2 Samuel 8

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Samuel 8?

Davidic covenantsin and judgmentmercykingship

2 Samuel 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as the ark and the Davidic covenant. Second Samuel narrates David’s consolidation of rule, the covenant promise to his house, his sin with Bathsheba, and the convulsions that follow within his family and kingdom. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Davidic covenant, sin and judgment, and mercy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines. ² And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. ³ David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. ⁴ And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots. ⁵ And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. ⁶ Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. ⁹ When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, ¹⁰ Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: ¹¹ Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; ¹² Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³ And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. ¹⁴ And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went. ¹⁵ And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. ¹⁶ And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁷ And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe; ¹⁸ And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

Study helps

Glossary

David Person v. 1, 3-11, 13-15: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Metheg-ammah Place v. 1: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.
Moab Place v. 2, 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Kerak.
Euphrates Place v. 3: Biblical river. Modern identification: Euphrates River.
Zobah Place v. 3, 5, 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Brital.
Damascus Place v. 5-6: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Damascus.
Syria Place v. 5: Biblical region. Modern identification: Damascus.
Aram Place v. 6: Biblical region. Modern identification: Damascus.
Jerusalem Place v. 7: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Berothai Place v. 8: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Brital.
Tibhath Place v. 8: Confidence, a city belonging to Hadadezer, king of Zobah, which yielded much spoil of brass to David ( 2 Sam. 8:8 ). In 1 Chr. 18:8 it is called Tibhath. Modern identification: between Baalbek and Kadesh.
Hamath Place v. 9: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Hama.
Toi Person v. 9-10: A king of Hamath, who sent “Joram his son unto King David to salute him,” when he “heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer” ( 2 Sam. 8:9 , 10). Called Tou ( 1 Chr. 18:9 , 10).
Joram Person v. 10: =Jeho’ram. (1. ) One of the kings of Israel ( 2 Kings 8:16 , 25, 28). He was the son of Ahab. (2. ) Jehoram, the son and successor of Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah ( 2 Kings 8:24 ).
Amalek Place v. 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Ain el Qudeirat.
Ammon Place v. 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Amman.
Edom Place v. 12-14: Biblical region. Modern identification: Buseira.
Philistia Place v. 12: Biblical region. Modern identification: Tel Ashkelon.
Valley of Salt Place v. 13: Biblical special. Modern identification: Es Sebkha.
Jehoshaphat Person v. 16: Jehovah-judged. (1. ) One of David’s body-guard ( 1 Chr. 11:43 ). (2. ) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ).
Joab Person v. 16: Jehovah is his father. (1. ) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign ( 2 Sam. 2:13 ; 10:7 ; 11:1 ; 1 Kings 11:15 ).
Zeruiah Person v. 16: Stricken of the Lord, David’s sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel.
Abiathar Person v. 17: Father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli.
Ahimelech Person v. 17: Brother of the king, the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar ( 1 Sam. 22:20-23 ). He descended from Eli in the line of Ithamar. In 1 Chr. 18:16 he is called Abimelech, and is probably the same as Ahiah ( 1 Sam. 14:3 , 18).
Ahitub Person v. 17: Brother of goodness = good. (1. ) The son of Phinehas. On the death of his grandfather Eli he succeeded to the office of high priest, and was himself succeeded by his son Ahijah ( 1 Sam. 14:3 ; 22:9 , 11, 12, 20).
Seraiah Person v. 17: Soldier of Jehovah. (1. ) The father of Joab ( 1 Chr. 4:13 , 14). (2. ) The grandfather of Jehu ( 1 Chr. 4:35 ). (3. ) One of David’s scribes or secretaries ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ). (4. ) A Netophathite.
Zadok Person v. 17: Righteous. (1. ) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer ( 2 Sam. 8:17 ; 1 Chr. 24:3 ), high priest in the time of David ( 2 Sam. 20:25 ) and Solomon ( 1 Kings 4:4 ).
Benaiah Person v. 18: Built up by Jehovah. (1. ) The son of Jehoiada, chief priest ( 1 Chr. 27:5 ). He was set by David over his body-guard of Cherethites and Pelethites ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 1 Kings 1:32 ; 1 Chr. 18:17 ).
Jehoiada Person v. 18: Jehovah-known. (1. ) The father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 20:23 ). (2. ) The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah.