3 And David overcame Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to make his power seen by the River. 4 And David took from him one thousand, seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen: and David had the leg-muscles of the horses cut, only keeping enough of them for a hundred war-carriages. 5 And when the Aramaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David put to the sword twenty-two thousand of the Aramaeans. 6 And David put armed forces in Aram of Damascus: and the Aramaeans became servants to David and gave him offerings. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went. 7 And David took their gold body-covers from the servants of Hadadezer and took them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Tebah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great store of brass.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:3-8
Commentary on 2 Samuel 8:1-8.
(Read 2 Samuel 8:1-8.)
David subdued the Philistines. They had long been troublesome to Israel. And after the long and frequent struggles the saints have with the powers of darkness, like Israel with the Philistines, the Son of David shall tread them all under foot, and make the saints more than conquerors. He smote the Moabites, and made them tributaries to Israel. Two parts he destroyed, the third part he spared. The line that was to keep alive, though it was but one, is ordered to be a full line. Let the line of mercy be stretched to the utmost. He smote the Syrians. In all these wars David was protected, for this in his psalms he often gives glory to God.