2 Samuel 8:2 meaning and explanation
David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
2 Samuel 8:2, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
The narrator reports David's campaign against Moab, Israel's neighbor east of the Dead Sea, as part of the summary of victories that established his kingdom. The measuring with a cord describes a harsh wartime practice: prisoners were lined up and divided by lot or length, with two portions executed and one spared.
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