King James Version

2 Samuel 8:2

And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֣ךְvayakhand strikeנָכָהconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and strike”, the next action in the storyH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).מוֹאָ֗בmoavMoabמוֹאָבnoun, proper name — “Moab”H4124Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendantsMoab.וַֽיְמַדְּדֵ֤םvaymaddemand measureמָדַדconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and measure”, the next action in the storyH4058properly, to stretch; by implication, to measure (as if by stretching a line); figuratively, to be extendedmeasure, mete, stretch self.בַּחֶ֨בֶל֙bachevelin companyחֶבֶלpreposition, with the article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “in company”, the ordinary formH2256a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruinband, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.הַשְׁכֵּ֣בhashkevlieשָׁכַבverb, hiphil, infinitive absolute — “lie”, the verb used for emphasisH7901to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose)[idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.אוֹתָ֣םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אַ֔רְצָהartsahearthאֶרֶץnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute, directional ending — “earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.וַיְמַדֵּ֤דvaymadedand measureמָדַדconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and measure”, the next action in the storyH4058properly, to stretch; by implication, to measure (as if by stretching a line); figuratively, to be extendedmeasure, mete, stretch self.שְׁנֵֽיshenetwoשְׁנַיִםadjective, cardinal, masculine, dual, construct — “two”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8147two; also (as ordinal) twofoldboth, couple, double, second, twain, [phrase] twelfth, [phrase] twelve, [phrase] twenty (sixscore) thousand, twice, two.חֲבָלִים֙chavalimcompanyחֶבֶלnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “company”, the ordinary formH2256a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruinband, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.לְהָמִ֔יתlehamitto dieמוּתpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to die”, the to-form of the verbH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…וּמְלֹ֥אumeloand fulnessמְלֹאconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and fulness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4393fulness (literally or figuratively)[idiom] all along, [idiom] all that is (there-) in, fill, ([idiom] that whereof...was) full, fulness, (hand-) full, multitude.הַחֶ֖בֶלhachevelthe companyחֶבֶלdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the company”, the ordinary formH2256a rope (as twisted), especially a measuring line; by implication, a district or inheritance (as measured); or a noose (as of cords); figuratively, a company (as if tied together); also a throe (especially of parturition); also ruinband, coast, company, cord, country, destruction, line, lot, pain, pang, portion, region, rope, snare, sorrow, tackling.לְהַחֲי֑וֹתlehachayotto liveחָיָהpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to live”, the to-form of the verbH2421to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revivekeep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.וַתְּהִ֤יvathiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.מוֹאָב֙moavMoabמוֹאָבnoun, proper name — “Moab”H4124Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendantsMoab.לְדָוִ֔דledavidto Davidדָּוִדpreposition, noun, proper name — “to David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.לַעֲבָדִ֖יםlaavadimto servantעֶבֶדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.נֹשְׂאֵ֥יnoseelift upנָשָׂאverb, qal, participle, construct — “lift up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…מִנְחָֽהminchahofferingמִנְחָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “offering”, the ordinary formH4503a donation; euphemistically, tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary)gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And he smote 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. And the Moabites became servants to David, and brought presents.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

And he smiteth Moab, and measureth them with a line, causing them to lie down on the earth, and he measureth two lines to put to death, and the fulness of the line to keep alive, and the Moabites are to David for servants, bearers of a present.

World English Bible

He defeated 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.

Darby Translation

And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, [and] brought gifts.

Douay-Rheims

And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And David smote Moab, and measured them out with lines, having laid them down on the ground: and there were two lines for slaying, and two lines he kept alive: and Moab became servants to David, yielding tribute.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἐπάταξε Δαυὶδ τὴν Μωὰβ, καὶ διεμέτρησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν σχοινίοις, κοιμίσας αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἐγένετο τὰ δύο σχοινίσματα τοῦ θανατῶσαι, καὶ τὰ δύο σχοινίσματα ἐζώγρησε· καὶ ἐγένετο Μωὰβ τῷ Δαυὶδ εἰς δούλους φέροντας ξένια.