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
During King David's reign, Israel was expanding its territory through military conquests as God fulfilled His promises to give the land to His people, following David's establishment as king after Saul's death. The Moabites, who had a history of enmity with Israel and had oppressed them in the past, were defeated in battle by David's forces. This victory allowed David to subjugate them, using a method of measurement to determine the fate of captives, which was a common ancient practice in warfare to enforce dominance and tribute.
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