Year of the Bible
2 Samuel 8
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Commentary on the Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 8:
Although worship has been the focus of the past two chapters, King David must also deal with military and administrative duties. Most of this chapter recounts David’s victories over neighboring enemies which enlarge the size of Israel. God provides these victories, and David spreads his army throughout the conquered regions to ensure peace. The end of the chapter lists some of David’s administrators and we hear that David’s rule was marked by justice and equity among all people. Together with the previous two chapters, these accounts provide an illustration of a stable nation unified under one king who reflects God’s character through his reign.
The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 8:
David’s Wars
1 After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze; 11 these also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David won a name for himself. When he returned, he slew eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
David’s Officers
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and Seraiah was secretary; 18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Pope Benedict XVI in Verbum Dei 42 refers to scripture passages like 2 Sam 8 that depict so much violence as "dark passages" that can prove to be "obscure and difficult," but that show that "God's plan is manifested progressively and it is accomplished slowly, in successive stages and despite human resistance." Lord, open my eyes to see how you have been moving in my life over time--how you are progressively drawing me closer to you?
Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. Join a Catholic Biblical School of Michigan class this September at Holy Family in Grand Blanc, or online.
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
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1 Después de esto David abatió a
los filisteos, los humilló y les arrebató
Gat y sus zonas de apoyo. 2 Abatió
también a los moabitas y, haciéndoles
echarse en tierra, los midió con un cordel;
luego mandó dar muerte a dos de
los grupos que había medido, y dejó con
vida al tercer grupo. Así los moabitas
quedaron como vasallos de David, obligados
a pagar tributo. 3 También abatió
David a Hadad-Ézer, hijo de Rejob, rey
de Sobá, cuando salía para imponer su
dominio hasta el río Éufrates. 4 De entre
sus hombres, David apresó mil setecientos
de caballería y veinte mil de infantería,
y desbarató todos sus carros, dejando
solo cien. 5 Los arameos de Damasco
vinieron para ayudar a Hadad-Ézer, rey
de Sobá, y David abatió a veintidós mil
arameos 6 y estableció gobernadores en
Aram de Damasco. Los arameos quedaron
como vasallos de David, obligados
a pagar tributo. Así el Señor protegía a
David en todo lo que emprendía.
7 David tomó los escudos de oro que
tenían los servidores de Hadad-Ézer y
los llevó a Jerusalén. 8 De Tebaj y de Berotay,
ciudades de Hadad-Ézer, el rey
David se apoderó de gran cantidad de
bronce. 9 También Tou, rey de Jamat,
oyó que David había desbaratado todas
las fuerzas de Hadad-Ézer, 10 y envió
a su hijo Aduram al rey David para
saludarle y bendecirle por haber peleado
contra Hadad-Ézer y haberle vencido,
pues Tou estaba en guerra con Hadad-
Ézer. Aduram llevaba objetos de
plata, de oro y de bronce. 11 El rey David
los consagró también al Señor, junto
con la plata y el oro que había consagrado
procedente de todas las naciones
que había sometido: 12 de los arameos,
moabitas, amonitas, filisteos, amalecitas
y del botín de Hadad-Ézer, hijo de
Rejob, rey de Sobá.
13 La fama de David se extendió más
cuando volvió de vencer a los edomitas,
unos dieciocho mil en el Valle de la
Sal. 14 Estableció guarniciones en Edom
quedando los edomitas como vasallos
de David. El Señor protegía a David en
todo lo que emprendía.
15 David reinó sobre todo Israel, administrando
el derecho y la justicia sobre
el pueblo entero. 16 Joab, hijo de
Seruyá, estaba al frente del ejército; Josafat,
hijo de Ajilud, era canciller; 17 Sadoc,
hijo de Ajitub, y Ajimélec, hijo de
Abiatar, eran sacerdotes; Seraías era escriba
18 y Benaías, hijo de Yehoyadá, estaba
al frente de los quereteos y de los
peleteos. Los hijos de David eran también
sacerdotes.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
David consolida el Reino e inicia un período de paz. ¿Cómo abordar lo que Benedicto XVI ha descrito como los "pasajes oscuros de la Biblia"? Reflexionar sobre la Verbum Domini 42 del Papa Benedicto XVI para ayudar a comprender el contexto cultural de la violencia en 2Sam 8:2 y en otros lugares: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20100930_verbum-domini.html and https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/pope-benedict-on-the-dark-passages-of-scripture.html
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).