²⁷and now it hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord, hast blessed, and it is blessed for ever.
27. hast blessed, and it is blessed for ever] 2 Samuel vii. 29, thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it; and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
Chapter XVIII.
1–17 (= 2 Samuel viii. 1–18).
A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars. David’s Officials.
This chapter like the last is taken from 2 Samuel with a few omissions and variations. The Chronicler paraphrases (verses 1, 17), omits (verse 2), has a different reading (verses 4, 8, 10, 12). In some cases the better reading is in Chronicles.
The campaigns (except perhaps that against Moab) seem to be narrated in chronological order. David first makes sure of his most pressing enemy the Philistines (verse 1); then feeling safe towards the south-west he turns towards the north-east secure on the Euphrates (but see note verse 3) a station (valuable for trade) held by the Syrians of Zobah (verse 3); the Syrians of Damascus fearing to be excluded from the River by David’s success come to the help of their kinsmen (verse 5); lastly the Edomites, urged perhaps by the Syrians to make a diversion in their favour and thinking it safe to attack Judah during the absence of David, join in the war, but are signally defeated by a detachment under Joab and Abishai (verse 12).
The war with Moab (verse 2) is surprising, if it took place at an early date in David’s reign, for he seems to have been on specially friendly terms with the king of Moab during his exile; compare 1 Samuel xxii. 3, 4 and Kirkpatrick on 2 Samuel viii. 2.
1–13 (= 2 Samuel viii. 1–14).
A Summary of David’s Foreign Wars.
¹And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.