2 Samuel 8:2

_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._ 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, and then put to death a certain portion of them, which was determined by lot, but most commonly by a measuring line. Our version makes him put two-thirds to death, and spare one-third. The Septuagint and Vulgate make one-half. This war usage was not, perhaps, usually practiced by the people of God; but Jewish writers assert that the...

Verse 2 Samuel 8:2. _AND 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 referred to the cities by way of metaphor; and, from this view of the subject we may conclude that two-thirds of the cities, that is, the _strong places_ of Moab, were erased; and not having strong places to trust to, the text adds, _So the Moabites became David's_ _servants, and brought gifts_, i.e., were obliged to pay tribute. The word _line_ may mean the same here as our rod...

David 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, and of this severe treatment, is not known. But it seems likely, from the tone of Psalms 60:1 that David had met with some temporary reverse in his Syrian wars, and that the Moabites and Edomites had treacherously taken advantage of it, and perhaps tried to cut off his retreat....

EXPOSITION 2 SAMUEL 8:1 DAVID SMOTE THE PHILISTINES. In the previous chapter we have seen that the empire of David not only marked an era in the development of Israel nationally, but was also the reaching of a new stage in the preparation for the advent of the Messiah; and we saw that without this the development of prophecy would have been impossible, and the people have remained unfit for the high mission to which they were called as the witnesses to the unity of Cod. We have in this chapter a brief summary of the wars which raised Israel from the position of a struggling and oppressed race to the possession of widespread empire. With this narrative the first history of David ends, and in the subsequent narratives many of the events referred to here are more fully detailed, and given with additional incidents. David took Metheg-

AND HE SMOTE MOAB,.... He next went against that, and invaded it, the people of it being always troublesome and distressing to the children of Israel; and though the king of it had shown some favour to David, yet it was when he considered him as an enemy to Saul, and Saul to him; but things having taken a different turn, his and his people's enmity against David and his people appeared; wherefore he went and fought them, and made them his subjects, whereby was fulfilled the prophecy of Balaam, Numbers 24:17; as it referred to David: AND MEASURED THEM WITH A LINE: either their country and fields, to distribute among his people, or rather the soldiers he took prisoners; which, as Procopius Gazaeus says, were so numerous that they could not be told, and therefore they were ordered to lie prostrate on the ground, and they were measured with a line, as it follows:...

5. THE EXTENSION OF HIS KINGDOM CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The Philistines and Moab smitten (2 Samuel 8:1)_ 2. Hadadezer overthrown (2 Samuel 8:3) 3. Further conquests and triumphs (2 Samuel 8:9) 4. David's reign and his associates (2 Samuel 8:15) Great conquests and victories follow. David arose from the presence of the Lord to go forth to conquer. With such a message he had heard, assuring him of the Lord's presence and power, of the success of his kingdom, he began to extend his kingdom over the different nations which surrounded the land. The Lord was with him and preserved him withersoever he went

2 SAMUEL 8. DAVID'S VICTORIES. HIS MINISTERS (D). A concluding summary, corresponding to the similar section on Saul (1 Samuel 14:47 ff.) and by the same hand. Apparently it formed the conclusion of an early edition of the Book of Samuel. It includes material and information from earlier sources. 2 SAMUEL 8:1. David subdues the Philistines, Moabites, and Syrians. 2 SAMUEL 8:1. THE BRIDLE OF THE MOTHER CITY: the text is hopelessly corrupt. 2 Samuel 8:2. Two-thirds were put to death. 2 Samuel 8:3. Appare

SMOTE MOAB. Thus fulfilling Numbers 24:17. MEASURED. allotted, or divided by lot. See note on "line", below: i.e. David divided into two companies those who were to be spared and those who were not. THEM. the territory. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Subject), App-6, for their territory. line. Line, put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), App-6, for dividing or allotting what was measured with it. Deuteronomy 3:4; Deuteronomy 3:13 (region); 2Sa 32:8, 2Sa 32:9. Joshua 17:6; Joshua 17:14.

_casting them down to the ground_ MAKING THEM LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND. The Moabite prisoners, doubtless only the fighting men, were ordered to lie down upon the ground in rows, which were measured with a measuring line. Two thirds of them were executed, and only the remaining third spared. Why David inflicted such terrible vengeance on a nation which had once received him and given his parents an asylum (1 Samuel 22:3-4) can only be conjectured. A Jewish tradition relates that the king of Moab betrayed his trust and murdered David's parents. Possibly the Moabites may have been guilty of some special act of treachery in one of David's wars with their neighbours the Ammonites or Edomites. The exploit recorded in ch. 2 Samuel 23:20 was perhaps performed in this war. By this victory Balaam's proph

HE SMOTE MOAB— It is frequent in the sacred writings to put the inhabitants of a country for the country itself: see Isaiah 15:4. The LXX favour this interpretation, and thus Grotius understands it. And to this the Psalmist seems plainly to refer, when, speaking of the wars of David with Moab, Edom, and other nations, he says, _I will divide Sechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth,_ viz. in order to divide it. Psalms 60:6. _He measured them with a line._ The measurement of lands was formerly by the _line,_ as now it is generally done by the _rod;_ and because lands were divided into certain tracts and portions by the _line,_ hence the _line_ is often put for the tract marked out by it, or even where the line had never been made use of at all. Thus, _all the region of Argob,_