Historical

David’s Kingdom Strengthened

18 After this it came about that David defeated and subdued the Philistines, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines. ² He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David’s servants and brought tribute (gifts).

³ David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his ^[a]dominion to the Euphrates River. ⁴ David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers (infantrymen). David also ^[b]hamstrung [nearly] all the chariot horses [to make them lame and useless], but left enough of them for 100 chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans (Syrians) of ^[c]Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. ⁶ Then David put military outposts among the Arameans in Damascus; and the Arameans became David’s servants and brought tribute. Thus the Lord helped David wherever he went. ⁷ David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Likewise from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought a very large amount of bronze, with which Solomon later made the bronze Sea (large basin), the pillars, and the utensils of bronze.^(A)

⁹ When Tou king of Hamath heard how David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless (congratulate) him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord [setting them apart for sacred use], with the silver and the gold which he brought from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹² Also Abishai the son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] defeated 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ He put military outposts in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the Lord helped David wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁵ Joab the son of Zeruiah was in command of the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; ¹⁶ Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Shavsha was secretary (state scribe); ¹⁷ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in charge of the ^[d]Cherethites and the Pelethites [David’s bodyguards], and the sons of David were chiefs at the king’s side.

David’s Messengers Abused

19 Now it came about after this, that Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. ² David said, “I will be kind (gracious) to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father was kind to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning [the death of] his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun. ³ But the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “^[e]Do you think that David has sent people to console and comfort you because he honors your father? Have his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” ⁴ Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them [cutting off half their beards], and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away [in humiliation]. ⁵ When David was told how the men were treated, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were very humiliated and ashamed [to return]. So the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow [back], and then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves hateful to David, Hanun and his people sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. ⁷ So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and camped before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered together from their cities and came to battle. ⁸ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army of courageous men. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance of the city [Medeba], while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.

Ammon and Aram Defeated

¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in the front and in the rear, he chose warriors from all the choice men of Israel and put them in formation against the Arameans (Syrians). ¹¹ The rest of the soldiers he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they lined up against the Ammonites. ¹² He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. ¹³ Be strong and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” ¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city [Medeba]. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans (Syrians) saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the [Euphrates] River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. ¹⁷ When this was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. So when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. ¹⁹ When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to and served him. And the Arameans (Syrians) were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

War with Philistine Giants

20 Then it happened at the end of the year, ^[f]at the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem [with Bathsheba]. Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it.^{(B) 2} David took the crown of their king from his head and found that it ^[g]weighed a talent of gold and that there was a precious stone in it; so it was set on David’s head. He also brought a very great amount of spoil (plunder) out of the city [of Rabbah]. ³ He brought out the people who were in it, and ^[h]put them [to work] with saws, iron picks, and axes. David dealt in this way with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

⁴ Now it came about after this that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the ^[i]giants, and they were subdued. ⁵ There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. ⁶ Again there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants. ⁷ When he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him. ⁸ These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.