וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן וַיַּךְ דָּוִד אֶת פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכְנִיעֵם וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת מֶתֶג הָאַמָּה מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים

It was thereafter that David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Meteg HaAma, the name of a city or region. Alternatively, the phrase means the reins of authority. David removed Meteg HaAma from the possession of the Philistines.

וַיַּךְ אֶת מוֹאָב וַיְמַדְּדֵם בַּחֶבֶל הַשְׁכֵּב אוֹתָם אַרְצָה וַיְמַדֵּד שְׁנֵי חֲבָלִים לְהָמִית וּמְלֹא הַחֶבֶל לְהַחֲיוֹת וַתְּהִי מוֹאָב לְדָוִד לַעֲבָדִים נֹשְׂאֵי מִנְחָה

He smote Moav, and he measured them, the Moavite soldiers, with a rope, a measuring device, laying them on the ground. He measured the length of two ropes to put to death, and one rope length to keep alive. He killed two-thirds of the soldiers. David was not interested in conquering Moav, but he wanted to destroy its military force. The Moavites became servants and bearers of tribute, taxes, to David, an expression of their submission and acceptance of David’s rule.

וַיַּךְ דָּוִד אֶת הֲדַדְעֶזֶר בֶּן רְחֹב מֶלֶךְ צוֹבָה בְּלֶכְתּוֹ לְהָשִׁיב יָדוֹ בּנְהַר פְּרָת

David smote Hadadezer son of Rehov, king of Tzova, when he, Hadadezer, attempted to extend his borders to the region of the Euphrates River by waging war. This war was waged far from the areas where the children of Israel lived.

וַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִד מִמֶּנּוּ אֶלֶף וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת פָּרָשִׁים וְעֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ רַגְלִי וַיְעַקֵּר דָּוִד אֶת כָּל הָרֶכֶב וַיּוֹתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ מֵאָה רָכֶב

David captured from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand infantry. David incapacitated all the chariots but, he preserved from them one hundred chariots, out of many hundreds of chariots.

וַתָּבֹא אֲרַם דַּמֶּשֶׂק לַעְזֹר לַהֲדַדְעֶזֶר מֶלֶךְ צוֹבָה וַיַּךְ דָּוִד בַּאֲרָם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף אִישׁ

Aram Damascus, another Aramean kingdom in Syria, whose capital city was Damascus, came to assist Hadadezer king of Tzova, and David smote twenty-two thousand men of Aram.

וַיָּשֶׂם דָּוִד נְצִבִים בַּאֲרַם דַּמֶּשֶׂק וַתְּהִי אֲרָם לְדָוִד לַעֲבָדִים נוֹשְׂאֵי מִנְחָה וַיֹּשַׁע ה' אֶת דָּוִד בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלָךְ

David installed senior officials in Aram Damascus, and the people of Aram became servants to David, bearers of tribute. Although David sometimes had to fight on two battlefronts at once, and his enemies often had the element of surprise, nevertheless the Lord saved David wherever he went (see 10:6–14).

וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֵת שִׁלְטֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ אֶל עַבְדֵי הֲדַדְעָזֶר וַיְבִיאֵם יְרוּשָׁלִָם

David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

וּמִבֶּטַח וּמִבֵּרֹתַי עָרֵי הֲדַדְעָזֶר לָקַח הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד נְחֹשֶׁת הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

From Betah and from Berotai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great deal of bronze.

וַיִּשְׁמַע תֹּעִי מֶלֶךְ חֲמָת כִּי הִכָּה דָוִד אֵת כָּל חֵיל הֲדַדְעָזֶר

To’i king of Hamat, a city-state in the center of present-day Syria, heard that David had smitten the entire army of Hadadezer.

וַיִּשְׁלַח תֹּעִי אֶת יוֹרָם בְּנוֹ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד לִשְׁאָל לוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְבָרֲכוֹ עַל אֲשֶׁר נִלְחַם בַּהֲדַדְעֶזֶר וַיַּכֵּהוּ כִּי אִישׁ מִלְחֲמוֹת תֹּעִי הָיָה הֲדַדְעָזֶר וּבְיָדוֹ הָיוּ כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּכְלֵי נְחֹשֶׁת

To’i sent Yoram his son to King David to greet him, and to congratulate him for his having waged war against Hadadezer and having smitten him, as Hadadezer had been a man of wars with To’i. As a sign of gratitude for defeating the king of Tzova, To’i sent a delegation to David, headed by his son, and in his hand were silver vessels, gold vessels, and bronze vessels, as gifts for David.

גַּם אֹתָם הִקְדִּישׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד לַה' עִם הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב אֲשֶׁר הִקְדִּישׁ מִכָּל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר כִּבֵּשׁ

Those too King David consecrated to the Lord for the construction of the Temple, with the silver and gold that he consecrated from all the nations that he conquered,

מֵאֲרָם וּמִמּוֹאָב וּמִבְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וּמִפְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמֵעֲמָלֵק וּמִשְּׁלַל הֲדַדְעֶזֶר בֶּן רְחֹב מֶלֶךְ צוֹבָה

from Aram, and from Moav, and from the children of Amon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek, and from the spoils of Hadadezer son of Rehov, king of Tzova.

וַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד שֵׁם בְּשֻׁבוֹ מֵהַכּוֹתוֹ אֶת אֲרָם בְּגֵיא מֶלַח שְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר אָלֶף

David established a monument, he constructed a memorial commemorating his victories, or he became famous, upon his return from his smiting the Arameans in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand men.

וַיָּשֶׂם בֶּאֱדוֹם נְצִבִים בְּכָל אֱדוֹם שָׂם נְצִבִים וַיְהִי כָל אֱדוֹם עֲבָדִים לְדָוִד וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' אֶת דָּוִד בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר הָלָךְ

He installed officials in Edom; in all Edom he installed officials, and all the Edomites became servants to David. The Lord saved David wherever he went.

וַיִּמְלֹךְ דָּוִד עַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְהִי דָוִד עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכָל עַמּוֹ

David reigned over all Israel, not only Judah; and David performed justice and righteousness for his entire people. Like most kings of the time, David occasionally served as a judge as well as king. He also engaged in acts of charity and kindness.

וְיוֹאָב בֶּן צְרוּיָה עַל הַצָּבָא; וִיהוֹשָׁפָט בֶּן אֲחִילוּד מַזְכִּיר

The text provides a short list of David’s main staff: Yoav son of Tzeruya was commander-in-chief in charge of the army, and Yehoshafat son of Ahilud was chancellor, who would present to the king the pressing issues that required his decisions in the various areas of government;

וְצָדוֹק בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב וַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֶבְיָתָר כֹּהֲנִים; וּשְׂרָיָה סוֹפֵר ;

Tzadok son of Ahituv and Ahimelekh son of Evyatar were priests. They were from the two original branches of the priesthood, the family of Elazar and the family of Itamar. And Seraya was the scribe, a kind of foreign minister who would write letters in the king’s name to other nations, in their languages;

וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע והַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי ; וּבְנֵי דָוִד כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ

Benaya son of Yehoyada was in charge of the regiments of the Keretites and the Peletites,and David’s sons were senior ministers. David assigned his mature sons to various positions, and they formed the core of his government.