2 Samuel 8
Legacy Standard Bible
David Strikes Down Nations
8 (A)Now it happened afterwards, that David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took [a]control of the chief city from the hand of the Philistines.
2 (B)He also struck (C)Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And (D)the Moabites became servants to David, (E)bringing tribute.
3 Then David struck (F)Hadadezer, the son of Rehob king of Zobah, as (G)he went to restore his [b]power at the [c]River. 4 And David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers; and David (H)hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for 100 chariots. 5 Then (I)the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah. And David struck down 22,000 Arameans. 6 Then David placed garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus; and (J)the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And (K)Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went. 7 And David took the small shields of gold which were [d]carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [e]Betah and from (L)Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a very large amount of bronze.
9 Then Toi king of (M)Hamath heard that David had struck down all the military force of Hadadezer, 10 so Toi sent [f]Joram his son to King David to [g]greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down; for Hadadezer [h]had been at war with Toi. And in [i]Joram’s hand were articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 King David also (N)set these apart as holy to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he had set apart as holy from all the nations which he had subdued: 12 from [j]Aram, (O)Moab, (P)the sons of Ammon, (Q)the Philistines, (R)Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So (S)David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 [k]Arameans in (T)the Valley of Salt. 14 Then he placed garrisons in Edom. In all Edom he placed garrisons, and (U)all the Edomites became servants to David. And (V)Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David was doing justice and righteousness for all his people. 16 (W)Now Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and (X)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was (Y)recorder; 17 (Z)and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were (AA)priests, and Seraiah was (AB)scribe; 18 (AC)and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [l]was over the (AD)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were [m](AE)priests.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Lit the bridle of the mother city
- 2 Samuel 8:3 Or monument; lit hand
- 2 Samuel 8:3 The Euphrates River
- 2 Samuel 8:7 Lit on
- 2 Samuel 8:8 In 1 Chr 18:8, Tibhath
- 2 Samuel 8:10 In 1 Chr 18:10, Hadoram
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Lit ask him of his welfare
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Lit was a man of wars
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Lit his
- 2 Samuel 8:12 Some mss Edom
- 2 Samuel 8:13 Some mss Edom
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Lit and the Cherethites
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Or chiefs over the priests; possibly a special office associated with the priests, cf. 1 Chr 18:17
2 Samuel 8
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 8
Summary of David’s Wars. 1 (A)After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them; and David took…[a] from the Philistines. 2 He also defeated Moab and measured them with a line. Making them lie down on the ground, he measured two lengths of line for death, and a full length for life.[b] Thus the Moabites became subject to David, paying tribute. 3 (B)David then defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to re-establish his dominion at the River.(C) 4 David captured from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left one hundred for his chariots.(D) 5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David also defeated twenty-two thousand of them in Aram. 6 David then placed garrisons in the Damascus region of Aram, and the Arameans became David’s subjects, paying tribute. The Lord brought David victory in all his undertakings. 7 David took the golden shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s attendants and brought them to Jerusalem. (These Shishak, king of Egypt, took away when he came to Jerusalem in the days of Rehoboam, son of Solomon.) 8 From Tebah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David removed a very large quantity of bronze. 9 When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Hadoram to wish King David well and to congratulate him on having waged a victorious war against Hadadezer; for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Hadoram also brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze. 11 These also King David consecrated to the Lord along with the silver and gold that he had taken for this purpose from all the nations he had subdued: 12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 On his return,[c] David made a name for himself by defeating eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(E) 14 He set up garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. Thus the Lord brought David victory in all his undertakings.
David’s Officials. 15 (F)David was king over all Israel; he dispensed justice and right to all his people. 16 Joab, son of Zeruiah, was in command of the army. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was chancellor. 17 Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests.[d] Shavsha was scribe. 18 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in command of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.(G)
Footnotes
- 8:1 David took…: the original Hebrew seems irretrievable. The transmitted text gives “the bridle of the cubit”; 1 Chr 18:1 understood “Gath and its towns”; others implausibly read “dominion of the capital city.”
- 8:2 Two lengths…a full length for life: usually taken to mean that two-thirds of them were executed; but it could mean that two-thirds were spared, if the line was used full length in their case but doubled on itself to make “two lines” for those to be put to death. Note the contrasting good relations in 1 Sm 22:3–4.
- 8:13 On his return: possibly to Jerusalem, after the revolt of Absalom (chaps. 15–18), which this catalogue of victories would avoid mentioning. 1 Chr 18:12 attributes the defeat of the Edomites to Abishai, while the superscription of Ps 60 attributes it to Joab.
- 8:17 Zadok…Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests: the names of Abiathar and Ahimelech are frequently associated with David (1 Sm 22:20; 23:6; 30:7; 2 Sm 15:24, 29, 35; 17:15; 19:12; 20:25), but they show Abiathar acting as priest, not Ahimelech: Abiathar shared the priestly office with Zadok in David’s reign and even during Solomon’s early years (1 Kgs 2:26; 4:4). Ahimelech was the name of Abiathar’s father. This verse and 1 Chr 18:16 may indicate that Abiathar had a son named Ahimelech who also acted as a priest, like his father and his namesake grandfather, in the last years of David.
2 Samuel 8
King James Version
8 And 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.
2 And 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.
3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.
4 And 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.
5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.
6 Then 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.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
10 Then 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:
11 Which also king David did dedicate unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;
12 Of 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.
13 And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
14 And 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.
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;
17 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;
18 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.
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