God’s Word Translation
2 Samuel 8:2
2He also defeated Moab, made the Moabites lie down on the ground, and measured them with a rope. He measured two lengths which were to be killed, and one length which was to be spared. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟.
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
1After this, David defeated and crushed the Philistines. He took control of the main Philistine city from them. He also defeated Moab, made the Moabites lie down on the ground, and measured them with a rope. He measured two lengths which were to be killed, and one length which was to be spared. So the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟. 3When David went to restore his control ⌞over the territory⌟ along the Euphrates River, he defeated Zobah’s King Hadadezer, son of Rehob. 4David took 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers from him. David also disabled all but 100 of their horses so that they couldn’t pull chariots.
Read all of 2 Samuel 82 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 someone who is not here now. I look at someone who is not nearby. A star will come from Jacob. A scepter will rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and destroy all the people of Sheth.
- Judges 3:29At that time they killed about ten thousand of Moab’s best fighting men. Not one of them escaped.
- 1 Samuel 14:47When Saul had taken over the kingdom of Israel, he fought against his enemies on every side—against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he was victorious.
- Psalms 60:8Moab is my washtub. I will throw my shoe over Edom. I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
- Psalms 83:6the tents from Edom and Ishmael, Moab and Hagar,
- 2 Samuel 12:31He brought out the troops who were there and put them to work with saws, hoes, and axes. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 8:6David put troops in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became his subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟. Everywhere David went, the Lord gave him victories.
- 2 Kings 1:1After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.
- 2 Kings 3:4King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. ⌞Each year⌟ he had to pay the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams.
- 1 Chronicles 18:2He also defeated Moab, and the Moabites became David’s subjects and paid taxes ⌞to him⌟.
- 1 Samuel 10:27However, some good-for-nothing people asked, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and wouldn’t bring him presents, but he didn’t respond.
- 2 Chronicles 26:8The Ammonites paid taxes to Uzziah, and his fame spread to the border of Egypt because he became very powerful.
- Psalms 72:10May the kings from Tarshish and the islands bring presents. May the kings from Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
- Isaiah 36:16Don’t listen to Hezekiah, because this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me! Come out, and give yourselves up to me! Everyone will eat from his own grapevine and fig tree and drink from 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
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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