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David’s Military Victories

18 After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath and its surrounding towns. David also conquered the land of Moab, and the Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.

David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, as far as Hamath,[a] when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.

When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. Then he placed several army garrisons[b] in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem, along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns of Tebah[c] and Cun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and molded it into the great bronze basin called the Sea, the pillars, and the various bronze articles used at the Temple.

When King Toi[d] of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10 he sent his son Joram[e] to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of gold, silver, and bronze.

11 King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations—from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek.

12 Abishai son of Zeruiah destroyed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He placed army garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

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Footnotes

  1. 18:3 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  2. 18:6 As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate (see also 2 Sam 8:6); Hebrew lacks several army garrisons.
  3. 18:8 Hebrew reads Tibhath, a variant spelling of Tebah; compare parallel text at 2 Sam 8:8.
  4. 18:9 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 8:9; Hebrew reads Tou; also in 18:10.
  5. 18:10 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 8:10; Hebrew reads Hadoram, a variant spelling of Joram.

David’s Victory over His Enemies

18 And it happened that after David struck the Philistines and subdued them, he captured Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines. And he struck Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bearing tribute. And David struck Hadadezer, king of Zobah-Hamath, as he set up his monument at the Euphrates River. And David captured from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left one hundred of them to remain for chariots. And when the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah-Hamath, David struck down twenty-two thousand men of Aram. Then David set up garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bearing tribute. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went. And David took small round shields of gold that were upon the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David captured very much bronze. Solomon made the bronze sea with it along with the columns and objects of bronze.

And when Tou the king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer the king of Zobah, 10 he sent Hadoram his son to King David to ask him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou had been at war[a] with Hadadezer. And he brought with him all the objects of gold, silver, and bronze. 11 King David dedicated these also to Yahweh, along with the silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 And Abishai son of Zeruiah defeated eighteen thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. 13 And he put garrisons in Edom, and all Edom became servants to David. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 18:10 Literally “a man of battles”