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New Defender's Study Bible Notes
18:1 Now after this. I Chronicles 18 is essentially the same as II Samuel 8. See note on I Chronicles 17:1.
18:2 Moabites became David’s servants. Many of Israel’s long-time enemies were subjugated by David. This included not only the Moabites (David’s great grandmother, Ruth, was a native of Moab) but also the Philistines (I Chronicles 18:1), the Syrians (I Chronicles 18:5) the Ammonites and Amalekites (I Chronicles 18:11), and the Edomites (I Chronicles 18:13). More details of these conquests are given in I Chronicles 19–20. David’s kingdom extended, for a while, practically to the boundaries long before promised by God to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21).
18:3 Hamath. Hamath was north of Damascus (capital of Syria), near the upper reaches of the great river Euphrates. Thus God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18) had finally been at least in part fulfilled.
18:4 seven thousand. The parallel record (II Samuel 8:4) says David took seven hundred horsemen, instead of seven thousand. The other numbers in the two verses all agree. Apparently there has been a copyist error in one of them, and the correct reading is probably the one given here, as being more in line with the others. But see note on II Samuel 8:4.
18:8 Tibhath, and from Chun. The parallel account in II Samuel 8:8 added Betah and Berothai to these two cities (Betah may be the same as Tibhath). These cities, though long gone, are mentioned in the records of ancient Egypt.
18:10 He sent Hadoram. Hadoram is called Joram in II Samuel 8:10. The king of Hamath (which was a semi-independent city-state north of Syria) willingly submitted to David rather than risk military conquest like that of Syria.
18:11 David dedicated. David regarded all his conquests as God-ordered, and so dedicated all their spoils for use in the future temple.
18:17 Cherethites and Pelethites. These special contingents of Israel’s armies were probably Philistines—either proselytes or mercenaries. Note II Samuel 15:18.