2 Samuel 8:4
in 2 Samuel 8David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.
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.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah
on 2 Samuel 8:3-6
Zobah was the leading Aramean power, and David's campaign reaches the Euphrates, the border named to Abraham at Genesis 15:18. He hamstrings the chariot horses, all but a hundred, in keeping with the king's law against many horses at Deuteronomy 17:16. Damascus falls when it comes to Hadadezer's aid.
This site's exposition
a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers
Barnes notes that the older text reads seven hundred horsemen for the seven thousand charioteers David captured. He follows the seven thousand of 1 Chronicles 18:4. Wesley and Henry count seven hundred companies of ten, seven thousand men in all.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The history of the Kings [Samuel] recounts that David won these victories after he succeeded Saul in the kingship, and it seems inappropriate to introduce them into our ordered arrangement here since they are known to be recounted extensively there. But we must realize that …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Seven hundred - Or, seven hundred companies of horsemen, that is, in all seven thousand; as it is 1 Chron. xviii, 4, there being ten in each company, and each ten having a ruler or captain. Houghed - That is, cut the sinews of their legs, that they might be useless for war.
4 they are said to be 7000. If they divided their horse by ten in a company, as it is probable they did, the captains and companies were 700, but the horsemen were 7000. David houghed the horses, cut the sinews of their hams, and so lamed them, and made them unserviceable, at least in war, God having forbidden them to multiply horses, Deut. xvii.
And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Seven hundred horsemen - It should be seven thousand, as in 1Ch 18:4.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּלְכֹּ֨ד | vaiyilkod | and he captured | H3920 → | 121 times |
| דָּוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| מִמֶּ֗נּוּ | mimenu | from him | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| אֶ֤לֶף | ʾelef | one thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| וּשְׁבַע־ | usheva'- | and seven | H7651 → | 394 times |
| מֵאוֹת֙ | meot | hundred<s> | H3967 → | 581 times |
| פָּרָשִׁ֔ים | parashim | horsemen | H6571 → | 57 times |
| וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים | veesrim | and twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| אֶ֖לֶף | ʾelef | thousand | H505 → | 505 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| רַגְלִ֑י | ragli | on foot | H7273 → | |
| וַיְעַקֵּ֤ר | vayaker | and he hamstrung | H6131 → | |
| דָּוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָרֶ֔כֶב | harekhev | the chariotry | H7393 → | 119 times |
| וַיּוֹתֵ֥ר | vaiyoter | and he left | H3498 → | 106 times |
| מִמֶּ֖נּוּ | mimenu | of it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| מֵ֥אָה | meah | one hundred | H3967 → | 581 times |
| רָֽכֶב׃ | rakhev | chariot[s] | H7393 → | 119 times |
וַיִּלְכֹּ֨דand he captured
vaiyilkodH3920 →121 times
דָּוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
מִמֶּ֗נּוּfrom him
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
אֶ֤לֶףone thousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
וּשְׁבַע־and seven
usheva'-H7651 →394 times
מֵאוֹת֙hundred<s>
meotH3967 →581 times
פָּרָשִׁ֔יםhorsemen
parashimH6571 →57 times
וְעֶשְׂרִ֥יםand twenty
veesrimH6242 →315 times
אֶ֖לֶףthousand
ʾelefH505 →505 times
אִ֣ישׁman
ʾishH376 →1663 times
רַגְלִ֑יon foot
ragliH7273 →
וַיְעַקֵּ֤רand he hamstrung
vayakerH6131 →
דָּוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָרֶ֔כֶבthe chariotry
harekhevH7393 →119 times
וַיּוֹתֵ֥רand he left
vaiyoterH3498 →106 times
מִמֶּ֖נּוּof it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
מֵ֥אָהone hundred
meahH3967 →581 times
רָֽכֶב׃chariot[s]
rakhevH7393 →119 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
it leads to
- Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy…
- Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
- Proverbs 21:31
A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.
- Psalms 33:16–17
No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.
- 2 Chronicles 32:8
With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” So the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah…
- Isaiah 31:1
Through
1 Kings 10:26Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 9:25
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
- 1 Kings 4:26
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.
- 2 Chronicles 9:25
Through
Joshua 11:6Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for by this time tomorrow I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You are to hamstring their horses and burn…
it leads to
- Joshua 10:8
The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I have delivered them into your hand. Not one of them shall stand against you.”
- Joshua 10:8
Where this verse is studied
About 2 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, EXPOSITION OF THE PSALMS 59.1-2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.