2 Samuel 8 · Verse 2

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.

2 Samuel 8:2, King James Version

2 Samuel 8:2 in other translations

BSB	David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
WEB	He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
ASV	And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.
YLT	And he smiteth Moab, and measureth them with a line, causing them to lie down on the earth, and he measureth two lines to put to death, and the fulness of the line to keep alive, and the Moabites are to David for servants, bearers of a present.
DARBY	And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
BBE	And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings.
Webster	And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines he measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.

What does 2 Samuel 8:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

2. 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 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 practised by the people of God; but Jewish writers assert that the cause of this particular severity against this people was their having massacred David's parents and family, whom he had, during his exile, committed to the king of Moab. 2Sa 8:3-14. He Smites Hadadezer and the Syrians.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 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, i.e., the instrument by which land is measured. There are various opinions on this verse, with which I shall not trouble the reader. Much may be seen in Calmet and Dodd.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:1-8

David subdued the Philistines. They had long been troublesome to Israel. And after the long and frequent struggles the saints have with the powers of darkness, like Israel with the Philistines, the Son of David shall tread them all under foot, and make the saints more than conquerors. He smote the Moabites, and made them tributaries to Israel. Two parts he destroyed, the third part he spared. The line that was to…

Read the full comment on 2 Samuel 8:1-8 →

2 Samuel 8:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֣ךְvai.Yakhand he defeatedH5221

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

מוֹאָ֗בmo.'AvMoabH4124

וַֽיְמַדְּדֵ֤םvay.ma.de.Demand he measured off themH4058

בַּחֶ֙בֶל֙ba.Che.velwith <the> measuring-lineH2256

הַשְׁכֵּ֣בhash.Kevhe made lie downH7901

אוֹתָ֣ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853

אַ֔רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] ground towardsH776

וַיְמַדֵּ֤דvay.ma.Dedand he measured offH4058

שְׁנֵֽי\־she.nei-twoH8147

חֲבָלִים֙cha.va.Limmeasuring-linesH2256

לְהָמִ֔יתle.ha.Mitto put to deathH4191

וּמְלֹ֥אu.me.Lo'and [the] fullness ofH4393

הַחֶ֖בֶלha.Che.vel<the> measuring-lineH2256

לְהַחֲי֑וֹתle.ha.cha.Yotto let liveH2421

וַתְּהִ֤יva.te.Hiand it becameH1961

מוֹאָב֙mo.'AvMoabH4124

לְדָוִ֔דle.da.Vidof DavidH1732

לַעֲבָדִ֖יםla.'a.va.Dim<into> servantsH5650

נֹשְׂאֵ֥יno.se.'EibearingH5375

מִנְחָֽה\׃min.Chah<of> tributeH4503

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Samuel 8:2

Numbers 24:17
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Psalms 60:8
Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
1 Samuel 10:27
But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
2 Samuel 8:6
Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.
Judges 3:29-30
And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
1 Chronicles 18:2
And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.
2 Samuel 12:31
And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
2 Kings 17:3
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
1 Samuel 14:47
So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
Isaiah 36:16
Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me: and eat ye every one of his vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern;
2 Kings 1:1
Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 Samuel 8:12-14
Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he smote.
Nu 24:17; Jud 3:29,30; 1Sa 14:47; Ps 60:8; 83:6; 108:9
measured.
12:31
And so.
6,12-14; 2Ki 1:1; 3:4-27; 1Ch 18:2
brought gifts.
1Sa 10:27; 2Ch 26:8; Ps 72:10,11; Isa 36:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

2 Samuel 8:1
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 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.
2 Samuel 8:3
David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

Read all of 2 Samuel 8

2 Samuel 8:2 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Hirió también á los de Moab, y midiólos con cordel, haciéndolos echar por tierra; y midió con dos cordeles para muerte, y un cordel entero para vida; y fueron los Moabitas siervos debajo de tributo.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et il frappa Moab, et il les mesura au cordeau, les faisant coucher par terre, et il en mesura deux cordeaux pour les faire mourir, et un plein cordeau pour les laisser vivre; et les Moabites devinrent serviteurs de David: ils lui apportèrent des présents.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und er schlug die Moabiter und maß sie mit der Meßschnur, indem er sie auf die Erde legen ließ; und er maß zwei Meßschnüre ab, um zu töten, und eine volle Meßschnur, um am Leben zu lassen. Und die Moabiter wurden David zu Knechten, welche Geschenke brachten.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et percussit Moab, et mensus est eos funiculo, coæquans terræ: mensus est autem duos funiculos, unum ad occidendum, et unum ad vivificandum: factusque est Moab David serviens sub tributo.