David’s Triumphs

David subdues the Philistines, Moab, Hadadezer, and the Arameans of Damascus, taking tribute, captives, and valuable goods. The section ties these campaigns together by noting that the LORD gives David victory wherever he goes.

S¹ome time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines. ²David 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. ³David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River. ⁴David 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. ⁵When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men. ⁶Then 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. ⁷And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

After hearing of David’s victory over Hadadezer, Toi sends gifts in peace, and David dedicates this wealth to the LORD along with spoil from other nations. The account ends with David’s fame, Edom’s subjection, and the same refrain of the LORD’s saving success.

⁹When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰he 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, ¹¹and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued— ¹²from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴He placed garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.