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2 Sam 8:1–18 Chapter 8 lists David’s military victories. These events do not necessarily match the historical order of the rest of the book.
2 Sam 8:1 Metheg-ammah perhaps refers to a type of land. After the time of David, there are no references to battles with the Philistines until the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:8).
2 Sam 8:3–12 Zobah and Damascus were both in Syria. Zobah was in the northern part of the Lebanon Valley (see Josh. 11:17), in what is now called the Bekaa Valley. Having captured chariot horses, David apparently decided to experiment with a small chariot force. He may have hamstrung the other horses (2 Sam. 8:4) to keep them from being used again by enemy soldiers. He may also have recalled the warnings of Moses that future Israelite kings should not be tempted to acquire many horses (Deut. 17:16). The hamstrung horses supposedly could have been used as farm or pack horses. Hamath was on the middle Orontes River; it bordered Zobah on the north.
2 Sam 8:6 And the Lord gave victory. God’s blessing, not David’s skill, is the reason for David’s victories (see v. 14).
2 Sam 8:13 The Valley of Salt must have been in the Edomite territory south and east of the Dead Sea.
2 Sam 8:15–18 This is a list of David’s officials (for similar lists, see 20:23–26; 1 Kings 4:1–6). It was the task of the king to establish justice and equity (see 1 Kings 10:9). Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud appears as recorder in all three lists.
2 Sam 8:17 Zadok helped David during Absalom’s rebellion (15:27–28; 17:15; 19:11) and later he supported Solomon (1 Kings 1:8). Zadok’s father Ahitub was probably not Ahitub the father of Ahimelech, priest at Nob (1 Sam. 22:9). Abiathar appeared in 1 Samuel accompanying David (1 Sam. 22:20; 23:6; 30:7). He worked with Zadok during Absalom’s rebellion.
2 Sam 8:18 Benaiah led David’s personal force of Cherethites and . . . Pelethites. He was one of David’s mighty men (23:20–22). Like Zadok, he supported Solomon against Adonijah and became commander of the whole army under Solomon (1 Kings 1:1–2:46; 4:1–6). The Cherethites and Pelethites were foreigners who made up the king’s bodyguard (see 1 Sam. 28:2). David’s sons were priests. This may mean that they were chaplains for the royal family; only the descendants of Levi could serve as priests in the tabernacle and temple.
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