And he struck Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he the ones to put to death, and with one full line the ones to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
All Commentaries on 2 Samuel 8:2 Go To 2 Samuel 8
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Earth, like criminals condemned to die. (Theodoret)
Some of them he chose to spare, and made tributary, having levelled the strong places with the ground. (Denis the Carthusian)
Septuagint intimate that half were destroyed. (Calmet)
But the Hebrew rather implies that the greatest part was saved, "a full cord to save alive "(Menochius) unless there were three lots, and only one of them, larger indeed than the rest, spared. (Haydock)
Death, or slavery, were the portion of all who were taken in war. (Grotius, Jur. iii. 4, 20.)
Lex nulla capto parcit aut poenam impendit. (Seneca)
Tribute. Hebrew, "brought gifts "which is a softer term. The Moabites were thus punished for former and, probably, for some recent offences. (Haydock)
