2 Samuel 8:2

Contextual Overview

¹ And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹ After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town. ¹ And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹ Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah. ¹ Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah from the Philistines. ¹ And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹ After this it happened that David struck the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹Now it came about after this that David defeated the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them, and he took control of Metheg-ammah [the main city] from the hand of the Philistines. ¹ After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. ¹ Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, Dauid smoot Filisteis, and made low hem; and Dauid took awei the bridil of tribute fro the hond of Filisteis.

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, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 7:11
When Noah was six hundred years old, the flood started. On the seventeenth day of the second month of that year the underground springs split open, and the clouds in the sky poured out rain.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month—on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep were burst open, and the sky's windows were opened.

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, on that same day all the fountains of the great deep [subterranean waters] burst open, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 7:11
In the sixe hundrid yeer of the lijf of Noe, in the secunde moneth, in the seuententhe dai of the moneth, alle the wellis of the greet see weren brokun, and the wyndowis of heuene weren opened,

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day have been broken up all fountains of the great deep, and the net-work of the heavens hath been opened,

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

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.