The Adam Clarke Commentary

	Search This Resource
	Navigator
	Previous	Next
	Chapter 17	Chapter 19
Printer friendly version
	Additional Resources
	• Burton Coffman  • Gill's Exposition  • Jamieson, Fausset, Brown  • Matthew Henry Complete  • Treasury of Scripture  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Chapter 18

David smites the Philistines, and takes Gath, 1. Reduces the Moabites, 2. Vanquishes Hadarezer, king of Zobah, 3,4. Overcomes the Syrians of Damascus, and takes several of their cities, 5-8. Tou, king of Hamath, congratulates him on his victory, and sends him vessels of silver, gold, and brass, 9,10. Those and the different spoils he had taken from the conquered nations, he dedicates to God, 11. Abishai defeats the Edomites, 12,13. David reigns over all Israel, 14. His officers, 15-17.

Notes on Chapter 18

Verse 1. David-took Gath and her towns
See the comparison between this chapter and 2 Samuel 8:1, latter.

Verse 2. Brought gifts
Were laid under tribute.

Verse 9. Tou king of Hamath
Called Toi in 2 Samuel 8:9.

Verse 12. Abishai-slew of the Edomites
This victory is attributed to David, 2 Samuel 8:13. He sent Abishai against them, and he defeated them: this is with great propriety attributed to David as commander-in-chief; qui facit per alterum, facit per se.

Verse 15. Joab-was over the host
General-in-chief.

Jehoshaphat-recorder.
The king's remembrancer, or historiographer royal.

Verse 16. Zadok-and Abimelech-priests
Both high priests; one at Gibeon, and the other at Jerusalem, as we have seen 1 Chronicles 16:39.

Shavsha was scribe
Called Seraiah, 2 Samuel 8:17.

Verse 17. Cherethites and the Pelethites
See Clarke on 2 Samuel 8:18.

The Targum says, "Benaiah was over the great Sanhedrin and the small Sanhedrin, and consulted Urim and Thummim. And at his command the archers and slingers went to battle."

The sons of David
These were the highest in authority.