as the heart of a lion; will utterly melt; mighty man.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does 2 Samuel 17:10 mean to you, today?
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