English Standard Version
2 Samuel 8:4
4And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots.
2 Samuel 8:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.
- New International Version (NIV)David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
- New King James Version (NKJV)David took from him one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
- New Living Translation (NLT)David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.
Context of 2 Samuel 8:4
2And 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. 3David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
Read all of 2 Samuel 82 Samuel 8:4 word by word
וַיִּלְכֹּ֨ד דָּוִ֜ד מִמֶּ֗נּוּ אֶ֤לֶף וּשְׁבַע־מֵאוֹת֙ פָּרָשִׁ֔ים וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וַיְעַקֵּ֤ר דָּוִד֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָרֶ֔כֶב וַיּוֹתֵ֥ר מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מֵ֥אָה רָֽכֶב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- tookלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
- from him a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- and sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- and twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- footmenרַגְלִיraglîy · on footH7273
- footmenאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- houghedעִקֵּר‛âqar · to hamstringH6131
- all the chariotרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- but reservedיָתַרyâthar · to remainH3498
Cross-references for 2 Samuel 8:4
- 1 Chronicles 18:4And David took from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for 100 chariots.
- Deuteronomy 17:16Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.'
- Joshua 11:6And the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."
- Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalms 33:16The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
- 1 Kings 10:26And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
Commentaries on 2 Samuel 8:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A thousand chariots - It is strange that there were a thousand chariots, and only seven hundred horsemen taken, and twenty thousand foot. But as the discomfiture appears complete, we may suppose that the chariots, being less manageable, might be more easily taken, while the horsemen might, in general, make their escape. The infantry also seem to have been surrounded, when twenty thousand of them were taken prisoners. David houghed all the chariot horses…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Seven hundred horsemen - It should be seven thousand, as in 1 Chronicles 18:4.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4David would have disabled horses to stop the enemy from using them again. He also did this because kings in Israel were not allowed to gather large numbers of horses (Deuteronomy 17:16).Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Samuel 8:4
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries