2 Samuel 8:2

And David smote Moab, and meted them with a cord, and he made them even to the earth; forsooth he meted (them by) two cords, one to slay, and one to quicken. And Moab served David under tribute. (And David struck the Moabites, and he made his captives to lie on the ground, and had them measured with a cord; and for every two cord lengths of men that he killed, one cord length was allowed to live. And then the Moabites paid tribute, or taxes, to David.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

1And it was done after these things, David smote the Philistines, and made low them; and David took away the bridle of tribute from the hand of Philistines. (And it was done after these things, that David struck the Philistines, and made them low, or conquered them; and David took away Methegammah from the Philistines.)

3And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went forth to be lord over the flood Euphrates. (And then David struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah, as he went to recover his land by the Euphrates River.)

Read all of 2 Samuel 8

Cross References

Judges 3:29but they smote in that time about ten thousand Moabites, all mighty men and strong; no man of them might escape. (but they struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all of them strong and mighty men; yea, not one of them could escape.)

1 Samuel 14:47And Saul, when his realm was stabled upon Israel, fought by compass against all his enemies, (or And Saul, when his kingdom was established upon Israel, fought against all his enemies all around), (yea), against Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whither ever he turned him [self], he overcame (them).

2 Samuel 8:12of Syria, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, and of Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoils of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

2 Kings 1:1Forsooth Moab trespassed against Israel, after that Ahab was dead. (After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.)

2 Kings 17:3Shalmaneser, king of Assyrians, went up against Hoshea, and Hoshea was made (a) servant to him, and yielded tributes to him (or and paid him taxes).

2 Chronicles 26:8[And] Ammonites paid gifts to Uzziah (or And the Ammonites paid tribute, or taxes, to Uzziah), and his name was published unto the entering of Egypt for his oft victories.

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 8:2-9

David's Conquests. ( b. c. 1042.) 1 And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. 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. 3 David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at… Read the whole commentary →

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Study 2 Samuel 8:2