2 Samuel 8:2

2 Samuel 8:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought tribute.

Context of 2 Samuel 8:2

1Now it came about after this that David defeated the Philistines and subdued (humbled) them, and he took control of Metheg-ammah [the main city] from the hand of the Philistines. He defeated Moab, and measured them with a length of rope, making them lie down on the ground; he measured two lengths to [choose those to] put to death, and one full length to [choose those to] be kept alive. And the [surviving] Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute. 3Then David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the River [Euphrates]. 4David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses (making them lame), but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

2 Samuel 8:2 word by word

וַיַּ֣ךְ אֶת־מוֹאָ֗ב וַֽיְמַדְּדֵ֤ם בַּחֶ֙בֶל֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ב אוֹתָ֣ם אַ֔רְצָה וַיְמַדֵּ֤ד שְׁנֵֽי־חֲבָלִים֙ לְהָמִ֔ית וּמְלֹ֥א הַחֶ֖בֶל לְהַחֲי֑וֹת וַתְּהִ֤י מוֹאָב֙ לְדָוִ֔ד לַעֲבָדִ֖ים נֹשְׂאֵ֥י מִנְחָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• Moabמוֹאָבmô'âb · MoabH4124
• and measuredמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
• them with a lineחֶ֫בֶלchebel chêbel · cordH2256
• casting them downשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: lay downH7901
• to the groundאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: soilH776
• even with twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• he to put to deathמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• and with one fullמְלֹאmelô' melô' melô · fullnessH4393
• to keep aliveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• became David’sדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• broughtנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: bearH5375
• giftsמִנְחָהminchâh · offering: tributeH4503

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 8:2

• Numbers 24:17I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star shall come forth from [the descendants of] Jacob, A scepter shall rise out of [the descendants of] Israel And shall crush the forehead of Moab And destroy all the sons of Sheth.
• Judges 3:29They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped.
• 1 Samuel 14:47When Saul assumed control of the kingdom of Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side: Moab, the sons (descendants) of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.
• Psalms 60:8Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe [in triumph]; Over Philistia I raise the shout [of victory].”
• Psalms 83:6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Of Moab and the Hagrites,
• 2 Samuel 12:31He also brought out the people who were there, and put them to [work with] the saws and sharp iron instruments and iron axes, and made them work at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the men returned to Jerusalem.
• 2 Samuel 8:6Then David put garrisons among the Arameans in Damascus, and the Arameans became his servants and brought tribute. The Lord helped David wherever he went.
• 2 Kings 1:1Now Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
• 2 Kings 3:4Mesha the king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he used to pay [an annual tribute] to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.
• 1 Chronicles 18:2He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David’s servants and brought tribute (gifts).
• 1 Samuel 10:27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save and rescue us?” And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.
• 2 Chronicles 26:8The Ammonites paid tribute (money) to Uzziah, and his fame spread abroad, even as far as the border of Egypt, for he became very strong.
• Psalms 72:10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring offerings; The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts.
• Isaiah 36:16Do not listen to Hezekiah,’ for this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Make peace with me and come out to me, and each one of you will eat from his own vine and each from his own fig tree and each [one of you] drink from the water of his own cistern,

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 8:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2David 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 1 Samuel 22:3-4, and of this severe treatment, is not known. But it seems likely, from the tone of Psalm 60:1-12 that David had met with some temporary reverse in his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Moab was on the east side of the Dead Sea. Earlier, the people of Moab had provided David’s parents with refuge during Saul’s reign (1 Samuel 22:3–4). David’s great-grandmother Ruth came from Moab. By David’s time, however, there was no longer a close or friendly relationship between Israel and Moab. two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared: This is the only time in 2 Samuel that David executed captives taken in battle…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 8:2

• Captive
• Cord
• King
• Moabites

In the dictionaries

• Moab
• Moab; Moabites
• Moab, Moabite
• Cord
• David
• Euphrates
• Gift
• Moabite
• Palestine
• Rabbah

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings