Commentari biblici

VIII.

This chapter contains a general summary of David’s successful wars, closing with the mention (2Samuel 8:16-18) of the chief officers of his kingdom. The expression with which it opens, “after this it came to pass,” is a formula of connection and transition, as we might say, “and besides this;” that it does not denote chronological sequence is plain from the fact that it is also used in 2Samuel 10:1, of the beginning of the war with the Ammonites and Syrians, the conclusion of which is mentioned in this chapter, 2Samuel 8:5-6; 2Samuel 8:11-12.

The parallel passage is 1 Chronicles 18.

This chapter may be considered as the close of the direct narrative of David’s reign, the rest of the book being occupied with more detailed accounts of particular incidents occurring at various periods during its course. Thus 2 Samuel 9 treats of his kindness to Mephibosheth in connection with his affection for his departed friend Jonathan; 2 Samuel 10-12 of the war with the Ammonites and Syrians in connection with the story of Bathsheba (this is the only one of David’s wars treated of in detail, and this evidently for the reason just given); 2 Samuel 13-19 contain the story of Absalom’s rebellion, and 2 Samuel 20 of that of Bichri; 2 Samuel 21 is an account of the famine in punishment of Saul’s sin—at what period is quite unknown—closing with incidents of several Philistine campaigns; 2 Samuel 22 is a psalm of David; 2 Samuel 23, another psalm, followed by a more detailed account of the heroes during the whole reign; and the book closes with 2 Samuel 24, David’s sin in numbering the people, and his consequent punishment, with no note of time to show in what period of his reign it occurred.

(1) Subdued them.—In its connection this implies not merely the victory of a single battle, but the reversal of the former relation of the Philistines to Israel, and their reduction to a condition of inferiority and tribute.

Took Metheg-ammah.—No place of this name is known. The first word means bridle, and the other is probably, although not certainly, a derivation from the word mother, and has the sense metropolis. The translation will then be, took the bridle (i.e., the key) of the metropolis, and this seems sustained by the parallel phrase in 1Chronicles 18:1, “took Gath and her towns (lit daughters).” Gath appears to have been already the principal among the five Philistine cities (1Samuel 27:2), and with the rest of the country remained tributary to Solomon (1Kings 4:21; 1Kings 4:24).

(2) He smote Moab.—David’s former friendly relations with Moab (probably connected with his own descent from Ruth), are mentioned in 1Samuel 22:3-4. The cause of his entire change of bearing towards them is not certainly known, but according to Jewish tradition the Moabites had proved false to their trust, and had put to death David’s father and mother. This is not unlikely, as his parents are never mentioned again after they were left in Moab. Others think that the Moabites had been guilty of some treachery towards David in his war with the Syrians and Ammonites. The two suppositions are quite consistent, and both may have been true. Many writers see in this conquest at least a partial fulfilment of the prophecy in Numbers 24:17.

With two lines.—This expression with the “one full line” of the next clause is equivalent to saying that David measured off the bodies of his prostrate enemies with a line divided into three equal parts. When they had been made to lie down upon the ground, side by side, the line was stretched over them. Such as were found under the two first parts of it were put to death, those under the third part were spared, thus two-thirds of all the Moabite men perished. There is no mention of this in 1Chronicles 18:2.

Brought gifts.—A frequent euphemism for paid tribute. (Comp. 2Samuel 8:6.)

(3) Hadadezer . . . king of Zobah.—This name is sometimes (1Chronicles 18:3; 1Chronicles 18:5; 1Chronicles 18:7, &c.) spelt “Hadarezer,” the letters d and r being much alike in Hebrew and easily confused; but the form given here is right, Hadad being the chief idol of the Syrians. Zobah (called in the title of Psalms 60 Aram-Zobah) was a kingdom, the position of which cannot be exactly determined, but lying north-east of Israel, and formerly governed by petty kings with whom Saul had wars (1Samuel 14:47). When or by what means it had become united under a single sovereign is unknown, but from 2Samuel 8:4 with 2Samuel 10:6; 2Samuel 10:16, it is plain that he was a monarch of considerable power, and controlled tribes beyond the Euphrates.

To recover his border.—Literally, to cause his hand to return, a phrase which in itself might mean either to renew his attack, or to re-establish his power. The latter is shown to be the sense here by the expression in 1Chronicles 18:3, “to establish his dominion,” and is so translated in the LXX. What happened is more fully explained in 2Samuel 10:13-19 : the Ammonites had obtained the help of the Syrians when their combined armies were defeated by David; Hadadezer then attempted to summon to his aid the tribes “beyond the river” (i.e., the Euphrates), but David cut short his plans by another crushing defeat, which reduced them all to subjection. Our Version inserts the word Euphrates on the authority of the margin of the Hebrew, several MSS., and all the ancient versions. The river, however, would in any case mean the Euphrates.

(4) A thousand chariots.—The word chariots has evidently dropped out of the text here, but is rightly inserted, following the LXX. and 1 Chron.; 700 horsemen should also be changed to 7,000, in accordance with 1 Chron., this being a more fitting proportion to 20,000 infantry in the plains of Syria, and the difference being only in two dots over the letter marking the numeral in Hebrew.

Houghed, i.e., hamstrung, to render them incapable of use in war. (Comp. Joshua 11:6; Joshua 11:9.) This is meant to apply not only to the chariot horses, but to all those of the cavalry. Whether David’s reservation of the number needed for 100 chariots was wrong or not, is not said. David probably felt the need of these horses as a means of more rapid communication with the distant parts of his increasing empire; yet this act may have been the entering wedge for Solomon’s direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:16, by sending to Egypt to “multiply horses to himself.”

(5) Syrians of Damascus.—So called from their capital, this being the most powerful branch of the Syrian race.

Two and twenty thousand men.—Josephus (Ant. vii. 5, § 2) quotes from the historian Nicolaus a mention of the defeat of Hadad at this place by David.

(6) Garrisons.—The primary meaning of this word in the original is something placed, and then placed over. Hence it comes to have the different derived meanings of officer in 1Kings 4:5; 1Kings 4:19; 2Chronicles 8:10, and garrison (1Samuel 10:5; 1Samuel 13:3), which is probably its meaning here.

(7) Shields of gold.—Solomon also “made shields of gold” (1Kings 10:17), which appear to have been a mark of oriental magnificence. Solomon’s shields were ultimately carried off by Shishak (1Kings 14:25-28). The LXX. has here a curious addition, saying that Shishak carried off the shields which David captured, a manifest error, since those were made by Solomon.