twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots. 5And when [1]the Syrians of [2]Damascus came to succour Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of [1]the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6Then David put garrisons in [1]Syria of [2]Damascus; and [1]the Syrians became servants to David, and brought presents. And the LORD [3]gave victory to David whithersoever he went. 7And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass,
5. Damascus] The name is variously written in Heb., Darmesek (Chron.), Dammesek (Gen., 1 Kin.), Dummesek (2 Kin. xvi. 10). See G. A. Smith, Damascus in Ency. Bib.
came to succour] By interposing between David and his own land and so threatening his rear.
6. put garrisons in Syria of Damascus] mg. in Aram of Darmesek, i.e. in the Aramean kingdom of which Damascus was the capital. David's purpose of course was to secure his rear in any future operations towards Hamath or towards the Euphrates.
7. shields of gold] "shields" = Heb. shĕlātim. The meaning of the Heb. word is doubtful; most probably it does not mean "shield," for (1) a shield would not be described as "upon" the person to whom it belonged, (2) the early authorities, i.e. the LXX. translators, the Targum, and the Peshitta (on 2 Sam. viii. 7; 2 Kin. xi. 10; Jer. li. 11; Ezek. xxvii. 11) never give "shield," but either leave the word untranslated or give various conjectural renderings. A later authority (Targ. on 1 Chr. xviii. 7; 2 Chr. xxiii. 9) gives "shield," while LXX. gives "collars" (κλοιούς) here, and "arms" or "shields" (τὰ ὅπλα) in 2 Chr.
The most probable rendering of the word is "suits of armour" (see Barnes, Expos. Times, X. 43 ff.).
and brought them to Jerusalem] So Heb. LXX. Targ., but the Peshitta (all important MSS.) omits the words, and they may be a gloss introduced from 2 Sam. viii. 7.
8. Tibhath] Cp. Tebah, the name of an Aramean family, Gen. xxii. 24. Nothing is known certainly of the position of the city. In 2 Sam. viii. 8 Betah (= Tebah).
Cun] 2 Sam. viii. 8, "Berothai." Nothing is certainly known of a city of either name; but "Berothai" may be the same as "Berothah" (Ezek. xlvii. 16).
very much brass] Cp. xxi. 14, xxix. 2.
brass] Not the metal generally so called. R.V. (mg. note to Gen.
