2 Samuel 8:4

4 Und David nahm von ihm tausendsiebenhundert Reiter und zwanzigtausend Mann Fußvolk gefangen; und David lähmte alle Gespanne und ließ hundert Gespanne von ihm übrig.

2 Samuel 8:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 8:4

And David took from him a thousand [chariots], and seven
hundred horsemen
"Chariots" are not in the text here, it is only 1700 "horsemen"; but it is supplied from ( 1 Chronicles 18:4 ) ; where the word is expressly mentioned, and there the horsemen are said to be seven thousand as in the Septuagint version here, and in Josephus ^F13; which may be reconciled by observing, with Kimchi and Abarbinel, that here the chief officers are meant, there all the chariots and horsemen that were under their command are mentioned, which together made up that large number; or else here are meant the ranks and companies of horse David took, which were seven hundred; and these having ten in a company or rank, made seven thousand; and there the complement of soldiers in those companies and ranks are intended:

and twenty thousand footmen;
the same as in ( 1 Chronicles 18:4 ) ; and so in Josephus ^F14:

and David houghed all the chariot [horses];
or hamstrung them, as Joshua was ordered to do with respect to the Canaanites, ( Joshua 11:6 ) ; he did not kill them, which might seem cruel and unmerciful to the brute creatures, but hamstrung them, that they might be useless for war; and the reason of it was, that horses might not be multiplied in Israel for that purpose, that so their trust and confidence might not be placed in them; see ( Deuteronomy 17:16 ) ;

but reserved of them [for] an hundred chariots;
for his own use, not for war, but for grandeur; which accounts in some measure for the number of chariots and horses Solomon had, ( 1 Kings 4:26 ) ( 2 Chronicles 1:14 ) ; the number of horses reserved is supposed to be four hundred, four horses being used in a chariot, which Jarchi gathers from ( 2 Chronicles 1:17 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.)
F14 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1.)

2 Samuel 8:4 In-Context

2 Und er schlug die Moabiter und maß sie mit der Meßschnur, indem er sie auf die Erde legen ließ; und er maß zwei Meßschnüre ab, um zu töten, und eine volle Meßschnur, um am Leben zu lassen. Und die Moabiter wurden David zu Knechten, welche Geschenke brachten.

3 Und David schlug Hadadeser, den Sohn Rechobs, den König von Zoba, als er hinzog, um seine Macht am Strome wiederherzustellen.

4 Und David nahm von ihm tausendsiebenhundert Reiter und zwanzigtausend Mann Fußvolk gefangen; und David lähmte alle Gespanne und ließ hundert Gespanne von ihm übrig.

5 Und die Syrer von Damaskus kamen, um Hadadeser, dem König von Zoba, zu helfen; und David erschlug unter den Syrern zweiundzwanzigtausend Mann.

6 Und David legte Besatzungen in das damascenische Syrien; und die Syrer wurden David zu Knechten, welche Geschenke brachten. Und Jehova half David überall, wohin er zog.