๐ 2 Samuel 8 : ๐ Wherever David went, Jehovah gave him the victory
Jehovah gave him the victory
๐ From Chapter 7 to Chapter 8
Chapter 7 tells of the time when Jehovah allowed David to live in peace in his palace.
- David wanted to build a house for Jehovah;
- God allowed his son, rather than David, to build the temple;
- and He gave David great blessings and the promise that his throne would remain forever.
So, to which words from Chapter 7 might this expression “After this” be connected?
⚔️ David's Wars in Every Direction
① West — Philistines
David defeated the Philistines and subdued them.
② East — Moab
David defeated the Moabites, sparing some and killing others. The surviving Moabites became David's servants and paid him tribute.
③ North — Zobah
David defeated Hadadezer, king of Zobah, and took his chariots and horsemen. He kept only enough horses for one hundred chariots and hamstrung the rest.
- Up to this point, it could be considered that the war was practically over.
④ North — Arameans
David defeated the Arameans of Damascus, and the Arameans became David's servants and paid him tribute.
⑤ North — Hamath
When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated Hadadezer, he went to meet David and congratulate him.
⑥ South — Edom
David defeated eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
- After the war against Edom, David returned and “gained fame,” as recorded in verse 13.
⚖️ David Governs Israel with Justice and Righteousness
After, with Jehovah's help, subduing the external enemies, David begins to govern Israel internally with justice and righteousness.
— 2 Samuel 8:15
We also see the formation of an organized leadership structure for the kingdom:
- ⚔️ Commander of the army — Joab
- ๐ Recorder/Chronicler — Jehoshaphat
- ⛪ Priests — Zadok and Ahimelech
- ✍️ Secretary — Seraiah
- ๐ก️ Chief of the guard — Benaiah
๐ What We Can Learn from the Wars — ①
“Wherever David went, Jehovah gave him the victory.”
This phrase appears twice in 2 Samuel 8, in verses 6 and 14.
The important point is that the Bible does not explain the victories simply by David's strength, but repeatedly emphasizes that Jehovah was the source of the victory.
๐ What We Can Learn from the Wars — ②
David offered a large portion of the spoils obtained from the wars to Jehovah.
Among them are mentioned silver, gold, and bronze. (Silver appears first ➔ therefore, we may think that it was the largest quantity.)
✔️ When silver, gold, and bronze are mentioned in this order, we may think that silver was the largest quantity.
✔️ Since the bronze objects came from Zobah and Hamath, that is, from the northern region, we may suppose that there was a considerable amount of bronze in that region.
David set aside for Jehovah a large portion of the spoils obtained as a result of his victories in the wars.
At that time, the northern region appears to have had relatively abundant mineral resources that served as raw materials for bronze production. I began to wonder whether the development of metalworking technology based on these resources may also have influenced the development of the military power of the northern peoples.
➡️ Why did I come to think this way?
Because, in the history of Israel, the process that eventually led to the fall of the nation also began from the north.
Therefore, when I read in 2 Samuel 8 that David brought bronze objects as war spoils from the northern regions, I did not want to see this record merely as a simple mention of the spoils. It made me wonder whether the natural resources and the development of metalworking technology in that region may also have contributed to the strengthening of the military power of the northern peoples.
๐ What We Can Learn from the Wars — ③
With the land of Canaan as the center, we see David successively defeating several powerful peoples around him, in all four directions: east, west, north, and south.
Philistines
Moab
Zobah · Arameans · Hamath
Edom
๐ What We Can Learn from the Wars — ④
It is interesting to observe that David placed garrisons in the north, among the Arameans, and in the south, among the Edomites.
After the wars, we see David consolidating the kingdom, organizing the north and south and strengthening the nation.
๐ How Do the Promises of Chapter 7 Appear in Chapter 8?
2 Samuel 7:9
➜ “David gained fame.” (8:13)
2 Samuel 7:11
➜ The surrounding peoples in all four directions are successively defeated, and Israel is consolidated around them.
๐ A Very Interesting Record — The “Measuring with a Cord” of Moab
This is one of the most unusual episodes in 2 Samuel 8.
killed those corresponding to two measures and kept those corresponding to one measure alive.
This does not mean that he killed people according to their height, but that he determined a proportion between those who would be executed and those who would be spared.
In other words, approximately two-thirds were killed and one-third was spared.
Compared with the other accounts of conquest, this treatment is quite unusual.
๐ Moab and Its Ancient Relationship with Israel
When reading this episode, we naturally may remember Numbers 24.
- Moab was the people who tried to call Balaam to curse Israel.
- Balaam's prophecy also contains a prediction of Moab's defeat.
- However, in the book of Ruth, we discover that Ruth, David's great-grandmother, was a Moabite.
Could David have spared one-third of the Moabites because his great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabite?
I think about this because the way the Moabites were treated was quite unusual. Will we find the exact answer as we continue reading the Bible?
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