2 Samuel 8:4

4 David capturó mil carros de guerra, siete mil conductores de carros de guerra
y veinte mil soldados de infantería. Les lisió los caballos de tiro, excepto los necesarios para cien carros de guerra.

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 David también conquistó la tierra de Moab. Hizo que la gente se acostara en el suelo en una fila y con una soga los midió y los separó por grupos. Ejecutó dos grupos por cada grupo que dejó con vida. Los moabitas a quienes se les perdonó la vida, se convirtieron en súbditos de David y tuvieron que pagarle tributo.

3 David también destruyó las fuerzas de Hadad-ezer, hijo de Rehob, rey de Soba, cuando Hadad-ezer marchó para fortalecer su control a lo largo del río Éufrates.

4 David capturó mil carros de guerra, siete mil conductores de carros de guerra
y veinte mil soldados de infantería. Les lisió los caballos de tiro, excepto los necesarios para cien carros de guerra.

5 Cuando los arameos de Damasco llegaron para ayudar al rey Hadad-ezer, David mató a veintidós mil de ellos.

6 Luego puso varias guarniciones militares en Damasco, la capital aramea, y los arameos se convirtieron en súbditos de David y le pagaban tributo. Así que el Señor
le daba la victoria a David dondequiera que iba.