וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיַּךְ דָּוִיד אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכְנִיעֵם וַיִּקַּח אֶת־גַּת וּבְנֹתֶיהָ מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים

It was thereafter that David smote the Philistines and subdued them. In the past, the Philistines had invaded the land of Judah in order to capture David, or at least restrict his movement (14:8–17). On this occasion it is David who initiates the conflict, from which he emerges victorious and even conquers Philistine territory: And he took Gat, an important Philistine city, and the villages in its environs, from the hand of the Philistines. From this point, the Philistines no longer pose a serious threat to Israel.

וַיַּךְ אֶת־מוֹאָב וַיִּהְיוּ מוֹאָב עֲבָדִים לְדָוִיד נֹשְׂאֵי מִנְחָה

He smote Moav; and the Moavites became servants to David, bearers of tribute. They were forced to pay tribute to David. The land of Moav now came under the protection of the king of Israel, and the payment of levies was an accepted way of expressing subjugation, acceptance of authority, and quasi-servitude.

וַיַּךְ דָּוִיד אֶת־הֲדַדְעֶזֶר מֶלֶךְ־צוֹבָה חֲמָתָה בְּלֶכְתּוֹ לְהַצִּיב יָדוֹ בִּנְהַר פְּרָת

David smote Hadadezer king of Tzova at Hamat, in the northwestern part of modern-day Syria, when he, Hadadezer, had gone to establish his border at the Euphrates River. Hadadezer, who was king over a large Aramean state, sought to expand in the direction of eastern Syria and reach the Euphrates. David took to the battlefield in order to prevent him from doing so, seeking to halt the formation of a powerful political force in close proximity. When David concluded his military campaigns, all the territory from the Euphrates to the river of Egypt was subject to the supreme command of the king of Israel, even if not under his direct rule.

וַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִיד מִמֶּנּוּ אֶלֶף רֶכֶב וְשִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים פָּרָשִׁים וְעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ רַגְלִי וַיְעַקֵּר דָּוִיד אֶת־כָּל־הָרֶכֶב וַיּוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ מֵאָה רָכֶב

David captured from him as plunder one thousand chariots and seven thousand horseman and twenty thousand infantry as captives; David incapacitated all the chariots, either by damaging the horses’ hooves so that they could no longer run fast, or by incapacitating the chariots themselves, which were made of sturdy wood or iron. But he preserved from them, the one thousand, one hundred chariots. David did not conquer Hadadezer’s land, but he sought to control it, and for that reason he destroyed Hadadezer’s primary offensive weapon, his chariots of war.

וַיָּבֹא אֲרַם דַּרְמֶשֶׂק לַעֲזוֹר לַהֲדַדְעֶזֶר מֶלֶךְ צוֹבָה וַיַּךְ דָּוִיד בַּאֲרָם עֶשְׂרִים־וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף אִישׁ

The army of Aram of Damascus came to assist Hadadezer king of Tzova, as the two Aramean kingdoms maintained close ties, and David smote of the Arameans of Damascus twenty-two thousand men.

וַיָּשֶׂם דָּוִיד בַּאֲרַם דַּרְמֶשֶׂק וַיְהִי אֲרָם לְדָוִיד עֲבָדִים נֹשְׂאֵי מִנְחָה וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' לְדָוִיד בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלָךְ

David placed his representative, a supreme commissioner of sorts, in Aram of Damascus; alternatively, he altered the market forces and established for himself special commercial rights, as many rulers had done before him throughout history. And the Arameans became servants and bearers of tribute to David. The Lord saved David wherever he went, both in his wars with the Philistines to the west, and in his campaigns against the Aramean kings in the far north.

וַיִּקַּח דָּוִיד אֵת שִׁלְטֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ עַל עַבְדֵי הֲדַדְעָזֶר וַיְבִיאֵם יְרוּשָׁלִָם

David took as spoils the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, as their king was powerful and wealthy, and brought them to Jerusalem.

וּמִטִּבְחַת וּמִכּוּן עָרֵי הֲדַדְעֶזֶר לָקַח דָּוִיד נְחֹשֶׁת רַבָּה מְאֹד בָּהּ עָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־יָם הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְאֶת הָעַמּוּדִים וְאֵת כְּלֵי הַנְּחֹשֶׁת

From Tivhat and from Kun, the cities of Hadadezer, wealthy cities with diverse commercial activities, David took a great deal of bronze, with which Solomon later made the bronze sea, an enormous water container, and the two huge pillars, each of which was more than 10 m tall, and the bronze vessels, all for the Temple. Such large castings necessitated a massive quantity of bronze, and the requisite raw materials came partly from the plunder that David brought back from Aram.

וַיִּשְׁמַע תֹּעוּ מֶלֶךְ חֲמָת כִּי הִכָּה דָּוִיד אֶת־כָּל־חֵיל הֲדַדְעֶזֶר מֶלֶךְ־צוֹבָה

To’u king of Hamat heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadadezer king of Tzova, who was his neighbor to the north,

וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־הֲדוֹרָם־בְּנוֹ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד לִשְׁאָל־לוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְבָרְכוֹ עַל אֲשֶׁר נִלְחַם בַּהֲדַדְעֶזֶר וַיַּכֵּהוּ כִּי־אִישׁ מִלְחֲמוֹת תֹּעוּ הָיָה הֲדַדְעָזֶר וְכֹל כְּלֵי זָהָב וָכֶסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת

and he sent his son Hadoram as a diplomatic envoy to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him on the fact that he had made war against Hadadezer and smitten him, for Hadadezer had been a man of wars of To’u. The king of Tzova and the nearby king of Hamat had been involved in disputes for years; therefore, when Hadadezer was defeated in war, perhaps on his way to wage war with Hamat, To’u was very pleased and even thanked David for not attacking him. Not only did he send his son to David, but he also sent with him valuable gifts, all vessels of gold, and silver, and bronze. David did not seek to capture the entire area of Syria, and therefore he did not attack the king of Hamat. He gained a certain degree of control over the kingdom of Aram without actually conquering it. Accordingly, this region has a unique halakhic status.

גַּם־אֹתָם הִקְדִּישׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד לַה' עִם־הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂא מִכָּל־הַגּוֹיִם מֵאֱדוֹם וּמִמּוֹאָב וּמִבְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וּמִפְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמֵעֲמָלֵק

King David consecrated those too to the Lord, with the silver and the gold that he carried from all the nations, from Edom, from Moav, from the children of Amon, from the Philistines, and from Amalek. David did not deposit these gifts in his personal coffers, but rather earmarked them for the Temple treasury. He stockpiled these large amounts of valuable raw materials that would be required for construction of the Temple.

וְאַבְשַׁי בֶּן־צְרוּיָה הִכָּה אֶת־אֱדוֹם בְּגֵיא הַמֶּלַח שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר אָלֶף

Simultaneous with David’s campaign against Aram, Avshai son of Tzeruya smote Edom in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand. Avishai, here called Avshai, was sent to battle Edom, which was deemed a lesser threat, while David went with the commander of his army to wage the more difficult war against Aram. Avishai was also victorious, decisively routing the Edomites.

וַיָּשֶׂם בֶּאֱדוֹם נְצִיבִים וַיִּהְיוּ כָל־אֱדוֹם עֲבָדִים לְדָוִיד וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' אֶת־דָּוִיד בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלָךְ

He placed Israelite officials in Edom, and all of Edom became servants to David. David maintained a more constrictive reign over Edom than he did over other lands. He may not have even permitted them to retain their own king. Edom was economically significant because of its copper deposits, and because of the commercial routes that traversed its territory and led to the Red Sea. The Lord saved David wherever he went.

וַיִּמְלֹךְ דָּוִיד עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכָל־עַמּוֹ

While David occasionally acted as a military commander, at least officially, and directed military campaigns, he also filled the everyday role of the king, which was not necessarily the case with regard to all kings. David reigned over all Israel, and he executed justice and righteousness for his entire people. He preserved the legal system in his kingdom and tended to the needs of the public.

וְיוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה עַל־הַצָּבָא וִיהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן־אֲחִילוּד מַזְכִּיר

Yoav son of Tzeruya was the supreme commander over the army, probably the official ranked just below the king on the army’s frequent military forays, and Yehoshafat son of Ahilud was chancellor, a man under the king’s direct command and in charge of the government.

וְצָדוֹק בֶּן־אֲחִיטוּב וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן־אֶבְיָתָר כֹּהֲנִים וְשַׁוְשָׁא סוֹפֵר

Tzadok son of Ahituv, a descendant of Pinhas son of Elazar the priest, and Avimelekh son of Evyatar, from the house of Eli, a descendant of Itamar, were priests. At that stage, David had not yet chosen between them, and both served as priests. And Shavsha was a royal scribe. Shavsha is not an Israelite name; this official was probably a convert. His origins suited his role as scribe; a foreign minister of sorts who would have been engaged in diplomatic relations.

וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָע עַל־הַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי וּבְנֵי־דָּוִיד הָרִאשֹׁנִים לְיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ

Benayahu son of Yehoyada was appointed over the Keretites and the Peletites, regiments of foreign mercenaries; and the sons of David were prominent alongside the king. David appointed his sons to senior positions in government. However, the most important positions were filled by other, apparently more qualified, men.