2 Samuel 18:8 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

For the battle was there scattered over the face of all the country: and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. The wood devoured more people - It is generally supposed that, when the army was broken, they betook themselves to the wood, fell into pits, swamps, etc., and, being entangled, were hewn down by David's men; but the Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, state that they were devoured by wild beasts in the wood.