2 Samuel 8:1

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

am 2964, bc 1040, An, Ex, Is, 451

And after: 2 Samuel 7:9, 2 Samuel 21:15-22

Methegammah: or, the bridle of Ammah, 2 Samuel 2:24, 1 Chronicles 18:1-17, Gath, In the parallel passage of Chronicles, we read, "David took Gath and her towns;" and it is probable, that Gath and its districts were called Metheg-ammah in David's time; which, being unusual or becoming obsolete, in the time of the author of the Chronicles, led him thus to explain it.

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:37 - Moabites Genesis 22:17 - thy seed Genesis 27:29 - Let people Judges 13:5 - begin 2 Samuel 22:38 - General 2 Samuel 22:44 - head 2 Chronicles 26:6 - the wall of Gath Psalms 9:5 - rebuked Psalms 18:38 - General Psalms 18:43 - made Psalms 60:8 - triumph Psalms 68:30 - Rebuke Psalms 108:9 - Moab Psalms 118:10 - All nations Ezekiel 25:15 - to destroy Hebrews 11:33 - through Hebrews 11:34 - turned

Cross-References

Genesis 8:7
and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.

Genesis 8:7
and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Genesis 8:7
he sent out a raven. It flew here and there until the water had dried up from the earth.

Genesis 8:7
and sent out a raven; it kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.

Genesis 8:7
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, till the waters were dried from off the earth.

Genesis 8:7
and he sent forth a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Genesis 8:7
and he sent out a raven, which flew here and there until the waters were dried up from the earth.

Genesis 8:7
which yede out, and turnede not ayen til the watris weren dried on erthe.

Genesis 8:7
and he sendeth forth the raven, and it goeth out, going out and turning back till the drying of the waters from off the earth.

Genesis 8:7
and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And after this it came to pass,.... After David had rest from his enemies for a time, and after the conversation he had had with Nathan about building the house of God, and after the message sent to him from the Lord by that prophet, forbidding him to build, and David's prayer to the Lord upon it, the following events happened; and which are recorded to show that David's rest from his enemies did not last long, and that he had other work to do than to build the house of God:

that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; these had been long and implacable enemies of Israel; Samson began to weaken them in his days; a war was waged between them and Israel in the times of Samuel and Saul, and the battle sometimes went on one side and sometimes on the other; but now David made an entire conquest of them: before they had used to come into the land of Israel, and there fight with Israel, but now David entered into their land, and took it from them:

and David took Methegammah out of the hands of the Philistines; the name of a province in Palestine, and from the parallel place in

1 Chronicles 18:1, it appears to be Gath, and its adjacent towns; but why that was called the bridle of Ammah, or the bridle of a cubit, as it may be rendered, is not easy to say. The conjecture of Kimchi is, that there was a pool or river of water, so Ammah is thought to signify; and Aquila renders it a water course, which passed through the city, having been brought from without it into it, the communication of which from place to place it may be David cut off, by stopping or turning its stream; but interpreters more generally suppose that Gath was built upon an hill called Ammah, see 2 Samuel 2:24; thought to be the same with the Amgaris of Pliny d though that is sometimes read Angaris, a mountain he places in Palestine; and that it was called Metheg, a bridle, because being a frontier city, and being very strong and powerful, erected into a kingdom, it was a curb and bridle upon the Israelites; but now David taking it out of their hands, opened his way for the more easy subduing the rest of their country: or the word may be rendered Metheg and her mother, that is, Gath, the metropolis, since that and her daughters, or towns, are said to be taken, 1 Chronicles 18:1; and Metheg might be one of them.

d Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Metheg-ammah must be the name of some stronghold which commanded Gath, and the taking of which made David master of Gath and her towns.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER VIII

David subdues the Philistines, 1;

and the Moabites, 2;

and the king of Zobah, 3, 4;

and the Syrians in general, 5-8.

Toi, king of Hamath, sends to congratulate him on his victories

over the king of Zobah, and sends him rich presents, 9-10.

David dedicates all the spoils to God, 11-13.

He garrisons Edom, 14;

and reigns over all Israel, 15.

An account of his chief officers, 16-18.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII

Verse 2 Samuel 8:1. David took Metheg-ammah — This is variously translated. The Vulgate has, Tulit David fraenum tributi, David removed the bondage of the tribute, which the Israelities paid to the Philistines. Some think it means a fortress, city, or strong town; but no such place as Metheg-ammah is known. Probably the Vulgate is nearest the truth. The versions are all different. See the following comparison of the principal passages here collated with the parallel place in 1 Chr: -

2 Samuel 8:1 - David took Methegammah

1 Chronicles 18:1 - David took Gath and her towns.

2 Samuel 8:3. David smote Hadadezer

1 Chronicles 18:3; 1 Chronicles 18:3. David smote Hadarezer

2 Samuel 8:4. And David took from him 1000 and 700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot.

1 Chronicles 18:4; 1 Chronicles 18:4. And David took from him 1000 chariots, and 7000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot.

2 Samuel 8:6. Then David put garrisons in Syria

1 Chronicles 18:6. Then David put in Syria

2 Samuel 8:8. And from Betah and Berothai cities of Hadadezer.

1 Chronicles 18:8; 1 Chronicles 18:8. And from Tibhath and Chun cities of Hadarezer.

2 Samuel 8:9. When Toi heard that David had smitten Hadadezer

1 Chronicles 18:9; 1 Chronicles 18:9. When Tou heard that David had smitten Hadarezer

2 Samuel 8:10. Then Toi sent Joram his son

1 Chronicles 18:10; 1 Chronicles 18:10. He sent Hadoram his son

2 Samuel 8:12 - Syria and Moab

1 Chronicles 18:11 - Edom and Moab

2 Samuel 8:13. - Syrians, in the valley of salt, 18,000

1 Chronicles 18:12. - Edomites, in the valley of salt, 18,000

2 Samuel 8:17 - Ahimelech - and Seraiah was the scribe.

1 Chronicles 18:16; 1 Chronicles 18:16 - Abimelech - and Shausha was scribe.

2 Samuel 10:16. Shobach the captain

1 Chronicles 19:16; 1 Chronicles 19:16. Shophach the captain

2 Samuel 10:17. David passed over Jordan, and came הלאמה to Helam.

1 Chronicles 19:17. David passed over Jordan and came אלהם upon them

2 Samuel 10:18. David slew 700 chariots of the Syrians,

1 Chronicles 19:18; 1 Chronicles 19:18. David slew of the Syrians 7000 chariots,

2Sa. and 40,000 horsemen;

1Ch. and 40,000 footmen;

2Sa. and smote Shobach, &c.

1Ch. and killed Shophach, &c.