New English Translation
2 Samuel 8:4
4David seized from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of 2 Samuel 8:4
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. 3David defeated King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah when he came to reestablish his authority over the Euphrates River. David seized from him 1,700 charioteers and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of the chariot horses. 5The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 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.
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 18:4David seized from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 infantrymen. David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of Hadadezer’s chariot horses.
- Deuteronomy 17:16Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, for the Lord has said you must never again return that way.
- Joshua 11:6The Lord told Joshua, “Don’t be afraid of them, for about this time tomorrow I will cause all of them to lie dead before Israel. You must hamstring their horses and burn their chariots.”
- Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the Lord our God.
- Psalms 33:16No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.
- 1 Kings 10:26Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and 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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries