Summary: David defeats the Philistines (v.1) and Moabites (v.2). He becomes militarily successful, because God was with him (v.6, 14). He also turned into a faithful and just king (v.15). David had “rest” from his enemies (2 Sam. 7:1), but he continues to fight his enemies in this chapter. This could either mean (1) that God was giving him rest in the midst of the battles he was fighting or (2) chapter 8 is chronologically before chapter 7.[]
(8:1) David overthrew the capital of the Philistines. The parallel passage explains that he took Gath (1 Chron. 18:1).
(8:2) David overthrew Moab, killing many by military execution. He spared some of them, but he made them take taxes to Israel in perpetuity. A Jewish tradition states that the Moabites killed David’s parents.[] David was fulfilling the prediction of the Messiah by crushing “through the forehead of Moab” (Num. 24:17). Of course, this will be ultimately fulfilled through Jesus at his Second Coming.
(8:3) David also overthrew Zobah, restoring the boundary lines to the river (Euphrates[]). The mention of the “measuring line” could refer to the national territory (i.e. marking off the boundaries of the land and killing the population), or it could refer to literally measuring off the men and killing two thirds of them.[]
(8:4) David maimed a number of these horses (i.e. hamstrung) by “[severing] the large tendon above and behind their hocks to disable them.”[]
(8:5-6) David overthrew the Arameans, they had to pay taxes to Israel afterward (cf. v.2). He killed 18,000 of these men (v.13).
(8:7-8) David plundered a lot of the precious metals from these nations.
(8:9) This sounds like a situation where “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Toi goes to make peace with David, because he defeated Hadadezer (v.5).
(8:10) Toi brought even more precious metals to David.
(8:11-12) Unlike other ancient warlords, David didn’t keep these metals for himself. He gave them over to God.
(8:13) See verses 5-6.
(8:14) David also overthrew the Edomites.
(8:15) This chapter shows David’s reign and rule over all of Israel. God was clearly behind him. These boundaries “correspond to those outlined in the divine promise to Abraham” in Genesis 15:18.[]
(8:16-18) This section describes David’s “cabinet.” It lists the military leaders, the spiritual leaders, and the administrators.
Joab was David’s chief military general.
Jehoshaphat was the recorder. The role of the recorder was “either to have oversight of state records and documents or to serve as a royal herald, equivalent to the Egyptian whm.w (“speaker”), whose role was to make reports to the king and transmit royal decrees.”[]
Seraiah was the secretary—a position that “was as much that of a secretary of state as it was that of a royal scribe.”[]
Zadok and Ahimelech were the high priests.
Benaiah later becomes Solomon’s hitman (1 Kings 2:25, 34, 46), and he later becomes the chief general over Israel’s army (1 Kings 4:4).
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 902.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 903.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 905.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 903.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 905.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 908.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 910.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 911.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
