Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
David, excluded by God from building the temple, turns himself to wars, by which he may prepare peace and spoils for Solomon for building it. Therefore in this chapter five of his wars are recounted, by which he subdued and made tributary an equal number of neighboring nations; namely first, the Philistines, verse 1; second, the Moabites, verse 2; third, Hadadezer king of Zobah, verse 3; fourth, Syria of Damascus, verse 5; fifth, the Edomites, verse 14, and he made their spoils consecrated offerings and dedicated them to God.
Vulgate Text: 2 Kings 8:1-18
1. And it came to pass after this that David struck the Philistines and humbled them, and David took the bridle of the tribute from the hand of the Philistines. 2. And he struck Moab, and measured them with a line, leveling them to the ground; and he measured two lines, one to put to death, and one to keep alive: and Moab was made subject to David, serving under tribute. 3. And David struck Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to establish his dominion over the river Euphrates. 4. And David captured from his forces one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and hamstrung all the chariot horses; but reserved of them a hundred chariots. 5. And Syria of Damascus also came to bring aid to Hadadezer, king of Zobah; and David struck of Syria twenty-two thousand men. 6. And David placed a garrison in Syria of Damascus, and Syria was made subject to David, serving under tribute; and the Lord preserved David in all things to which he went forth. 7. And David took the golden arms which the servants of Hadadezer had, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8. And from Betah and from Beroth, cities of Hadadezer, King David took an exceeding great quantity of bronze. 9. And Thou, king of Hamath, heard that David had struck all the forces of Hadadezer; 10. and Thou sent Joram his son to King David, to greet him with congratulations and to give thanks, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had struck him. For Thou was an enemy of Hadadezer, and in his hand were golden vessels, and silver vessels, and bronze vessels; 11. which King David also consecrated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had consecrated from all the nations he had subdued. 12. From Syria, and Moab, and the children of Ammon, and the Philistines, and Amalec, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 13. David also made a name for himself, when he returned from the conquest of Syria in the Valley of Salt, having slain eighteen thousand; 14. and he placed guards in Edom, and stationed a garrison: and all Edom was made subject to David; and the Lord preserved David in all things to which he went forth. 15. And David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16. And Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army: and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder; 17. and Zadok son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech son of Abiathar, were priests, and Seraiah was the scribe; 18. and Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and the sons of David were priests.
Verse 1: David Took the Bridle of Tribute
1. AND DAVID TOOK THE BRIDLE OF THE TRIBUTE FROM THE HAND OF THE PHILISTINES. In Hebrew it is meteghaamma, which Vatablus, Pagninus, and others take as a proper name of a city, which was as it were meteghaamma, that is, the bridle of the other neighboring cities in Philistia. Second, others take it as a common noun meaning the bridle of the cubit (for meteg means bridle, amma means cubit, ha is the article for amma), and therefore "bridle of tribute," because the amount of tribute was limited and fixed like a cubit; amma therefore signifies a fixed payment of tribute. Aquila translates, bridle of the aqueduct, because through that city water was led through channels and streams into all Philistia, to irrigate and fertilize it; for we lead water through a channel wherever we wish, as we lead a horse by a bridle. Whence the Chaldean also translates, restoration, or, arrangement and convenience of a stream.
Third, R. Eliezer in the Midrash takes bridle literally, namely of the Patriarch Isaac: for Isaac, he says, making and swearing a pact with Abimelech, king of the Palestinians, not to invade Philistia, Genesis 26:28, "cut one cubit of the bridle," or "halter," that is, the halter of the donkey on which he was riding, and gave it to them to be a sign of the sworn pact in their hands. However, when King David wished to enter the land of the Philistines, he could not because of the force of Isaac's sworn pact. But when he took away this halter from them (because it is written, "and David took the bridle," or, "the halter of a cubit,") then he took the land of the Philistines. But everyone can see that this is a fable and an invention of the Rabbinic brain.
Fourth and genuinely, "bridle of tribute" refers to the city of Gath, which was on the border of Judea and Philistia, and therefore through it the Philistines kept Judea bridled: but David, occupying it, through it bridled Philistia. He therefore took away this bridle from the Philistines, and with the same bridled the Philistines, imposing on them a military garrison which would keep them under the yoke and paying tribute. That this is so is clear from the fact that this passage is explained in 1 Chronicles 18:1, where it says: "And it came to pass after this that David struck the Philistines and humbled them, and took Gath and its daughters (subject towns) from the hand of the Philistines." So St. Jerome in the Traditions, Sanchez, Serarius, and others. Gath was therefore called by David and the Hebrews metegamma, that is, bridle of tribute, not by its proper name, but by an applied name, because it was the bridle of the Philistines, compelling them to pay tribute to David.
Verse 2: He Struck Moab
2. AND HE STRUCK MOAB, namely the Moabites, who were to the east of Judea, just as the Philistines were to the west, the Syrians in verses 4 and 5 to the north, and the Edomites in verse 14 to the south. Through all quarters of the world, therefore, David carried his victorious arms by subduing the neighboring nations. Note here that David was present at all these battles, indeed commanded them, and therefore brought them to a successful conclusion. For the very presence and excellence of a prince greatly contributes to the swift resolution of arising difficulties, to the easy execution of decreed measures, to animating the soldiers, and to overcoming all obstacles; for, as Virgil says, "the presence of Turnus presses." Certainly Charles V was distinguished by so many victories because he himself was present at and commanded nearly all the battles.
AND HE MEASURED THEM WITH A LINE, LEVELING THEM TO THE GROUND. First, Theodoret, Question 23, takes the words literally as they sound. "So great," he says, "was the force of the victory, and so great was the multitude of those taken alive, that it did not allow them to be counted. Therefore he ordered them thrown face down on the ground divided into three groups, and killed two groups, but kept one alive." Second, Lyranus and Cajetan take this to refer to the towers and citadels of the Moabites, which David completely demolished, casting them down so as to level them completely to the ground. Third, others take it to refer to the fields, as if to say: David, as victor, occupied the fields, villages, and all the places of Moab, and distributed them to his own as he pleased. Fourth and genuinely, as if to say: David completely subdued, humbled, and cast down the Moabites, so that they seemed thrown to the ground by him and leveled with the earth, to such a degree that he could measure them out with a line as they lay prostrate on the ground, distribute them, kill them, or spare their lives, as follows. So Bede, Serarius, Sanchez, and others. It is a metalepsis and metaphor drawn from farmers and surveyors or geometers, who measure out level ground with a line, to designate so many acres for sowing, so many for pasture, so many for vineyards, etc., and this at their pleasure; for the earth resists no one, and being level, it readily allows itself to be measured and distributed. For in a similar way all the Moabites were subject to David as victor, so that he could do with them whatever he pleased: whence he measured them out as if with measuring lines, that is, he distributed them into two lots, one lot of those he sentenced to death, the other of those he preserved alive. Hence follows:
AND HE MEASURED TWO LINES, ONE TO PUT TO DEATH, AND ONE TO KEEP ALIVE. "He measured," that is, he applied the measure of two lines, or he measured the Moabites with two lines: one was the line of death, so that those measured by it, that is, designated and condemned by David, would be killed; the other was the line of life, so that those measured by it, that is, designated by David, would be kept alive, that is, preserved in life. It is a catachresis or metalepsis: for by "two lines" he means two lots of the Moabites, one of those to be killed, the other of those to be kept alive; he did this, I say, at his pleasure as victor, but with the measure of justice and equity that befits a victorious prince, namely to kill those who were more guilty and who resisted him; but to preserve in life those who were less guilty and who submitted. So Cajetan. For a measuring line signifies an inheritance and a lot, because formerly these were not measured and divided with rods and poles, as is now done, but with ropes, and with them surveyors measured out to each heir his lot and portion.
Verse 3: David Struck Hadadezer King of Zobah
3. AND DAVID STRUCK HADADEZER SON OF REHOB, KING OF ZOBAH, with the addition in 1 Chronicles 18:3, "of the region of Hamath," that is, of Syria. "Zobah" or "Suba" and "Subal" is part of Syria, which lies between Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon, and Hermon, and in Greek is called Coelesyria, that is, Hollow Syria. But "Zobah" is not all of Coelesyria, but only a part of it. "Zobah" therefore was across the Jordan, bordering the half-tribe of Manasseh, extending toward the Euphrates river.
WHEN HE WENT TO ESTABLISH HIS DOMINION OVER THE RIVER EUPHRATES. From this it is clear that "Zobah" lay between the Jordan and the Euphrates, and therefore was included within the boundaries of the Promised Land assigned to the Jews by God; for the boundaries of this land were the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and the Euphrates to the east. Therefore whatever lay between this sea and the Euphrates belonged to the Jews by divine right. This was therefore David's just cause for war in invading "Zobah," as belonging to him and the Jews.
Verse 4: David Captured Horsemen and Chariots
4. AND DAVID CAPTURED FROM HIS FORCES ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED HORSEMEN. These were the principal and chief horsemen; for otherwise in total David captured one thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen, as is stated in 1 Chronicles 18:4. So Abulensis. Or certainly, with Serarius, understand by horsemen squads of ten horsemen; for multiply seven hundred squads of horsemen by ten, and you will have seven thousand.
HE HAMSTRUNG ALL THE CHARIOT HORSES, that is, as is explained in 1 Chronicles chapter 18:4: "He hamstrung all the chariot horses, except for a hundred chariots, which he reserved for himself." Moreover, to hamstring is to cut the tendons or hamstrings of the horses so that they cannot walk, and become useless both for fighting and for drawing chariots, which others call suppernare. Joshua did the same in chapter 11.
Verse 5: Syria of Damascus
5. AND SYRIA OF DAMASCUS ALSO CAME, that is, the Syrians who inhabited Damascus came, whose king was Hadad, says Josephus.
9. AND THU HEARD (called "Thonus" by Josephus), KING OF HAMATH. "Hamath" was named from its founder Amathus, Genesis 10. And there were two cities of this name, namely the greater, which is Antioch, and the lesser, which is Epiphania. So Josephus, St. Jerome in Places, Procopius, and others.
Verse 10: Thou Sent Joram His Son
10. AND THU SENT JORAM HIS SON (who is called "Adoram" in 1 Chronicles 18:10), AND IN HIS HAND WERE GOLDEN VESSELS, as if to say: Joram was carrying with him golden vessels, to offer them as gifts to David; which David designated for the temple to be built by Solomon.
13. AND DAVID MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF, that is, he erected a triumphal arch, says Abulensis and the Author of the Traditions cited by St. Jerome. Or, as Serarius, Sanchez, and others say, as if to say: By this victory David won for himself a great name and reputation among all nations.
IN THE VALLEY OF SALT. Hear Adrichomius in the tribe of Judah, number 211: "The Valley of Salt, or of Salinae, in Hebrew Gemela, otherwise called Mela, in which David struck eighteen thousand Edomites, and returning erected for himself a triumphal arch. In the same place Joab also destroyed twelve thousand, and Amaziah twenty thousand Edomites, and hurled another ten thousand from the rock and cliff of Jecteel."
Verse 14: All Edom Became Subject to David
14. AND ALL EDOM BECAME SUBJECT TO DAVID. Here was fulfilled the oracle and blessing of Isaac spoken to Jacob, Genesis 27:29: "Be lord over your brothers, and let the sons of your mother bow down before you." For the Edomites, descended from Esau the brother of Jacob, here served David who descended from Jacob. So Procopius and Theodoret. Whence David then composed Psalm 59, where among other things he says: "Over Edom I will extend my shoe," that is, I will possess, subject, and trample Edom as a victor.
Tropologically, David, that is Christ, reigns in Edom, that is, in the red and carnal hearts of the nations, when through grace He makes them spiritual and heavenly. So St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and others on Psalm 59.
Verse 16: Jehoshaphat Son of Ahilud Was the Recorder
16. JEHOSHAPHAT SON OF AHILUD WAS THE RECORDER, that is, he wrote down David's deeds daily in records; he was the commentator, or recorder of David's memorable deeds; for this is what the Hebrew word maskir means.
17. AND ZADOK SON OF AHITUB, AND AHIMELECH SON OF ABIATHAR, WERE PRIESTS, namely high priests, that is, pontiffs. There were therefore at that time, by God's dispensation or tolerance, simultaneously two pontiffs of Israel, namely Zadok and Abiathar.
18. AND BENAIAH SON OF JEHOIADA WAS OVER THE CHERETHITES AND PELETHITES. These were the bravest, most loyal, and praetorian soldiers of David. Cherethites in Hebrew means the same as cutters down; Pelethites, the same as deliverers. Josephus calls them somatophylakes, that is, guards of the royal body.
AND THE SONS OF DAVID WERE PRIESTS. "Priests," that is, princes and chief courtiers. They are called "first at the hand of the king," that is, first at the king's side.