And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.
David defeated the Moabites and made them lie down on the ground. He used a measuring rope to divide them into groups - two groups were executed, and one group was allowed to live. The surviving Moabites became David's subjects and paid him tribute.
This verse describes David's harsh military conquest of Moab, where he executed two-thirds of the prisoners and made the survivors his subjects.
📚 Historical Context
This event occurred during David's expansion of Israel's territory around 1000 BC. The Moabites were descendants of Lot who lived east of the Dead Sea and had a long history of conflict with Israel. David's brutal treatment was typical of ancient Near Eastern warfare, where conquered peoples were often decimated to prevent future rebellion.
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