New English Translation
2 Samuel 8:2
2He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
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
1Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David took Metheg Ammah from the Philistines. He defeated the Moabites. He made them lie on the ground and then used a rope to measure them off. He put two-thirds of them to death and spared the other third. The Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute. 3David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish his authority over the Euphrates River. 4David seized from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
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 24:17‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not close at hand. A star will march forth out of Jacob, and a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab, and the heads of all the sons of Sheth.
- Judges 3:29That day they killed about ten thousand Moabites – all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped.
- 1 Samuel 14:47After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their enemies on all sides – the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned he was victorious.
- Psalms 60:8Moab is my washbasin. I will make Edom serve me. I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
- Psalms 83:6It includes the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites,
- 2 Samuel 12:31He removed the people who were in it and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policy with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 8:6David placed garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.
- 2 Kings 1:1After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.
- 2 Kings 3:4Now King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He would send as tribute to the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.
- 1 Chronicles 18:2He defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became David’s subjects and brought tribute.
- 1 Samuel 10:27But some wicked men said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it.
- 2 Chronicles 26:8The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.
- Psalms 72:10The kings of Tarshish and the coastlands will offer gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring tribute.
- Isaiah 36:16Don’t listen to Hezekiah!’ For this is what the king of Assyria says, ‘Send me a token of your submission and surrender to me. Then each of you may eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water 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
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