David’s wars, his officials
8
📚And after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Methegammah out of the hands of the Philistines.2 📚And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a cord, making them lie down on the ground. He measured those to be put to death with two cord lengths, and those to be kept alive with one full cord length. And so the Moabites 📖 became subject to David and brought tribute.
3 📚📚David also defeated Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah 📖, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates River 📖. 4 📚And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and David hamstrung 📖 all the chariot horses, except what he kept of them for a hundred chariots.
5 📚And when the Syrians of Damascus 📖 came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrian men. 6 📚Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became subject to David and brought tribute. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.
7 📚And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 📚And King David brought a great amount of bronze from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer.
9 📚When Toi king of Hamath 📖 heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 📚then Toi sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had waged wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him silver articles and gold articles and bronze articles.
11 📚And these King David dedicated to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he subdued,
8:11 These were later used in the construction of the temple (1 Kings 7:51). Observe that David did not enrich himself by his position and his victories. He gave to God what he could have kept for himself. How different from many today who keep for themselves what they should give to God, or even steal from funds given to God’s work to enrich themselves.⚜
12 📚from Syria and from Moab and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines and from Amalek and from the plunder from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 📚And David got a name 📖 for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand of the Syrians in the Valley of Salt 📖.
14 📚And he put garrisons in Edom. He put these garrisons throughout the whole of Edom and all the Edomites became subject to David. And the LORD preserved David wherever he went.
8:14 The Edomites were descended from Esau, son of Isaac (Gen 25:21-26).⚜
David's Officers
15 📚And David reigned over all Israel, and David executed judgment and justice to all his people.
8:15 In Psalm 101 David records his principles of just administration in the kingdom of Israel. Ps 15 gives some of his inspired views on personal conduct. David did more than make resolutions or write about justice; he practiced what he preached.⚜
16 📚And Joab 📖 the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 📚and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Seraiah was the scribe, 18 📚and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Kerethites 📖 and the Pelethites 📖, and David’s sons were chief ministers.