SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:2
Hirió también a los de Moab, y los midió con cordel, haciéndolos echar por tierra; y los midió en dos cordeles, el uno para muerte, y otro cordel entero para vida; y fueron los moabitas siervos llevando presente.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 8:2
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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And he smote Moab , etc.] 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: casting them down to the ground ; or ordering them to lie down; though some understand this of casting down their cities, towers, and strong holds, and levelling them with the ground: even with two lines measured he ; with one, so it may be supplied, as the Vulgate Latin, to put to death, and with one full line, to keep alive ; that is, in measuring them with his lines, he divided them into two parts, one he put to death, and the other, the full line, which contained the most, he saved alive; though it seems according to our version, and so most understand it, that David slew two thirds, and saved one, and so Josephus f130 . This must be understood of the army of the Moabites that fell into his hands, so Josephus, who persisted and refused to submit, not of all the inhabitants of the land. The Jews say f131 , that the reason of this severe treatment of them was because they slew the father, and mother and brethren of David, whom he left to the care and custody of the king of Moab, when he fled from Saul, (see 1 Samuel 22:3); since after that they are heard no more of; though it should rather be imputed to their enmity against the people of Israel. The phrase of “meting out the valley of Succoth” seems to be an allusion to this fact, ( Psalm 60:6), the psalm being written on occasion of the victories here related: and [so] the Moabites became David’s servants ; the inhabitants of the land who were left in it, perhaps that part of the soldiers preserved alive were brought home captives: [and] brought gifts ; paid a yearly tribute to King David, as they afterwards did to Solomon and to Rehoboam, until the revolt of the ten tribes, and then they paid it unto the kings of Israel, to the times of Ahab, (see <120301> Kings 3:4,5), though these gifts may be distinct from, and besides the tribute paid, which is supposed in their being servants, (see 2 Chronicles 17:11). Thus the Arabians carried gifts to the king of Persia besides tribute.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 tha 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 keep alive, though it was but one, is ordered to be a full line. Le the line of mercy be stretched to the utmost. He smote the Syrians. I all these wars David was protected, for this in his psalms he ofte gives glory to God.
Original Hebrew
ויך 5221 את 853 מואב 4124 וימדדם 4058 בחבל 2256 השׁכב 7901 אותם 853 ארצה 776 וימדד 4058 שׁני 8147 חבלים 2256 להמית 4191 ומלא 4393 החבל 2256 להחיות 2421 ותהי 1961 מואב 4124 לדוד 1732 לעבדים 5650 נשׂאי 5375 מנחה׃ 4503
