Kindness and War

In context

After the Lord’s promise of a lasting house for David (2 Samuel 7), the story turns to his wars. He defeats the Philistines, Moab, Hadadezer king of Zobah, the Syrians of Damascus and Edom, and twice the text says, “Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went” (2 Samuel 8:6, 14). It is a hard reading in places: many thousands die, and after defeating Moab, David has many of its men put to death (8:2). He dedicated the captured silver and gold to the Lord, and 1 Chronicles adds that Solomon later made the temple’s bronze Sea and pillars from bronze David took (8:11–12; 1 Chronicles 18:8).

Between the battles comes a kindness. Jonathan had once asked David never to cut off his kindness from Jonathan’s house (1 Samuel 20:14–15). Now David asks, “Is there yet any who is left of Saul’s house, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1). Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, lame since a fall when he was five (4:4), receives Saul’s land and a place at the king’s table.

David’s kindness to Hanun, the new king of the Ammonites, goes wrong: Hanun’s princes call David’s men spies, and Hanun shames them (10:1–5). The war that follows leads into the next day’s reading, at Rabbah (11:1).