2 Samuel 8

Some time after this, David defeated the Philistines and brought them under his control. He took Metheg-ammah out of Philistine hands.

1And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

NoteThe Philistines were a people settled on the coastal plain southwest of Israel, organized around five cities (Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gath). They had been Israel's dominant enemy for generations. "Metheg-ammah" is obscure: it may be a place name, or a phrase meaning something like "the bridle of the mother-city": that is, control of the chief Philistine city and the towns dependent on it.

2He also defeated Moab. He made the Moabites lie down on the ground and measured them off with a cord: two cord-lengths of men were put to death, and one full length was kept alive. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.

2And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

NoteMeasuring prisoners with a cord means laying them in rows on the ground and using a measuring line to mark off which sections would be killed and which spared, a rough two-to-one proportion. The Hebrew does not explain the reason for it. "Tribute" is a regular payment in goods or money that a defeated people owed its conqueror; "became subject to David" translates a phrase literally meaning "became David's servants," describing a vassal state rather than personal slavery. Moab lay east of the Dead Sea.

3David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to take back his control along the Euphrates River.

3David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

NoteZobah was an Aramean kingdom north of Israel, in the region of modern Lebanon and southern Syria. The Hebrew is ambiguous about who "marched out to take back his control" at the Euphrates: it can be read as Hadadezer reasserting his own territory, or as David extending his. The Euphrates, far to the northeast, marks the outer edge of the territory in view.

4David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He cut the leg tendons of all the chariot horses, except enough for a hundred chariots, which he kept.

4And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.

Note"Seven hundred horsemen" follows the traditional Hebrew text; the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 18:4, and some ancient manuscripts, read "seven thousand charioteers." Cutting the leg tendons ("houghed" in older English) permanently crippled a horse for military use without killing it. Israel had little chariotry of its own, so captured horses were disabled rather than absorbed.

5When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of the Syrians.

5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

Note"Syrians" here renders "Aram," a group of kingdoms in what is now Syria and Lebanon; these are Arameans, not the inhabitants of the modern state of Syria. Damascus was the chief Aramean city.

6Then David stationed troops in Syrian Damascus, and the Syrians became subject to David and brought him tribute. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

6Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

NoteThe Hebrew word rendered "stationed troops" can also mean he installed governors or officials; both readings are ancient. Either way it describes permanent control rather than a raid.

7David took the gold shields that Hadadezer's officers carried and brought them to Jerusalem.

7And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

NoteGold shields were ceremonial rather than battlefield equipment, the parade gear of a king's personal guard, and valuable as bullion. Capturing them was a public sign that Hadadezer's court had been stripped.

8From Betah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.

8And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

NoteThe KJV's "brass" means bronze, an alloy of copper and tin; brass as we know it was not made in the ancient Near East. Bronze was the standard metal for weapons, armor, and temple fittings, so a large stock of it was a strategic asset.

9Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated Hadadezer's whole army.

9When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

NoteHamath was a city-state on the Orontes River, well to the north of Zobah. Toi had his own reasons for welcoming Hadadezer's defeat: a rival power on his southern border had just been broken.

10So Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him for fighting Hadadezer and defeating him, because Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him objects of silver, gold, and bronze.

10Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

NoteSending his own son with valuable gifts was a formal diplomatic act, close to acknowledging David as the senior party. "To greet him and bless him" translates the standard language of a courtesy embassy, to ask after his welfare and pronounce a formal good wish. In 1 Chronicles 18:10 the son's name appears as Hadoram.

11King David set these apart for the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had already set apart from all the nations he had brought under his control:

11Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;

Note"Set apart for the LORD" means transferred into the sanctuary's treasury, removing the metal from ordinary use. Captured precious metal was routinely handled this way.

12from Syria, from Moab, from the Ammonites, from the Philistines, and from Amalek, and from what he took from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

12Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

NoteThe traditional Hebrew text reads "Syria" (Aram) here; many manuscripts and 1 Chronicles 18:11 read "Edom." In Hebrew script the two words differ by one similar-looking letter. Ammon and Moab lay east of the Jordan; Amalek was a nomadic people of the southern desert and a long-standing enemy of Israel.

13David made a name for himself when he came back from striking down eighteen thousand Syrians in the Valley of Salt.

13And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.

Note"Made a name for himself" means he won lasting fame or reputation, not that he took a new name. The Valley of Salt lay south of the Dead Sea, in Edomite territory, which is why many manuscripts and 1 Chronicles 18:12 read "Edomites" rather than "Syrians" here; the same one-letter confusion as in verse 12.

14He stationed troops in Edom; he placed them all through Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.

14And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

NoteEdom lay south and southeast of the Dead Sea; the Edomites were reckoned as descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, and so as Israel's nearest kin among neighboring peoples.

15David ruled over all Israel, and he judged cases fairly and did what was right for all his people.

15And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

NoteIn the ancient Near East the king was the highest court of appeal as well as the commander of the army; hearing legal cases was a central duty of the office, not a sideline. The pair of Hebrew words behind "judged cases fairly and did what was right" is a standard formula for a properly functioning reign.

16Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder, the official who kept the royal records.

16And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

NoteZeruiah was David's sister, so Joab was the king's nephew. Officers here are named by their mother rather than their father, which is unusual and unexplained. The exact duties of the "recorder" (Hebrew mazkir, literally "the one who reminds") are uncertain; he may have been an archivist, a herald, or a chief of staff.

17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the scribe, the official who handled the king's writing and documents.

17And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

Note"Ahimelech son of Abiathar" is widely thought to be a copying error reversing the names: elsewhere Abiathar is the son of Ahimelech (1 Samuel 22:20). The scribe (Hebrew sopher) was a senior minister of state, not a copyist.

18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And David's sons were priests.

18And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

NoteThe Cherethites and Pelethites were a professional mercenary corps, probably of Cretan and Philistine origin, foreigners with no local loyalties, which made them reliable as a royal bodyguard. The last phrase is a known difficulty: the Hebrew literally says David's sons "were priests," which is unexpected since they were not of priestly descent. Ancient translators and 1 Chronicles 18:17 render it as chief officials or officers at the king's side, which is where the King James's "chief rulers" comes from. The Hebrew word is left standing here.