Verse 9:[1] When Toi (Tou, 1 Chron. 18:9[2]) king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer…
[Tou King of Hamath] Of Hamath see on Genesis 10:18; Numbers 13:21 (Malvenda). Hamath was twofold, either the greater, which is Antioch; or the lesser, which is Epiphania[3] (Lapide out of Josephus and Procopius).
Hamath; another eminent city of Syria.
Verse 10:[4] Then Toi sent Joram (Hadoram, 1 Chron. 18:10[5]) his son unto king David, to salute him (Heb. ask him of peace[6]), and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with (Heb. was a man of wars with[7]) Toi. And Joram brought with him (Heb. in his hand were[8]) vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass…
[He sent Joram] Who in 1 Chronicles 18:10 is called Hadoram (Malvenda).
Toi sent Joram: here also the names differ from 1 Chronicles 18:9, 10, where it is Tou and Hadoram.
[So that he, congratulating him, might salute him, לִשְׁאָל־ל֙וֹ לְשָׁל֜וֹם] To ask him concerning peace (Malvenda, Piscator). To ask concerning prosperity (Junius and Tremellius). So that he might speak greetings to him, and congratulate him (Vatablus): so that he might wish for him greater fortune, etc. (Munster). Others: to seek peace for himself (certain interpreters in Malvenda).
[And give thanks] Hebrew: to bless him;[9] that is, to commend, to honor, him, etc. (Malvenda); so that he might present gifts to him. For a gift is called a blessing (Vatablus out of Munster). See 1 Samuel 25:27[10] (Malvenda).
[He was the enemy, etc., כִּי־אִ֛ישׁ מִלְחֲמ֥וֹת תֹּ֖עִי הָיָ֣ה הֲדַדְעָ֑זֶר] For a man of wars was Toi (understanding, with [Vatablus out of Jonathan]) Hadadezer (Montanus, Vatablus). For Hadadezer was waging wars with Toi (Pagnine, similarly Jonathan, Munster, Junius and Tremellius). Toi was the bitter enemy, etc. (Tigurinus). A man, that is, waging, wars was, etc. (Mariana).
Had wars; Hebrew, was a man of wars, that is, was exercised with continual wars. Compare Genesis 9:20,[11] etc.
Verse 11:[12] Which also king David (1 Kings 7:51; 1 Chron. 18:11; 26:26) did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued…
[Which David sanctified] He consecrated or dedicated (Vatablus). Concerning this manner of consecrating a portion of the prey, see Genesis 14:20, and Concerning the Law of War and Peace 3:6:20 (Grotius). Thus the Heathen were consecrating the general’s spoils to Jupiter Feretrius[13] (Martyr).
Unto the Lord; to the building of God’s temple. So he showed his affection to God and his house, in preparing for it when he was not permitted to build it.
Verse 12:[14] Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
[Of Moab, and the children of Ammon] The latter appear to have joined themselves with the Moabites (Martyr).
Verse 13:[15] And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting (Heb. his smiting[16]) of the Syrians in (2 Kings 14:7) the valley of salt, (see 1 Chron. 18:12; Ps. 60 title) being (or, slaying) eighteen thousand men.
[He made for himself a name] That is, he acquired for himself great fame (Menochius, thus Sanchez, Lapide, Tirinus).
[In the valley of salt-pans] This is not far from the Dead Sea, and reaches to the borders of the Idumeans (Menochius).
Gat him a name, that is, much increased his reputation. The Syrians, or Edomites, as they are said to be, 1 Chronicles 18:12. It is likely these two people were confederates, and that divers of the Syrians whom David had defeated in Syria fled to Edom, and there joined with them against their common enemy, and made up together a very great army, (as the number of the men slain in it showeth,) consisting of the veteran soldiers of both countries; although the slaughter here following may seem not to have been of the Syrians, as the words at first reading seem to intimate, but of the Edomites; (it not being probable that the Syrians would come so far from their own country, as to the valley of salt, to fight;) and this verse may be read thus, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew: And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians, in smiting (which is easily repeated out of the last clause, according to the common usage of Scripture) in the valley of salt eighteen thousand men, who were Edomites, as is sufficiently implied here in the next verse, and expressed 1 Chronicles 18:12. The valley of salt; a place in Edom so called, either from its neighbourhood to the Salt Sea, or for some other cause now unknown.
[With eighteen thousand slain] Either of the Edomites, as it is expressly said in 1 Chronicles 18:12 (Piscator), or partly of the Syrians, partly of the Idumeans, who were allies to them. Of these Abishai killed six thousands; then Joab killed twelve thousand, 1 Chronicles 18:12; Psalm 60 title (Grotius).
Being eighteen thousand men; as it is also 1 Chronicles 18:12, where also they are said to be smitten by Abishai, because he was then a chief commander of the army under David, and, it may be, began the fight; as, for the like reason, they are said to be smitten by Joab, Psalm 60 title, where also there are only twelve thousand mentioned; which place, if it speak of this battle, the state of it was this: Abishai begins the combat, and kills six thousand; after him comes in Joab, and kills twelve thousand more, which makes up this eighteen thousand. But why may not that be another history and battle? So the Edomites and Syrians together did first fight with Abishai, and lost eighteen thousand men, and afterwards recruited their forces and fought with Joab, and lost other twelve thousand men. Nor is it strange if two battles were fought in one place; of which there are divers instances in historians.
Verse 14:[17] And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and (Gen. 27:20, 37, 40; Num. 24:18) all they of Edom became David’s servants. (2 Sam. 8:6) And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.
[And he set watches in Idumea] And a prefect, who might administer the law, as in 1 Kings 22:47 (Grotius).
[1] Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁמַ֕ע תֹּ֖עִי מֶ֣לֶךְ חֲמָ֑ת כִּ֚י הִכָּ֣ה דָוִ֔ד אֵ֖ת כָּל־חֵ֥יל הֲדַדְעָֽזֶר׃
[2] 1 Chronicles 18:9: “Now when Tou (תֹּעוּ) king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah…”
[3] Epiphania was in west-central Syria, on the Orontes River.
[4] Hebrew: וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח תֹּ֣עִי אֶת־יֽוֹרָם־בְּנ֣וֹ אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־דָּ֠וִד לִשְׁאָל־ל֙וֹ לְשָׁל֜וֹם וּֽלְבָרֲכ֗וֹ עַל֩ אֲשֶׁ֙ר נִלְחַ֤ם בַּהֲדַדְעֶ֙זֶר֙ וַיַּכֵּ֔הוּ כִּי־אִ֛ישׁ מִלְחֲמ֥וֹת תֹּ֖עִי הָיָ֣ה הֲדַדְעָ֑זֶר וּבְיָד֗וֹ הָי֛וּ כְּלֵֽי־כֶ֥סֶף וּכְלֵֽי־זָהָ֖ב וּכְלֵ֥י נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
[5] 1 Chronicles 18:10: “He sent Hadoram (הֲדוֹרָם) his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.”
[6] Hebrew: לִשְׁאָל־ל֙וֹ לְשָׁל֜וֹם.
[7] Hebrew: אִ֛ישׁ מִלְחֲמ֥וֹת.
[8] Hebrew: וּבְיָד֗וֹ הָי֛וּ.
[9] Hebrew: וּלְבָרֲכוֹ.
[10] 1 Samuel 25:27: “And now this blessing (הַבְּרָכָה) which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.”
[11] Genesis 9:20: “And Noah began to be an husbandman (אִ֣ישׁ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה, a man of the earth), and he planted a vineyard…”
[12] Hebrew: גַּם־אֹתָ֕ם הִקְדִּ֛ישׁ הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ דָּוִ֖ד לַֽיהוָ֑ה עִם־הַכֶּ֤סֶף וְהַזָּהָב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִקְדִּ֔ישׁ מִכָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר כִּבֵּֽשׁ׃
[13] According to legend, Romulus, upon his defeat of Acro, king of the Cæninenses, dedicated a space on the Capitoline Hill for a temple to Jupiter Feretrius (perhaps related to ferire, to strike), the first temple in Rome. It was to be the seat of spoils taken from defeated enemies.
[14] Hebrew: מֵאֲרָ֤ם וּמִמּוֹאָב֙ וּמִבְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וּמִפְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים וּמֵֽעֲמָלֵ֑ק וּמִשְּׁלַ֛ל הֲדַדְעֶ֥זֶר בֶּן־רְחֹ֖ב מֶ֥לֶךְ צוֹבָֽה׃
[15] Hebrew: וַיַּ֤עַשׂ דָּוִד֙ שֵׁ֔ם בְּשֻׁב֕וֹ מֵהַכּוֹת֥וֹ אֶת־אֲרָ֖ם בְּגֵיא־מֶ֑לַח שְׁמוֹנָ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר אָֽלֶף׃
[16] Hebrew: מֵהַכּוֹתוֹ.
[17] Hebrew: וַיָּ֙שֶׂם בֶּאֱד֜וֹם נְצִבִ֗ים בְּכָל־אֱדוֹם֙ שָׂ֣ם נְצִבִ֔ים וַיְהִ֥י כָל־אֱד֖וֹם עֲבָדִ֣ים לְדָוִ֑ד וַיּ֤וֹשַׁע יְהוָה֙ אֶת־דָּוִ֔ד בְּכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָלָֽךְ׃
Thomas Boston's A View of the Covenant of Grace: 'In subserviency to this kingdom, the kingdom of providence throughout the world was also committed to him, being made the head over all things to the church, which is his body, Eph 1:22-23, he was appointed to rule, not only over his willing subjects, but in the midst of his enemies, Ps 110:2. The management of the wheel of providence, throughout the whole world, was put into the hand of Zion's King. Into the same hand that the Father hath committed the government of the church, he hath also committed the government of the world: for there is no exception. "The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son," John 5:22…
Matthew Henry: 'Here is, 1. The court made to David by the king of Hamath, who, it seems was at this time at war with the king of Zobah. He hearing of David's success against his enemy, sent his own son ambassador to him (2 Sam 8:9-10), to congratulate him on his victory, to return him thanks for the favour he had done him in breaking the power of one he was in fear of, and to beg his friendship. Thus he not only secured but strengthened himself. And David lost nothing by taking this little prince under his protection, any more than the old Romans did by the like policy; for the wealth he had from the countries h…
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