The Histories · Old Testament

1 Chronicles 18

1 Chronicles 18: David's victories and the spoils dedicated to the Lord

General context

David strikes the Philistines and takes Gath and its towns, then Moab, whose people become his servants and bring gifts. He defeats Hadarezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, taking a thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand footmen; he hamstrings the chariot horses but keeps a hundred chariots. When the Syrians of Damascus come to help Hadarezer, David kills twenty-two thousand of them, puts garrisons in Syria, and they too become servants who bring gifts. The narrator states twice, "Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." David brings Hadarezer's gold shields to Jerusalem and much brass from Tibhath and Chun, "wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass". Tou king of Hamath, who had been at war with Hadarezer, sends his son Hadoram with gold, silver and brass vessels to congratulate David, and David dedicates them to the Lord together with spoil from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines and Amalek. Abishai kills eighteen thousand Edomites in the valley of salt, and Edom receives garrisons. David reigns over all Israel "and executed judgment and justice". The chapter ends with his officers: Joab over the host, Jehoshaphat the recorder, Zadok and Abimelech the priests, Shavsha the scribe, Benaiah over the Cherethites and Pelethites, and David's sons "chief about the king".

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 18:1, 1 Chronicles 18:2, 1 Chronicles 18:3, 1 Chronicles 18:4, 1 Chronicles 18:5, 1 Chronicles 18:6, 1 Chronicles 18:7, 1 Chronicles 18:8, 1 Chronicles 18:10, 1 Chronicles 18:11, 1 Chronicles 18:12, 1 Chronicles 18:13, 1 Chronicles 18:14, 1 Chronicles 18:15, 1 Chronicles 18:16, 1 Chronicles 18:17

1 Chronicles 18 (KJV)

¹Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

²And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

³And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

⁴And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.

⁵And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

⁶Then David put garrisons in Syria-damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.

⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

⁹Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;

¹⁰He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.

¹¹Them also king David dedicated unto the Lord, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹²Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.

¹³And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.

¹⁴So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

¹⁵And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.

¹⁶And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

¹⁷And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

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Historical context

The chapter is placed "after this", following the promise of chapter 17 that God would cut off and subdue David's enemies, and it reads as a summary of campaigns without dates. The clause "as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates" does not say whether David or Hadarezer is the one going. The brass is tied forward to Solomon's temple furnishings, so the narrator writes with the temple already in view. Spoil is listed from Ammon and Amalek, though the Ammonite war is only told in chapters 19 and 20 and no Amalekite campaign is narrated in this book. The Edomite victory is credited to Abishai, not David. The priests are given as Zadok the son of Ahitub and "Abimelech the son of Abiathar"; chapter 15 named Abiathar himself as priest beside Zadok, and chapter 24 spells the son's name Ahimelech. The Cherethites and Pelethites are not explained. Casualty figures are stated as counts of the slain and taken; the hamstringing of horses is stated as David's act.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 18:1, 1 Chronicles 17:10, 1 Chronicles 18:3, 1 Chronicles 18:8, 1 Chronicles 18:11, 1 Chronicles 18:12, 1 Chronicles 18:16, 1 Chronicles 18:17, 1 Chronicles 18:4

Literary context

The chapter is a ledger of conquests, several entries closing on the same outcome, "became David’s servants, and brought gifts", and the whole punctuated by a refrain: "Thus the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went." That line, spoken twice by the narrator, credits the results to the Lord rather than to tactics, of which nothing is said. The chapter's centre is not a battle but an inventory: gold shields, brass by the cartload, vessels from a grateful king, all "dedicated unto the Lord". The forward glance to Solomon's brasen sea turns war spoil into temple material, so the wars serve the building the previous chapter forbade David to make. The closing list of officials mirrors the roster of chapter 11 and settles the kingdom into an administration. Between the promise of chapter 17 and the diplomatic misstep of chapter 19, this chapter shows the promise being kept.

Cited passages: 1 Chronicles 18:2, 1 Chronicles 18:6, 1 Chronicles 18:13, 1 Chronicles 18:7, 1 Chronicles 18:11, 1 Chronicles 18:8, 1 Chronicles 18:14, 1 Chronicles 18:15

Key moments

Gath taken from the Philistines (1 Chronicles 18:1). David subdues the Philistines and takes Gath and its towns.
Hadarezer defeated (1 Chronicles 18:3). David strikes the king of Zobah as far as Hamath.
Preserved wherever he went (1 Chronicles 18:6). The narrator credits David's success to the Lord's preservation.
Brass for the brasen sea (1 Chronicles 18:8). Brass from Hadarezer's cities is set aside for Solomon's temple vessels.
Tou's gifts dedicated (1 Chronicles 18:11). David dedicates Hamath's vessels and the spoil of five nations to the Lord.
Abishai in the valley of salt (1 Chronicles 18:12). Abishai kills eighteen thousand Edomites and Edom is garrisoned.
David's officers (1 Chronicles 18:15). Joab, Jehoshaphat, the priests, the scribe and Benaiah hold their offices.

For reflection

The brass taken from Hadarezer's cities is already described as the material of Solomon's brasen sea. What does it mean that the spoils of war are recorded first as future furnishings of a house of worship?

People in this chapter

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