2 Samuel 8:8 kjv
And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
2 Samuel 8:8 nkjv
Also from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
2 Samuel 8:8 niv
From Tebah and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
2 Samuel 8:8 esv
And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.
2 Samuel 8:8 nlt
along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer's towns of Tebah and Berothai.
2 Samuel 8 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Chr 18:8 | And from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadadezer, David took… | Parallel account of seizing bronze |
| 1 Ki 7:47 | Solomon did not weigh the bronze, because there was so much of it… | Immense amount of bronze for temple furnishings |
| 1 Chr 22:14 | I have made preparations for the house of the LORD 100,000 talents of gold… | David prepared vast materials for the temple |
| 1 Chr 29:7 | they gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents of gold… | Consecrated wealth for temple construction |
| 1 Ki 7:15, 23, 47 | He cast two pillars of bronze… made the Sea of cast metal… all were bronze… | Specific uses of bronze in the temple |
| 2 Sam 8:6, 14 | The LORD preserved David wherever he went. | God granted David victory and provision |
| Psa 18:32 | It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. | God enables David's conquests |
| Psa 18:34 | He trains my hands for war… so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. | God strengthens for battle, using bronze |
| Exo 25:3 | And this is the contribution that you shall accept from them… bronze… | God requires materials for His dwelling |
| Exo 35:5 | Take from among you a contribution to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze… | People offered materials for the tabernacle |
| Num 31:21-24 | You and Eleazar the priest and the chiefs of the fathers' houses of the congregation… | Division of spoils of war ordained by God |
| Jos 6:24 | But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron… | Dedicated spoils of Jericho to the LORD |
| Jud 8:24-27 | I request of you, each of you give me the earrings from his spoil… | Spoil used for worship (though Gideon's error) |
| Isa 60:17 | Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver… | Future spiritual abundance |
| Zec 6:1 | Then again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots… mountains of bronze… | Mountains of bronze representing divine strength |
| Joel 3:5 | because you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my rich treasures; | Warning against taking God's treasures |
| Haggai 2:8 | The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. | All wealth ultimately belongs to God |
| Matt 25:15 | To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, each according to his ability… | Talents/resources to be stewarded |
| Luke 19:13 | Call ten of my servants, and deliver to them ten minas, and tell them, 'Engage in business until I come.' | Stewardship of resources |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. | God's abundant provision |
2 Samuel 8 verses
2 Samuel 8 8 Meaning
This verse states that from the cities of Betah and Berothai, which belonged to Hadadezer, King of Zobah, David seized an exceptionally large quantity of bronze. This was part of David's successful military campaigns, demonstrating his God-given dominion and securing significant resources for the kingdom of Israel.
2 Samuel 8 8 Context
2 Samuel chapter 8 provides a summary account of David's extensive military triumphs that solidified and expanded the borders of his kingdom after establishing Jerusalem as his capital. These campaigns included victories over the Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites, and Ammonites. Verse 8 specifically refers to David's conquest of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, an influential Aramean state in northern Syria. The acquisition of an immense quantity of bronze from Hadadezer's cities, Betah and Berothai, was a significant part of the spoils of war. This accumulated wealth, particularly the bronze, was later consecrated by David for the building of the LORD's Temple by his son Solomon, fulfilling God's promise to establish David's kingdom eternally and secure the necessary resources for His dwelling place.
2 Samuel 8 8 Word analysis
- And from Betah, and from Berothai: These are specific place names of cities associated with Hadadezer. Betah is often identified with Tibhath, as seen in the parallel account in 1 Chronicles 18:8, located east of the Jordan. Berothai is less certainly identified, potentially modern-day Beroth (Beirut) or a similar region in Coele-Syria. Their capture signifies the extent of David's conquest into Hadadezer's territory.
- cities of Hadadezer: Hadadezer (הֲדַדְעֶזֶר, Hadad`ezer), meaning "Hadad is help," where Hadad was a prominent Canaanite/Aramean storm god. He was king of Zobah (אָרָם צוֹבָא, Aram Tzova), a powerful Aramean kingdom north of Damascus. David's victory over him represented Yahweh's supremacy over a prominent pagan deity and its king.
- king David: (מֶלֶךְ דָּוִד, Melek Dawid). The designation emphasizes his divinely appointed royal authority and role as the instrument through whom God wrought these victories and accumulated resources for His purposes.
- took: (לָקַח, laqach). This Hebrew verb signifies taking, seizing, acquiring. In this context, it refers to the appropriation of spoils as a result of military victory, illustrating the transfer of material resources from pagan rule to the kingdom of God's chosen king.
- exceeding much: (מְאֹד מְאֹד, me'od me'od). A powerful intensifier meaning "very very" or "tremendously great," emphasizing the immense, overwhelming quantity of the material seized. This signifies not just a capture, but an extraordinary abundance, highlighting divine blessing on David's campaign and providing for the unprecedented needs of future projects like the temple.
- brass: (נְחֹשֶׁת, nĕḥošt). This Hebrew term refers to copper and, more commonly, to bronze (an alloy of copper and tin). In the ancient Near East, bronze was highly valuable and widely used for tools, weapons, armor, cultic implements, and structural components. Its vast quantity here highlights its strategic importance, especially for the subsequent construction of the Temple, which required massive amounts of bronze for its furnishings and structures, as detailed in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 4.
2 Samuel 8 8 Bonus section
The collection of these massive quantities of bronze directly prefigures and makes possible the elaborate construction details found in 1 Kings 7 and 2 Chronicles 4 regarding the furnishings and vessels for Solomon's Temple. David meticulously set aside all the silver, gold, and bronze dedicated from these spoils for the house of the LORD, as explicitly stated in 2 Samuel 8:11 and 1 Chronicles 18:11. This emphasizes the divine purpose behind David's military successes beyond mere territorial expansion: providing the very physical means for Israel to properly worship the One True God. This illustrates God's meticulous foresight and provision for His people's spiritual life and worship.
2 Samuel 8 8 Commentary
2 Samuel 8:8 succinctly captures a critical aspect of David's victories: the acquisition of vast material wealth. The "exceeding much brass" was not merely a symbol of David's power but a direct provision from the LORD, who had "preserved David wherever he went" (2 Sam 8:6, 14). This immense quantity of bronze, taken from pagan cities, demonstrates God's sovereignty over the nations and their resources. It foreshadowed its dedicated use in the building of Solomon's Temple. God provided the means through David's military campaigns, ensuring that His dwelling place would be furnished with abundant and costly materials. This illustrates that divine purpose can repurpose worldly spoils for holy service, turning conquered wealth into resources for worship. For instance, the bronze from these cities would form parts of the colossal bronze pillars, the "bronze sea," and various cultic vessels in the Temple.