And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots.
David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven hundred cavalry soldiers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David cut the tendons of all the chariot horses to disable them, but kept enough horses for a hundred chariots.
David won a major military victory, capturing thousands of enemy soldiers and war equipment, but deliberately disabled most of the horses to prevent relying on military might instead of God.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes David's victory over Hadadezer, king of Zobah, during David's expansion of Israel's territory. In ancient warfare, chariots and horses represented the most advanced military technology and were symbols of a nation's power. The practice of 'houghing' (cutting the hamstring tendons) was done to prevent the horses from being used in future battles.
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