David Strengthens the Borders

David now sought to secure Israel’s borders.

Hostile nations still surrounded Israel, and these had to be conquered if lasting peace was to be won. The aggressive Philistines in the west were defeated, and their capital of Gath was annexed (1 Chronicles 18:1). Next, David turned east to Moab.

His parents had been given asylum in Moab when David was a fugitive (1 Samuel 22:3, 4). We are not told what caused David’s change of attitude toward Moab, but he “measured” and then killed two-thirds of their fighting men (2 Samuel 8:2).

Perhaps the Moabites attacked Israel while David’s armies were occupied with conquering the Philistines. In any case, the remaining Moabites became servants of Israel (v. 2). David next turned northeast and destroyed Hadadezer (also called Hadarezer), the king of a small Aramaean kingdom located just west of the Euphrates River (v. 3).

Though a small kingdom, David took a thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand Aramaean footmen as spoils of battle (v. 4; 1 Chronicles 18:3, 4).

The Syrians of Damascus came to the aid of the Aramaeans at Zobah, and David’s forces destroyed twenty-two thousand Syrian opponents (2 Samuel 8:5).

David occupied all of Syria, extending to the Euphrates River, and had it garrisoned. When Toi, king of Hamath, heard David had destroyed Hadadezer, he sent his son Joram to thank David for removing a common enemy (v. 10).

By sending his own son, Toi showed the esteem in which he held David.

All the defeated nations brought tribute to David in the form of brass, gold, silver vessels, and plated shields. David dedicated these gifts of tribute to the Lord.

David lastly looked south, where Amalekite tribes still raided settlements.

Saul had battled these desert nomads (1 Samuel 15), as had David (1 Samuel 30). David successfully pushed back these persistent enemies once again.

To the southeast, the nation of Edom was conquered, and eighteen thousand men were killed by Abishai, brother of Joab, in the Valley of Salt (1 Chronicles 18:12).

The borders of Israel were extended and secured. In every battle, David was victorious. “And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went” (2 Samuel 8:14).

“Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all” (1 Chronicles 29:12).