1 Crônicas 18

BLIVRE · Chapter 18/29

1Depois destas coisas aconteceu que Davi feriu aos filisteus, e os humilhou; e tomou Gate e suas vilas das mãos dos filisteus.

2Também feriu a Moabe; e os moabitas foram servos de Davi, trazendo-lhe tributos.

3Assim feriu Davi a Hadadezer, rei de Zobá, em Hamate, quando ele foi assegurar seu domínio até o rio Eufrates.

4E tomou-lhes Davi mil carros, e sete mil a cavalo, e vinte mil homens a pé; e Davi aleijou os cavalos de todos os carros, exceto os de cem carros que deixou.

5E vindo os sírios de Damasco em ajuda de Hadadezer, rei de Zobá, Davi feriu dos sírios vinte e dois mil homens.

6E Davi pôs guarnições na Síria de Damasco, e os sírios foram feitos servos de Davi, trazendo-lhe tributos; porque o SENHOR dava vitória a Davi por onde quer que fosse.

7Tomou também Davi os escudos de ouro que levavam os servos de Hadadezer, e trouxe-os a Jerusalém.

8Assim de Tibate e de Cum, cidades de Hadadezer, Davi tomou muito bronze, de que Salomão fez o mar de bronze, as colunas, e vasos de bronze.

9E ouvindo Toú, rei de Hamate, que Davi havia defeito todo o exército de Hadadezer, rei de Zobá,

10Enviou seu filho Hdorão ao rei Davi para saudar-lhe e para bendizer-lhe por haver guerreado com Hadadezer, e haver lhe vencido; porque Toú tinha guerra com Hadadezer. Enviou-lhe também toda sorte de artigos de ouro, de prata e de metal;

11os quais o rei Davi dedicou a o SENHOR, com a prata e ouro que havia tomado de todas as nações, de Edom, de Moabe, dos filhos de Amom, dos filisteus, e de Amaleque.

12Além disso Abisai, filho de Zeruia, feriu no vale do sal dezoito mil edomitas.

13E pôs guarnições em Edom, e todos os edomitas foram servos de Davi; porque o SENHOR guardava a Davi por onde quer que fosse.

14E reinou Davi sobre todo Israel, e fazia juízo e justiça a todo seu povo.

15E Joabe, filho de Zeruia, era general do exército; e Josafá filho de Ailude, cronista;

16E Zadoque, filho de Aitube, e Abimeleque filho de Abiatar, eram sacerdotes; e Sausa, secretário;

17E Benaia, filho de Joiada, era sobre os quereteus e peleteus; e os filhos de Davi eram os principais próximos do rei.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

David conquers several neighboring nations — Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, Edomites — considerably expanding Israel's territory and wealth. He dedicates the spoils of war to the LORD and organizes his administration with trusted officials.

Explanation

This chapter serves as a summary of David's military conquests, showing Israel's political and territorial power at its peak under his rule. A spiritually significant detail is that David dedicates the conquered gold and silver to the LORD, rather than using it only for personal enrichment — these resources would later be used by Solomon in building the temple. The brief administrative summary at the end, listing the chief military and religious leaders, shows that a prosperous kingdom needs not only victories but also solid, dependable internal organization.

Fun facts

  • The simple summary 'David executed judgment and justice among all his people' is one of the most repeated phrases in the Bible as the gold standard of just leadership, later applied to other good kings of Judah as well.
  • The bronze taken from the conquered cities of Hadadezer, mentioned here, would later be used by Solomon to make the great 'bronze sea' and other temple furnishings, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 4.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 1 Crônicas 18:1After the promise of an eternal dynasty in the previous chapter, the book turns back to war: David attacks the Philistines and takes Gath, Goliath’s city, pulling it out of enemy control for good.
  2. 1 Crônicas 18:2The list of defeated peoples and tribute received — Moabites, Syrians, Edomites — shows David’s kingdom expanding fast in every direction, each victory yielding gifts and wealth that will later end up in the temple treasury.
  3. 1 Crônicas 18:3David also defeats Hadarezer, king of Zobah, at the very moment that king was trying to extend his rule as far as the Euphrates River — David cuts that expansion off at the root.
  4. 1 Crônicas 18:4David captures a thousand chariots, but hamstrings most of the horses, keeping only a hundred — fulfilling the law of Moses that forbade the king from stockpiling war horses.
  5. 1 Crônicas 18:5Syrians from Damascus come to help Hadarezer, but David kills twenty-two thousand of them — reinforcements that only make the enemy’s defeat worse.
  6. 1 Crônicas 18:6David sets up military garrisons in Syria, and the Syrians become tribute-paying servants — the same pattern of victory already seen with Moab.
  7. 1 Crônicas 18:7David takes the gold shields carried by Hadarezer’s servants and brings them to Jerusalem — one more war trophy put on display in the kingdom’s capital.
  8. 1 Crônicas 18:8David also takes a huge quantity of bronze from two of Hadarezer’s cities — the same bronze that, years later, Solomon will use to make the great bronze sea and the pillars of the temple.
  9. 1 Crônicas 18:9Tou, king of Hamath, hears that David has destroyed the entire army of Hadarezer, king of Zobah — news of the victory spreads even to kingdoms that were never directly part of the war.
  10. 1 Crônicas 18:10Tou sends his own son to David to congratulate him, since Hadarezer had also been at war with him — a diplomatic gesture of gratitude, complete with gifts of gold, silver, and bronze.
  11. 1 Crônicas 18:11David sets all of this apart — together with the gold and silver from Edom, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and the Amalekites — as an offering consecrated to the LORD, setting material aside for an even bigger project down the road.
  12. 1 Crônicas 18:12Abishai, Joab’s brother, kills eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt — one more victory that extends David’s control southward.
  13. 1 Crônicas 18:13David sets up garrisons in Edom, and the Edomites also become servants — the same refrain repeats: ‘the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.’
  14. 1 Crônicas 18:14A summary of the reign so far: David governs all Israel, executing judgment and justice for all the people — he is not just a warrior king, he is also a just administrator.
  15. 1 Crônicas 18:15This small government chart — Joab over the army, Jehoshaphat keeping the records, Zadok and Abimelech as priests, Shavsha as scribe — shows that David’s kingdom already had a real administrative structure, not just a warrior king.
  16. 1 Crônicas 18:16It rounds out the government chart: Zadok and Abimelech as priests, and Shavsha as scribe — every function of the kingdom has its named officeholder.
  17. 1 Crônicas 18:17Benaiah, the same man who killed the lion in the snow, now commands David’s foreign personal guard, while the king’s own sons serve as direct advisers — the organizational chart of power is complete.

Chapters

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.