What does David dedicate to the Lord after his victories and Joram’s visit?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

He dedicates the gold, silver and brass vessels brought by Joram, together with silver and gold already dedicated from the nations he has subdued.

Chapter breakdown

After this David defeats and brings down the Philistines, taking the bridle of tribute from their hand. He also defeats Moab and lays them on the ground to measure them with a line. The passage specifies two lines: one to put to death and one to keep alive. Moab becomes David’s servant under tribute. David defeats Adarezer, son of Rohob and king of Soba, when he goes to extend his dominion over the Euphrates. David takes seventeen hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen from him. He hamstrings the chariot horses, keeping only enough for one hundred chariots.

The Syrians of Damascus come to help Adarezer king of Soba, and David kills twenty-two thousand of them. He puts garrisons in Syria of Damascus, which serves him under tribute. The Lord preserves David in all his undertakings wherever he goes. David takes the gold arms worn by Adarezer’s servants and brings them to Jerusalem. From Bete and Beroth, Adarezer’s cities, he takes a very great quantity of brass.

Thou king of Emath hears that David has defeated all Adarezer’s forces. He sends his son Joram to greet David, congratulate him and thank him for fighting and defeating Adarezer, because Thou was Adarezer’s enemy. Joram brings vessels of gold, silver and brass. David dedicates them to the Lord along with the silver and gold he has dedicated from all the nations he subdued: Syria, Moab, the children of Ammon, the Philistines, Amalec and the spoils of Adarezer, son of Rohob and king of Soba.

David makes a name for himself when he returns after taking Syria in the valley of the saltpits, killing eighteen thousand. He puts guards in Edom and establishes a garrison there. All Edom serves David, and the Lord preserves him in all his undertakings. David reigns over all Israel and gives judgment and justice to all his people.

Joab, son of Sarvia, is over the army. Josaphat, son of Ahilud, is recorder.

Challoner’s separate note gives chancellor as another term for recorder.

Sadoc, son of Achitob, and Achimelech, son of Abiathar, are the priests. Saraias is the scribe.

Challoner’s separate note gives secretary as another term for scribe.

Banaias, son of Joiada, is over the Cerethi and Phelethi. David’s sons are the princes.

Challoner’s separate note identifies the Cerethi and Phelethi as the king’s guards. It says princes literally means priests, giving the word Cohen, but that they are called this as a title of honour, not because they exercise priestly functions.

The story inside

Adarezer’s defeat affects both his supporters and an enemy. The Syrians of Damascus come to help him and lose twenty-two thousand men; David then places garrisons in Syria of Damascus. Thou of Emath, who is Adarezer’s enemy, instead sends Joram to congratulate and thank David. The vessels he brings join the silver and gold David has dedicated from the subdued nations. The chapter explicitly gives Thou’s reason for the visit and records David’s dedication, but does not state that David acted to avoid greed or prepare a later temple treasury. Its ending turns from these victories and gifts to judgment and justice for all Israel and the named officers.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Exact numbers can change the account. This text gives two lines in Moab, one for death and one for life. Replacing that with two death-lines and a third life-line would invent both a count and a proportion.
2
Joram’s visit has a stated reason. Thou is Adarezer’s enemy, and sends his son to greet, congratulate and thank David after Adarezer’s defeat. The vessels and their dedication belong to that sequence without an added motive for David.
3
The officers’ names and the notes’ limits matter. The passage names each officer and father, while Challoner explains three terms. In particular, David’s sons hold an honourable title; the note explicitly says they do not exercise priestly functions.

Test your recall

Why does Thou send Joram to David, and what happens to the vessels Joram brings?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 32444–32461
2 Kings Chapter 8 David’s victories, and his chief officers. 8:1. And it came to pass after this that David defeated the Philistines, and brought them down, and David took the bridle of tribute out of the hand of the Philistines, 8:2. And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute. 8:3. David defeated also Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba, when he went to extend his dominion over the river Euphrates. 8:4. And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and houghed all the chariot horses: and only reserved of them for one hundred chariots.
Lines 32463–32474
8:5. And the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Adarezer the king of Soba: and David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 8:6. And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and Syria served David under tribute, and the Lord preserved David in all his enterprises, whithersoever he went. 8:7. And David took the arms of gold, which the servants of Adarezer wore and brought them to Jerusalem. 8:8. And out of Bete, and out of Beroth, cities of Adarezer, king David took an exceeding great quantity of brass.
Lines 32476–32491
8:9. And Thou the king of Emath heard that David had defeated all the forces of Adarezer. 8:10. And Thou sent Joram his son to king David, to salute him, and to congratulate with him, and to return him thanks: because he had fought against Adarezer, and had defeated him. For Thou was an enemy to Adarezer, and in his hand were vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and vessels of brass: 8:11. And king David dedicated them to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations, which he had subdued: 8:12. Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalec, and of the spoils of Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba.
Lines 32493–32501
8:13. David also made himself a name, when he returned after taking Syria in the valley of the saltpits, killing eighteen thousand: 8:14. And he put guards in Edom, and placed there a garrison: and all Edom was made to serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all enterprises he went about. 8:15. And David reigned over all Israel: and David did judgment and justice to all his people.
Lines 32503–32504
8:16. And Joab the son of Sarvia was over the army: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:
Lines 32506–32506
Recorder.... Or chancellor.
Lines 32508–32509
8:17. And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Saraias was the scribe:
Lines 32511–32511
Scribe.... Or secretary.
Lines 32513–32514
8:18. And Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethi and Phelethi: and the sons of David were the princes.
Lines 32516–32520
The Cerethi and Phelethi.... The king’s guards.—Ibid. Princes.... Literally priests. (Cohen) So called, by a title of honour, and not from exercising the priestly functions.