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2 Samuel 8

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1 After this it happened that David struck the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 He struck Moab, and measured them with the line, making them to lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. The Moabites became servants to David, and brought tribute.

3 David struck also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the River.

4 David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for one hundred chariots.

5 When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.

7 David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 From Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer,

10 then Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to Greet him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. [Joram] brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

11 These also did king David dedicate to Yahweh, with the silver and gold that he dedicated of all the nations which he subdued;

12 of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 David earned a reputation when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, even eighteen thousand men.

14 He put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.

15 David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness to all his people.

16 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

17 and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was scribe;

18 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada [was over] the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief ministers.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 1715

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1715. 'And he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus' means to that particular extent. This becomes clear from the meaning of 'Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus'. Where Hobah was nobody knows, for it is not mentioned again in the Word. Damascus however was the capital city of Syria, as is clear in 2 Samuel 8:5-6; Isaiah 7:8, which has almost the same meaning as Syria, dealt with already at Chapter 10:22. The furthest boundary of the land of Canaan, but beyond Dan, is described as being Damascus, as in Amos,

You have taken up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyun your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves And I will cause you to go away beyond Damascus. Amos 5:26-27.

The northern boundary of the holy land or the Lord's kingdom is also called the boundary of Damascus in Ezekiel 47:16 18; 48:1. When it is said in the present verse that 'they were smitten and driven away as far as Hobah, which is on the left of Damascus', the extent to which apparent goods and truths were purified is meant. But unless the nature of those apparent goods and truths is known and by what means they were purified to make them genuine, no proper explanation of the meaning here of 'Hobah on the left of Damascus' is possible, apart from the general observation that they were purified.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.