2 Samuel 8:1-14

David’s Triumphs

1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah [a] from the hand of the Philistines. 1
2 David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River. [b]
4 David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, [c] and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.
6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
7 And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah [d] and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
9 When King Toi [e] of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
10 he sent his son Joram [f] to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,
11 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—
12 from Edom [g] and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites [h] in the Valley of Salt.
14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

2 Samuel 8:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 8

This chapter gives a relation of the wars of David with his enemies, and his victories over them, particularly the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Edomites, and of the spoils he took from them, and of the presents made to him by others, 2Sa 8:1-14; and of his righteous administration of government, and of the principal officers in his court and camp, 2Sa 8:15-18.

Cross References 1

  • 1. (1 Chronicles 18:1–13; Psalms 60:1–12)

Footnotes 8

  • [a]. Metheg-ammah means bridle of the mother city.
  • [b]. LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate (see also 1 Chronicles 18:3); Hebrew along the River, or an alternate reading along the Euphrates
  • [c]. LXX (see also DSS and 1 Chronicles 18:4); MT captured from him seventeen hundred charioteers
  • [d]. Hebrew; some LXX manuscripts Tebah; see 1 Chronicles 18:8.
  • [e]. Toi is a variant of Tou; also in verse 10; see 1 Chronicles 18:9.
  • [f]. Joram is a variant of Hadoram; see 1 Chronicles 18:10.
  • [g]. Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also verse 14 and 1 Chronicles 18:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram
  • [h]. A few Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also verse 14 and 1 Chronicles 18:12); most Hebrew manuscripts Arameans
The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially placed into the public domain