It is thought that this chapter comes before chapter 7 in time as 7:1 states that The LORD gave him rest from his enemies but here we have the various victories which The LORD gave him to lead up to that rest.
Verses 1-14 relate the victories David had over his enemies. Firstly, he attacked the Philistines and took Metheg Ammah, which was another name for Gath (1 Chronicles 18:1). The Philistines had been enemies of Israel for centuries and Israel had suffered many defeats at their hands, but David was not afraid to attack them.
Then he defeated Moab (v2), some he said were to be put to death, but others were kept alive, those became David’s servants and brought tribute (taxes). David’s great-grandmother Ruth was a Moabite, but she had come to trust in the living God and returned to Bethlehem with Naomi her mother-in-law. (See Ruth 2)
in 1 Samuel 22:3,4, David had given his parents for protection by the Moabites. However, the Moabites were sworn enemies of Israel, from way back on their exodus from Egypt. The Israelites were ordered by God to spare them, but they were forbidden to come into the congregation of The LORD.
In v3,4,5 David we are told that he defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. This was Syria, the great heathen nation to the north, divided into two groups with capitals at Zobah and Damascus. They united together for protection but found themselves helpless against David. David had remembered that God, when giving the land to Israel, included as far as the river Euphrates. The promise made by God to Abraham was fulfilled: “Unto thy seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” David took from Hadadezer one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, 1 Chronicles 18:4 states seven thousand, which would have been made up of seven companies of horsemen, ten in each) and twenty-thousand-foot soldiers and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough for one hundred chariots. When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants and brought tribute or paid taxes.
The important phrase is “The LORD gave David victory wherever he went” (v6)
David brought back much gold and brass (bronze) (v7,8).
Toi king of Hamath, having heard that David had defeated Hadadezer, sent his son Joram to give David his best wishes, for Toi had been at war with Hadadezer. Joram brought gifts of silver, gold and bronze. David dedicated these to The LORD, together with the silver and gold from all the other nations he had defeated – Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines and Amalek (v9-12). He took shields of gold from Hadadezer as trophies of God’s goodness.
You will notice, if you look at the map, that he conquered nations on the north, south, east and west thus giving him protection on all sides. However, once more, the important words are – “And the LORD gave victory to David wherever he went.” (v14b) He knew that the praise and glory belonged to God, not himself.
David’s fame spread from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom and all the Edomites became David’s servants (v13,14).
It is said that Israel possessed more of the land promised to them under David than anyone else.
“So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.” (v15)
David was, therefore, considered as Israel’s greatest king and he set about appointing his officials (v16-18) – “Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder (treasurer), and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Seraiah was secretary (scribe or Secretary of state), and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.”
The Hebrew text refers to David’s sons as priests, elsewhere they are described as ‘princes of the court’. 1 Chronicles 18:17 supports that and calls them chief rulers. David was of the tribe of Judah thus couldn’t be priests the proper translation is more likely to be ‘confidential advisers’, being close to the king.
It is suggested that Cherethites and Pelethites were eminent soldiers, probably the King’s Guards. Some say they were Philistines, others that they came from Crete. These non-Israelite men would give total allegiance to David rather than being caught up in tribal fighting.
David knew that his success was due to The LORD, and that he couldn’t do everything himself. He needed a team around him, all with different gifts and roles to perform. We must always remember that the church of Christ is a body, each with different gifts and roles, but most of all, Christ is the head.
