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1 Chronicles 18

18

1And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute. 3And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hocked all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots.

5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadarezer king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

6Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went. 7And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

9And when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah, 10he sent Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him (for Hadarezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass. 11These also did king David dedicate unto Jehovah, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

12Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand. 13And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Jehovah gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

14And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness unto all his people. 15And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe; 17and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

What is 1 Chronicles 18 about?

The account turns to the reach of David's kingdom. The chapter records his victories over the Philistines, Moab, Hadadezer of Zobah, and the Syrians of Damascus, the tribute they brought, and the gold, silver, and brass he dedicated to the LORD; it closes with the list of those who administered his realm in justice and righteousness. Showing that the LORD preserved David wherever he went, Ezra presents the kingdom's expansion as God's own doing. The spoils set apart for the house of God point ahead to the temple, for even David's wars served the worship his son would build.