2 Samuel 8
1 Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
Some time later, David’s army attacked the Philistia [army] and defeated them. They took control over the entire Philistia area.
2 David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
David’s army also defeated the army of the Moab people-group. David forced their soldiers to lie down on the ground [close to each other]. His men killed two out of every three of them. The [other] Moab people [were forced to] accept David as their ruler, and they were forced to give to him [every year the] payment/tax [that he demanded].
3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
David’s army also defeated [the army of] Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, who ruled [the state of] Zobah [in Syria]. That happened when David went to rule again over the area at [the upper part of] the Euphrates River.
4 David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.
David’s army captured 1,700 of Hadadezer’s soldiers who rode on horses, and 20,000 of his other soldiers. They also crippled/hamstrung most of the horses that pulled the chariots, but they left/spared enough horses to [pull] 100 chariots.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
When [the army of] Syria came from Damascus [city] to help King Hadadezer’s [army], David’s soldiers killed 22,000 of them.
6 Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
Then David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) in their area, and the people of Syria were forced to accept David as their ruler, and to give to David’s government [every year] the payment/tax that he demanded. And Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win victories wherever they went.
7 And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
David’s soldiers took the gold shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s officials, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
They also brought [to Jerusalem] a lot of bronze [that they found] in Betah and Berothai, two cities that King Hadadezer [had previously] ruled.
9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
When Toi, the king of the Hamath [city in Syria], heard that David’s [army] had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer,
10 he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,
he sent his son Joram to greet King David and to (congratulate him/say that he was happy) about his army defeating Hadadezer’s army, which Toi’s [army] had fought many times. Joram brought to David many items/gifts made from gold, silver, and bronze.
11 and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—
King David dedicated all those items to Yahweh. He also dedicated the silver and gold which his army had taken from the nations that they had conquered.
12 from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
They had taken items from the Edom people-group and the Moab people-group, from the Ammon people-group, from the Philistia people, and from [the descendants of] Amalek, as well as from the people that Hadadezer [previously] ruled.
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
When David returned [after defeating the armies of Syria], he became more famous because his army killed 18,000 soldiers from the Edom people-group in the Salt Valley [near the Dead Sea].
14 He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) throughout the Edom area, and forced the people there to accept him as their king. Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win battles wherever they went.
15 Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
David ruled over all the Israeli people, and he always did for them what was fair and just.
16 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
Joab was the army commander; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the man who reported to the people everything that David decided that they should do;
17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;
Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the official secretary;
18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of (David’s bodyguards/the men who protected the king); and David’s sons were priests (OR, his administrators/advisors).
