2 Samuel 8

World English Bible 83 include this book

1 After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 He defeated 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.

3 David also struck Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.

4 David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen. David hamstrung the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for one hundred chariots.

5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty two thousand men of the Syrians.

6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

7 David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer,

10 then Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. Joram brought with him vessels of silver, vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze.

11 King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued—

12 of Syria, of Moab, of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, of Amalek, and of the plunder of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 David earned a reputation when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand men of the Syrians in the Valley of Salt.

14 He put garrisons in Edom. Throughout all Edom, he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.

15 David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people.

16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder,

17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, Seraiah was scribe,

18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief ministers.

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7 places named in this chapter.

Where this was written

Jerusalem traditional The succession narrative is closely tied to the Jerusalem court.

When this was written

Traditions differ. Each position is shown rather than one asserted as settled.

Traditional: 1000 BC–950 BC Nathan and Gad
Continuation of the same prophetic record.
Critical: 630 BC–550 BC Deuteronomistic historians
The succession narrative is often judged very early, its framing much later.

Elsewhere in the world

Events overlapping the period this book is dated to (1000 BC–550 BC).

1200 BC–600 BC Zoroaster teaches in Persia Persia
Founder of Zoroastrianism, whose dating is disputed by as much as six centuries. His teaching on a cosmic struggle between good and evil later touched Jewish and Christian thought.
1200 BC–1000 BC Iron working spreads in the Levant Levant
Iron gradually displaced bronze for tools and weapons across the eastern Mediterranean.
1200 BC–400 BC Olmec civilisation Mesoamerica
The earliest major Mesoamerican civilisation, known for colossal stone heads and an early calendar.
1070 BC–350 AD The kingdom of Kush Africa
A Nubian power on the upper Nile that ruled Egypt itself as its twenty-fifth dynasty.
776 BC First recorded Olympiad Greece
The traditional starting point of Greek historical chronology.
753 BC Traditional founding of Rome Rome
The legendary date of Rome's founding, later used as the anchor of the Roman calendar.
745 BC–609 BC Neo-Assyrian empire at its height Mesopotamia
Assyria dominated the Near East, deporting conquered populations as policy, including the northern kingdom of Israel.
620 BC–560 BC Coinage invented in Lydia Anatolia
Stamped electrum coins of guaranteed weight, an idea that spread across the ancient world within a century.

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