2 Samuel 8

David’s Victories

1 After this, David defeated the Philistines,  * 8:1–18 1Ch 18:1–17 subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah  * 8:1 Or took control of the mother city; Hb obscure from Philistine control.  * 8:1 LXX reads them, and David took tribute out of the hand of the Philistines,* 8:1 2Sm 3:182 He also defeated the Moabites, and after making them lie down on the ground, he measured them off with a cord. He measured every two cord lengths of those to be put to death and one full length of those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.  * 8:2 Nm 24:17

3 David also defeated Hadadezer  * 8:3 2Sm 10:16–19 son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his control at the Euphrates River. 4 David captured seventeen hundred horsemen  * 8:4 LXX, DSS read 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, and he hamstrung all the horses  * 8:4 Jos 11:6 and kept a hundred chariots.  * 8:4 Or chariot horses

5 When the Arameans of Damascus  * 8:5 Gn 14:15; Ac 9:2–27 came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men. 6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.  * 8:6 2Sm 8:14

7 David took the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem.  * 8:7 2Kg 11:10; 2Ch 23:98 King David also took huge quantities of bronze from Betah  * 8:8 Some LXX mss, Syr read Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.

9 When King Toi of Hamath  * 8:9 Gn 10:15–18; Ezk 47:16–17 heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Toi and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Joram had items of silver, gold, and bronze with him. 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued  * 8:11 1Kg 7:51; 1Ch 26:26  —  12 from Edom,  * 8:12 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read Aram; 1Ch 18:11 Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Amalekites, and the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 David made a reputation  * 8:13 2Sm 7:9 for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites  * 8:13 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read Arameans; 1Ch 18:12 in Salt Valley.  * 8:13 = the Dead Sea region,* 8:13 2Kg 14:714 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David.  * 8:14 Gn 25:23; 27:29–40; Nm 24:18 The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.  * 8:14 Dt 20:4; 2Sm 8:6

15 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.  * 8:15 1Kg 10:9; Ps 99:4; Jr 9:23; 22:3,15; 23:5; 33:15; Ezk 18:5

16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army;

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was court historian;

17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests;

Seraiah was court secretary;

18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites;  * 8:18 2Sm 23:20–23

and David’s sons were chief officials.  * 8:18 LXX; MT reads were priests; 1Ch 18:17