Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
the Third Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Bible in Basic English

2 Samuel 8:2

And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cord;   King;   Moabites;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Measures;   Moabites;   Presents;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Captives;   Moabites;   Philistines;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Israel;   Moab;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Amos, Theology of;   Israel;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Euphrates;   Gift;   Moab;   Moabite;   Rabbah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Ahaziah;   Dibon;   Eglon;   Mesha;   Moab;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Gift, Giving;   King, Kingship;   Line;   Moab and the Moabite Stone;   Nebo;   Pahath-Moab;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Gift, Giving;   Israel;   Moab, Moabites;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Lots;   Messiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Moab, Moabites ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Moab;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   Mo'ab;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Captives;   Philistim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - On to Canaan;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Captive;   Chemosh;   Cord;   David;   Gift;   King;   Moab;   Rope;   Tax;   War;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Gifts;   Taxation;   War;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
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.
Hebrew Names Version
He struck Mo'av, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Mo`avim became servants to David, and brought tribute.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
When he defeated Moab, he measured them with the cord, making them lie on the ground. He measured two cords to kill and the third cord to let live. So Moab became servants of David, bringing tribute.
English Standard Version
And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
New Century Version
He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.
New English Translation
He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites became David's subjects and brought tribute.
Amplified Bible
He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
New American Standard Bible
And he defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and a full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee smote Moab, and measured them with a corde, & cast them downe to the ground: he measured them with two cordes to put them to death, and with one full corde to keepe them aliue: so became the Moabites Dauids seruants, and brought giftes.
Legacy Standard Bible
He also struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.
Contemporary English Version
David also defeated the Moabites. Then he made their soldiers lie down on the ground, and he measured them off with a rope. He would measure off two lengths of the rope and have those men killed, then he would measure off one length and let those men live. The people of Moab had to accept David as their ruler and pay taxes to him.
Complete Jewish Bible
He also defeated Mo'av; making them lie down on the ground, he measured them with a length of cord; for every two lengths to be put to death he designated one length to be kept alive. The people of Mo'av became subjects of David and paid tribute.
Darby Translation
And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts.
Easy-to-Read Version
He also defeated the Moabites. He forced them to lie on the ground in a long row. Using a rope to measure, those within two lengths of the rope were killed and those within every third length were allowed to live. So the Moabites became servants of David and paid tribute to him.
George Lamsa Translation
And he defeated the Moabites, making them tie down on the ground, and measured them with a line; and he measured two lines to be put to death and one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became Davids servants and brought tribute.
Good News Translation
Then he defeated the Moabites. He made the prisoners lie down on the ground and put two out of every three of them to death. So the Moabites became his subjects and paid taxes to him.
Literal Translation
And he struck Moab, and measured them with a line; making them to lie down on the ground. And he measured two lines to cause them to died, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites were slaves to David, bearers of a gift.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He smote the Moabites also to the grounde, so that he broughte two partes of them to death, and let one parte lyue. Thus the Moabites were subdued vnto Dauid, so yt they broughte him giftes.
American Standard Version
And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a lyne, and cast them downe to the grounde, euen with two lynes measured he them, to put them to death, and with one full corde to kepe them alyue: And so became the Moabites Dauids seruauntes, and brought giftes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.
King James Version (1611)
And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them downe to the ground: euen with two lines measured he, to put to death, and with one full line to keepe aliue: and so the Moabites became Dauids seruants, and brought gifts.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David smote Moab, and measured them out with lines, having laid them down on the ground: and there were two lines for slaying, and two lines he kept alive: and Moab became servants to David, yielding tribute.
English Revised Version
And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full fine to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.
Berean Standard Bible
David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and he 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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid smoot Moab, and mat hem with a coorde, and made euene to the erthe; forsothe `he mat twey cordis, oon to sle, and oon to quikene. And Moab seruyde Dauid vndur tribute.
Young's Literal Translation
And he smiteth Moab, and measureth them with a line, causing them to lie down on the earth, and he measureth two lines to put to death, and the fulness of the line to keep alive, and the Moabites are to David for servants, bearers of a present.
Update Bible Version
And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became slaves to David, and brought tribute.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines he measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And [so] the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts.
World English Bible
He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
New King James Version
Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David's servants, and brought tribute.
New Living Translation
David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David's subjects and paid him tribute money.
New Life Bible
He won the battle against Moab, and had them lie down on the ground in straight groups. Two groups were put to death, and one group was kept alive. The Moabites became servants to David and paid taxes to him.
New Revised Standard
He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death, and one length for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line casting, them down to the ground, and be measured with two lines to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive, - so the Moabites became David's, as servants, bringing gifts.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.
Revised Standard Version
And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
THE MESSAGE
He also fought and defeated Moab. He chose two-thirds of them randomly and executed them. The other third he spared. So the Moabites fell under David's rule and were forced to bring tribute.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

Contextual Overview

1 And it came about after this that David made an attack on the Philistines and overcame them; and David took the authority of the mother-town from the hands of the Philistines. 2 And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings. 3 And David overcame Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to make his power seen by the River. 4 And David took from him one thousand, seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen: and David had the leg-muscles of the horses cut, only keeping enough of them for a hundred war-carriages. 5 And when the Aramaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David put to the sword twenty-two thousand of the Aramaeans. 6 And David put armed forces in Aram of Damascus: and the Aramaeans became servants to David and gave him offerings. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went. 7 And David took their gold body-covers from the servants of Hadadezer and took them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Tebah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great store of brass.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he smote: Numbers 24:17, Judges 3:29, Judges 3:30, 1 Samuel 14:47, Psalms 60:8, Psalms 83:6, Psalms 108:9

measured: 2 Samuel 12:31

And so: 2 Samuel 8:6, 2 Samuel 8:12-14, 2 Kings 1:1, 2 Kings 3:4-27, 1 Chronicles 18:2

brought gifts: 1 Samuel 10:27, 2 Chronicles 26:8, Psalms 72:10, Psalms 72:11, Isaiah 36:16

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 23:6 - Thou shalt 2 Samuel 22:38 - General 1 Kings 10:25 - every man 2 Kings 3:25 - beat down 2 Kings 17:3 - presents 2 Chronicles 17:11 - brought Psalms 68:30 - every Isaiah 16:1 - the lamb Isaiah 34:11 - stretch Lamentations 2:8 - stretched Ezekiel 24:6 - let no Amos 7:7 - a wall Micah 1:14 - give

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great deep came bursting through, and the windows of heaven were open;
Genesis 8:11
And the dove came back at evening, and in her mouth was an olive-leaf broken off: so Noah was certain that the waters had gone down on the earth.
Genesis 8:13
And in the six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters were dry on the earth: and Noah took the cover off the ark and saw that the face of the earth was dry.
Job 38:37
By whose wisdom are the clouds numbered, or the water-skins of the heavens turned to the earth,
Proverbs 8:28
When he made strong the skies overhead: when the fountains of the deep were fixed:
Jonah 2:3
For you have put me down into the deep, into the heart of the sea; and the river was round about me; all your waves and your rolling waters went over me.
Matthew 8:9
Because I myself am a man under authority, having under me fighting men; and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he smote Moab,.... He next went against that, and invaded it, the people of it being always troublesome and distressing to the children of Israel; and though the king of it had shown some favour to David, yet it was when he considered him as an enemy to Saul, and Saul to him; but things having taken a different turn, his and his people's enmity against David and his people appeared; wherefore he went and fought them, and made them his subjects, whereby was fulfilled the prophecy of Balaam, Numbers 24:17; as it referred to David:

and measured them with a line: either their country and fields, to distribute among his people, or rather the soldiers he took prisoners; which, as Procopius Gazaeus says, were so numerous that they could not be told, and therefore they were ordered to lie prostrate on the ground, and they were measured with a line, as it follows:

casting them down to the ground; or ordering them to lie down; though some understand this of casting down their cities, towers, and strong holds, and levelling them with the ground:

even with two lines measured he; with one, so it may be supplied, as the Vulgate Latin,

to put to death, and with one full line, to keep alive; that is, in measuring them with his lines, he divided them into two parts, one he put to death, and the other, the full line, which contained the most, he saved alive; though it seems according to our version, and so most understand it, that David slew two thirds, and saved one, and so Josephus e. This must be understood of the army of the Moabites that fell into his hands, so Josephus, who persisted and refused to submit, not of all the inhabitants of the land. The Jews say f, that the reason of this severe treatment of them was because they slew the father, and mother and brethren of David, whom he left to the care and custody of the king of Moab, when he fled from Saul, see 1 Samuel 22:3; since after that they are heard no more of; though it should rather be imputed to their enmity against the people of Israel. The phrase of "meting out the valley of Succoth" seems to be an allusion to this fact, Psalms 60:6, the psalm being written on occasion of the victories here related:

and [so] the Moabites became David's servants; the inhabitants of the land who were left in it, perhaps that part of the soldiers preserved alive were brought home captives:

[and] brought gifts; paid a yearly tribute to King David, as they afterwards did to Solomon and to Rehoboam, until the revolt of the ten tribes, and then they paid it unto the kings of Israel, to the times of Ahab, see 2 Kings 3:4, though these gifts may be distinct from, and besides the tribute paid, which is supposed in their being servants, see 2 Chronicles 17:11. Thus the Arabians g carried gifts to the king of Persia besides tribute.

e Antiqu. l. 7. c. 5. sect. 1. f Bemidbar Rabba, l. 14. fol. 212. 1. g Herodot. Thalia, sive, l. 3. c. 97.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David took great numbers of the Moabites prisoners of war, and made them lie down on the ground, and then divided them by a measuring line into three parts, putting two-thirds to death, and saving alive one-third. The cause of the war with the Moabites, who had been very friendly with David 1 Samuel 22:3-4, and of this severe treatment, is not known. But it seems likely, from the tone of Psalms 60:1-12 that David had met with some temporary reverse in his Syrian wars, and that the Moabites and Edomites had treacherously taken advantage of it, and perhaps tried to cut off his retreat.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 8:2. And measured them with a line - even with two lines — It has been generally conjectured that David, after he had conquered Moab, consigned two-thirds of the inhabitants to the sword; but I think the text will bear a meaning much more reputable to that king. The first clause of the verse seems to determine the sense; he measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground-to put to death, and with one line to keep alive. Death seems here to be referred to the cities by way of metaphor; and, from this view of the subject we may conclude that two-thirds of the cities, that is, the strong places of Moab, were erased; and not having strong places to trust to, the text adds, So the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts, i.e., were obliged to pay tribute. The word line may mean the same here as our rod, i.e., the instrument by which land is measured. There are various opinions on this verse, with which I shall not trouble the reader. Much may be seen in Calmet and Dodd.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile