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Selected Verse: 2 Samuel 8:2 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| 2Sa 8:2 |
Strong Concordance |
And he smote [05221] Moab [04124], and measured [04058] them with a line [02256], casting them down [07901] to the ground [0776]; even with two [08147] lines [02256] measured [04058] he to put to death [04191], and with one full [04393] line [02256] to keep alive [02421]. And so the Moabites [04124] became David's [01732] servants [05650], and brought [05375] gifts [04503]. |
| |
King James |
And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| he smote Moab, and measured them with a line--This refers to a well-known practice of Eastern kings, to command their prisoners of war, particularly those who, notorious for the atrocity of their crimes or distinguished by the indomitable spirit of their resistance, had greatly incensed the victors, to lie down on the ground. Then a certain portion of them, which was determined by lot, but most commonly by a measuring-line, were put to death. Our version makes him put two-thirds to death, and spare one-third. The Septuagint and Vulgate make one-half. This war usage was not, perhaps, usually practised by the people of God; but Jewish writers assert that the cause of this particular severity against this people was their having massacred David's parents and family, whom he had, during his exile, committed to the king of Moab. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
| David took great numbers of the Moabites prisoners of war, and made them lie down on the ground, and then divided them by a measuring line into three parts, putting two-thirds to death, and saving alive one-third. The cause of the war with the Moabites, who had been very friendly with David Sa1 22:3-4, and of this severe treatment, is not known. But it seems likely, from the tone of Psa 60:1-12 that David had met with some temporary reverse in his Syrian wars, and that the Moabites and Edomites had treacherously taken advantage of it, and perhaps tried to cut off his retreat. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| Subjugation of Moab. - "He smote Moab (i.e., the Moabites), and measured them with the line, making them lie down upon the ground, and measured two lines (i.e., two parts) to put to death, and one line full to keep alive." Nothing further is known about either the occasion or the history of this war, with the exception of the cursory notice in Ch1 11:22, that Benaiah, one of David's heroes, smote two sons of the king of Moab, which no doubt took place in the same war. In the earliest period of his flight from Saul, David had met with a hospitable reception from the king of Moab, and had even taken his parents to him for safety (Sa1 22:3-4). But the Moabites must have very grievously oppressed the Israelites afterwards, that David should have inflicted a severer punishment upon them after their defeat, than upon any other of the nations that he conquered, with the exception of the Ammonites (Sa2 12:31), upon whom he took vengeance for having most shamefully insulted his ambassadors (Sa2 10:2.). The punishment inflicted, however, was of course restricted to the fighting men who had been taken prisoners by the Israelites. They were ordered to lie down in a row upon the earth; and then the row was measured for the purpose of putting two-thirds to death, and leaving one-third alive. The Moabites were then made "servants" to David (i.e., they became his subjects), "bringing gifts" (i.e., paying tribute). |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Moab - For although the king of Moab, out of hatred to Saul, gave protection to his parents, Sa1 22:3-4, yet the Moabites were perpetual and sworn enemies to the Israelites, who therefore were forbidden to admit them into the congregation of the Lord. And though God commanded them in their march to Canaan, to spare the Moabites, yet afterwards they proved fierce enemies to God and his people, and thereby provoked God to alter his carriage towards them. Measured them - That is, having conquered the land, he made an estimate of it, and distributed the towns and people into three parts. Casting down - Overthrowing their towns, and utterly destroying their people in manner following. And now that prophecy, Num 24:17, was accomplished. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| And measured them with a line - even with two lines - It has been generally conjectured that David, after he had conquered Moab, consigned two-thirds of the inhabitants to the sword; but I think the text will bear a meaning much more reputable to that king. The first clause of the verse seems to determine the sense; he measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground - to put to death, and with one line to keep alive. Death seems here to be referred to the cities by way of metaphor; and, from this view of the subject we may conclude that two-thirds of the cities, that is, the strong places of Moab, were erased; and not having strong places to trust to, the text adds, So the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts, i.e., were obliged to pay tribute. The word line may mean the same here as our rod, i.e., the instrument by which land is measured. There are various opinions on this verse, with which I shall not trouble the reader. Much may be seen in Calmet and Dodd. |
1 To the chief Musician [05329] upon Shushaneduth [07802], Michtam [04387] of David [01732], to teach [03925]; when he strove [05327] with Aramnaharaim [0763] [05104] and with Aramzobah [0760], when Joab [03097] returned [07725], and smote [05221] of Edom [0123] in the valley [01516] of salt [04417] twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505]. O God [0430], thou hast cast us off [02186], thou hast scattered [06555] us, thou hast been displeased [0599]; O turn thyself to us again [07725].
2 Thou hast made the earth [0776] to tremble [07493]; thou hast broken [06480] it: heal [07495] the breaches [07667] thereof; for it shaketh [04131].
3 Thou hast shewed [07200] thy people [05971] hard things [07186]: thou hast made us to drink [08248] the wine [03196] of astonishment [08653].
4 Thou hast given [05414] a banner [05251] to them that fear [03373] thee, that it may be displayed [05127] because [06440] of the truth [07189]. Selah [05542].
5 That thy beloved [03039] may be delivered [02502]; save [03467] with thy right hand [03225], and hear [06030] me.
6 God [0430] hath spoken [01696] in his holiness [06944]; I will rejoice [05937], I will divide [02505] Shechem [07927], and mete out [04058] the valley [06010] of Succoth [05523].
7 Gilead [01568] is mine, and Manasseh [04519] is mine; Ephraim [0669] also is the strength [04581] of mine head [07218]; Judah [03063] is my lawgiver [02710];
8 Moab [04124] is my washpot [05518] [07366]; over Edom [0123] will I cast out [07993] my shoe [05275]: Philistia [06429], triumph [07321] thou because of me.
9 Who will bring [02986] me into the strong [04692] city [05892]? who will lead [05148] me into Edom [0123]?
10 Wilt not thou, O God [0430], which hadst cast us off [02186]? and thou, O God [0430], which didst not go out [03318] with our armies [06635]?
11 Give [03051] us help [05833] from trouble [06862]: for vain [07723] is the help [08668] of man [0120].
12 Through God [0430] we shall do [06213] valiantly [02428]: for he it is that shall tread down [0947] our enemies [06862].
3 And David [01732] went [03212] thence to Mizpeh [04708] of Moab [04124]: and he said [0559] unto the king [04428] of Moab [04124], Let my father [01] and my mother [0517], I pray thee, come forth [03318], and be with you, till I know [03045] what God [0430] will do [06213] for me.
4 And he brought [05148] them before [06440] the king [04428] of Moab [04124]: and they dwelt [03427] with him all the while [03117] that David [01732] was in the hold [04686].
2 Then said [0559] David [01732], I will shew [06213] kindness [02617] unto Hanun [02586] the son [01121] of Nahash [05176], as his father [01] shewed [06213] kindness [02617] unto me. And David [01732] sent [07971] to comfort [05162] him by the hand [03027] of his servants [05650] for his father [01]. And David's [01732] servants [05650] came [0935] into the land [0776] of the children [01121] of Ammon [05983].
31 And he brought forth [03318] the people [05971] that were therein, and put [07760] them under saws [04050], and under harrows [02757] of iron [01270], and under axes [04037] of iron [01270], and made them pass [05674] through the brickkiln [04404]: and thus did [06213] he unto all the cities [05892] of the children [01121] of Ammon [05983]. So David [01732] and all the people [05971] returned [07725] unto Jerusalem [03389].
3 And David [01732] went [03212] thence to Mizpeh [04708] of Moab [04124]: and he said [0559] unto the king [04428] of Moab [04124], Let my father [01] and my mother [0517], I pray thee, come forth [03318], and be with you, till I know [03045] what God [0430] will do [06213] for me.
4 And he brought [05148] them before [06440] the king [04428] of Moab [04124]: and they dwelt [03427] with him all the while [03117] that David [01732] was in the hold [04686].
22 Benaiah [01141] the son [01121] of Jehoiada [03077], the son [01121] of a valiant [02428] man [0376] of Kabzeel [06909], who had done many [07227] acts [06467]; he slew [05221] two [08147] lionlike men [0739] of Moab [04124]: also he went down [03381] and slew [05221] a lion [0738] in [08432] a pit [0953] in a snowy [07950] day [03117].
17 I shall see [07200] him, but not now: I shall behold [07789] him, but not nigh [07138]: there shall come [01869] a Star [03556] out of Jacob [03290], and a Sceptre [07626] shall rise [06965] out of Israel [03478], and shall smite [04272] the corners [06285] of Moab [04124], and destroy [06979] all the children [01121] of Sheth [08352] [08351].
3 And David [01732] went [03212] thence to Mizpeh [04708] of Moab [04124]: and he said [0559] unto the king [04428] of Moab [04124], Let my father [01] and my mother [0517], I pray thee, come forth [03318], and be with you, till I know [03045] what God [0430] will do [06213] for me.
4 And he brought [05148] them before [06440] the king [04428] of Moab [04124]: and they dwelt [03427] with him all the while [03117] that David [01732] was in the hold [04686].